Technology Vision 2017 report identifies key trends for businesses in the age of information.
Toby Ingleton |
People are at the heart of how technology will influence lives and have a positive business societal impact, according to a new report from Accenture.
The company’s annual technology report, Accenture Technology Vision 2017, has predicted which important technology trends will change how business is conducted over the next three years.
This year’s report had a theme of ‘Technology for People’. According to Accenture, the report is ‘a call to action for business and technology leaders to actively design and direct technology to augment and amplify human capabilities’.
“The pace of technology change is breathtaking, bringing about the biggest advancements since the dawn of the information age,” said Paul Daugherty, Accenture’s chief technology and innovation officer. “As technology transforms the way we work and live, it raises important societal challenges and creates new opportunities. Ultimately, people are in control of creating the changes that will affect our lives, and we’re optimistic that responsive and responsible leaders will ensure the positive impact of new technologies.”
The report was drawn up following conversations with more than 5,400 business and IT executives from various parts of the world.
The development and use of technology that is designed to align closer with human thinking, and the needs and wants of business decision-makers, has been in the ascendancy for some time. Examples of such technologies include artificial intelligence, the internet of things and big data analytics.
This ties in with the five technology trends the report points to as being a vital part of business success in the modern digital economy.
The first is the maturation of artificial intelligence (AI). 79% of those surveyed saying AI will revolutionise how people get information and interact. A second is around designing technology for humans, and having a focus on meeting the needs people have in terms of how technology will aid their lives going forward.
A third trend is around ecosystems, and how companies with an ecosystem rather than simply a platform approach can thrive in this era of intelligence. 27% of those surveyed for the report said that that digital ecosystems are transforming the way their organisations deliver value.
A fourth trend is around the workforce marketplace, and the growth in on-demand labour platforms and online work-management solutions. The effects of this are radical, and 85% of executives surveyed said they plan to increase their organisation’s use of independent freelance workers over the next year.
The final trend is referred to by Accenture as ‘The Uncharted’, and centres on the idea that businesses must move into uncharted territory to in order to enhance. This involves thinking beyond simply adding new products and services, looking at the wider picture and embracing new trends and areas that will inevitably continue to emerge.
More on Accenture’s Technology Vision 2017 can be found here.