New technology has a way of creeping up on us. Starting off as a geeky trend, or a privilege of a select few, suddenly it appears everywhere. Things like the microwave, home alarm system, VoIP business phone system, and of course the smartphone, all started off as obscure technologies.  Now they are commonplace. But what new technology can we expect to make it big in 2019? Each year, we like to take a guess.  Here are 5 cutting edge technological developments we think may impact your business (or life) next year.

Smart spaces

A smart space is a physical or digital environment in which humans and technology-enabled systems interact in increasingly open, connected, coordinated and intelligent ecosystems. As technology becomes a more integrated part of daily life, smart spaces will become more and more common, and even make their way into your office through lighting, smart desks, temperature control and voice activated desktop applications. What does a smart office look like?  Click here to find out.

Immersive technologies

Technologies such as augmented reality (AR), mixed reality (MR) and virtual reality (VR), which change how users perceive the world are about to take off. Some businesses are already using AR, MR, and VR.  The applications show show potential for increased productivity, with the next generation of VR able to sense shapes and track a user’s position. 

By 2022, 70% of enterprises will be experimenting with immersive technologies for consumer and enterprise use, and 25% will have deployed to production.

Live Streaming (LS)

This is a new technology trend designed for social media influencers and online marketers. It is created for users to engage their followers by making live streaming of activities or events.

With various platforms on social media of recent, it allows people to reach out to thousands of their followers by making a live stream or make a quick short video capture. It enables users to show how cool what they are experiencing at events or how much fun they are maximising from a particular activity they are engaging themselves at that instant of time. Once people glance it on screen, they are struck with the thought of how great it would be to be present at these events.

Improved Drones

In recent years the use of drones has been attributed majorly to the military. But as new events unfold in drone technology, more industries are now adding this new technological trend in their practices. They are often employed as flying cameras to capture and record amazing footage, and will only become more commonplace, with more business applications (even though Amazon hasn’t quite conquered drone package delivery  yet).

Facial Recognition

Your smartphone may already unlock with facial recognition, but this technology has yet to make it truly mainstream.  That said, new improvements to facial recognition software mean that it can be used reliably for everything from security identification, to tracking school attendance. Here are 21 places you might see this technology show up in your life next year.

There are of course dozens more technologies that are on the verge of becoming commonplace, and the tech landscape is changing all the time as new innovations lead to a different set of needs. New technology seems to breed the need for new technology, and the pace of development then gets faster and faster.  We hope you enjoy experimenting with these 5 new technologies in the coming months, and in the meantime, have a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year.

About VTSL

VTSL is an award-winning unified communications company specialising in hosted VoIP business phone services.  With an easy-to-use, intuitive system, employees can use technology to work faster and smarter--rather than spend time trying to figure out how to conference a colleague in.  With more than 30 features included for free, and helpful integrations to CRM systems, browsers and smartphones, VTSL offers the next generation business phone system that your organisation can't do without. Learn more today by calling 020 7078 3200 and speaking to one of our friendly advisor.