Technology is a broad category that encompasses a wide ranging type of companies, everything from software to telecommunications to internet to biotech.
These businesses can be intangible whether software or processes or something physical. They carry substantial technology-product and market risk. Technology companies are characterized by disruption and innovation.
There is so much going on in technology that we can only barely begin to discuss trends.
In an age of digital disruption, technology companies face increasing pressure to improve time to market and ensure their offerings are best in class. “Buy, build, partner” models and M&A strategies can help companies gain a competitiive fast moving, ultra-competitive environment.
Here are some picks for trends in technology.
Virtual Reality (VR) headsets were all the rage in 2016-17, although their popularity appears to have dimmed a little since then. VR technology was also largely absent from this year’s E3 games show . That all may be down to the cost of experiencing videos and games in VR. For consumers, it is expensive.
But that may change when VR giant Oculus launches a cheaper, standalone headset in early 2018. Called Oculus Go, the headset is due to go on sale for $199. That is $300 less than the company’s current Rift device. A range of new games is also in the pipeline for the PS VR, including Fallout 4 and Moss. These could tempt PS4 owners to invest in the technology.
Medical AI will become more common. One of the biggest talking points of 2017 has been the development of AI technology in the medical industry. Things are advancing quickly. Researchers have developed algorithms that can identify Alzheimer’s disease up to ten years before symptoms appear. Another can detect cancer during a colonoscopy.
It’s difficult to identify the specific technologies that will enter the market next. But one possibility is using AI to accurately analyze a patient’s medical records. AI also has the potential to improve patients’ recovery by suggesting medicine dosage and when they should take it.
There will be much more from Medical AI in the future. In fact, in the future we predict AI will dominant medicine. As anyone who has personally witnessed the effect of medical errors on patients and their families, as I have, this is entirely a good outcome.
Smartphone technology will continue to expand. The entire technology infrastructure around this technology will benefit though it will be quite competitive. We expect iPhone’s to continue to lead the innovation race.
While the expensive iPhone X is still new, people are starting to look forward to the next generation. Much like the majority of iPhones that came before it, the next device is on course to launch late in the year. It will feature the OLED display that debuted on the flagship iPhone X.
A LED-screened iPhone with a metal back plate could make its debut later in 2018. It’s tipped to come in several colors, which suggests it could be a successor to the company’s old entry-level 5C phone.
There will, of course, be new additions to the Samsung Galaxy product line. Google’s newer Pixel series will make inroads into this market.
I’ve done business in Africa, which has developed a vibrant tech eco-system around smartphone tech. This is because much of the population does not have access to traditional landlines. There is no legacy tech to displace. Smartphone tech offers the potential to solve many of the problems of relatively isolated communities without worrying about the sunk costs of previous infrastrcture.
The competition in smartphone technology will continue for the foreseeable future.
Digital currencies and especially Bitcoin had all the publicity in recent times with its astronomical rise in value. Increasing from $6,400 to $19,700 per coin between November and December, 2017.
But that was followed by a crash in January that saw bitcoin almost halving in value from its peak price. The drop may have been caused by a crackdown by the South Korean government which announced plans to ban anonymous trading on crypto currency exchanges.
The dramatic rise and fall of digital currency values are nothing new: the technology is hugely appealing to private investors but also vulnerable to cyber attacks and theft.
Regulatory agencies of governments around the world always slow to move, are now starting to regulate. Among others, for example the government of Japan more recently has begun investigating crypto currency exchanges. I think the monetary authorities of these governments will eventually insist on tight control of cryptocurriencies to maintain its ability to direct economies through the use of monetary policy.
Experts are torn over whether digital currencies will recover from the recent crash or whether we are witnessing a financial bubble that is close to bursting.
Driverless cars are becoming more affordable, and their eventual widespread use is likely inevitable. This will be true despite the inevitable mis-steps, such as the recent problems Uber is having in Arizona. While driverless cars have been on sale for several years, most early models had a six-figure price tag, and buyers could choose from only a handful of vehicle brands.
But that’s set to change soon and a bunch of new cars will soon be introduced. Tesla continues to be a leader. Others include introductions by more traditional car companies such as the Nissan Leaf.
With some exceptions, self driving cars appear to be safer than traditional vehicles. Some research show that accidents in the UK roads have fallen by 10% over the past five years. Experts think that is a result of the increasing number of cars with self-driving features and technology.
Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) are an old technology. We believe they will become more common in the future as various governments increase surveillance of consumer’s online activity. Combined with an appropriate browser (Tor), VPNs allow users to hide their online identity. The technology does this by securely diverting all the users web traffic through a virtual network which allows the user to search the web as if you were in a different country. Some uses of VPNs can be unlawful which invites regulation and monitoring.
This is a partial list. I could easily have talked about biotech, cloud computing, cognitive computing and data analytics too. And I will do so in future posts.
