From the rise of IoT (Internet of Things) to the continued evolution of cloud server solutions, Pacific Infotech’s IT support specialists look ahead at what’s in store for the world of business technology in 2017, and offer our suggestions on how your company can best take advantage of the year’s biggest tech trends.

For many people, the arrival of a brand new year heralds a perfect opportunity to look back and reflect on how we spent the past twelve months. Technology however, looks back for no man. Things are always moving forward and evolving as innovators explore new ways to do things better, faster, and more efficiently.

Fail to keep up, and our businesses could well be left languishing light years behind our more forward-thinking competitors.

That’s why we’re here. Today, our business IT specialists examine the current -and future- state of the industry to provide our own insights into how technology is likely to shape your business in the next twelve months.

The Internet of Things Goes Mainstream

The idea that IoT is only going to grow over the next couple of years is hardly something new. Flick through the tech press as of late, and you can barely move for mentions of Internet-connected-everything.

That however, is precisely our point; for the most part, all serious talk about the Internet of Things has been the reserve of industry insiders and early adopters.

In 2017 however, Pacific Infotech well expect to see IoT filter through into the mainstream, especially with Internet-ready products becoming more more affordable and accessible.

For businesses, now might be a good time to start thinking about how IoT can help you in streamlining processes and automating tasks for greater efficiency and productivity.

Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Become the Talk of 2017

If you’ve started to notice a theme here, we’re hardly surprised. The majority of business IT experts expect intelligent technology to become one of the biggest topics of the year, and we’re certainly no different.

In our recent blog, we looked at how Microsoft were planning to turn their cloud server solution, Azure into the world’s first AI Super  . They aren’t the only ones placing a greater emphasis on the way they use Artificial Intelligence.

In recent, everyone from new startups to heavyweight tech giants have begun rolling out new AI-powered apps and products, and these could well play a vital role in the way your business uses technology going forward.

Those using Hotel Property Management Systems (PMS) and Customer Relationship Management solutions (CRM), are likely to see new platforms emerge which reduce the amount of time your staff need to spend on making those systems accurate and up-to-date, leaving all the hard work to AI.

More Brands Adopt a Mobile First Approach to Web Design

Switching gears for a moment, our hotel web design team were adamant that we included this one in today’s list.

There’s a good reason for that too, for whilst the importance of designing a website that works effectively on mobile devices is something we’re all well aware of, 2017 is likely to be the first year that most web designers move towards making mobile their top priority.

What this means for businesses like yours, is that there’s never been a more critical time to ensure that your website looks and functions as good as it possibly can on smartphones, tablets, and other mobile devices.

As new competitors emerge on the market, taking a mobile-first approach to the way they develop their website, your own online platform runs the risk of looking seriously outdated.

More Niche Providers Enter the Cloud Server Solutions Market

We’ve covered our predictions for the future of cloud servers just recently here on the Pacific Infotech blog, but we could hardly finish today’s post without at least mentioning what is likely to be one of the largest areas of growth in the tech industry throughout 2017 and beyond.

Whilst major players like Amazon Web Services and the aforementioned Microsoft Azure are going to continue their dominance in the new year, their sheer size and volume of users means they are not so adept at catering to individual requirements from smaller businesses.

It’s for this reason that most industry experts are suggesting a proliferation of smaller cloud service providers providing a flexible range of options to meet the needs of a broad range of enterprises.

If you’re a business who has so far avoided migrating to the cloud because you couldn’t yet find a solution to fit your exact requirements, this may well be the good news you’ve been waiting to here.

For our in-depth analysis on the continued evolution of the cloud, see What’s in Store for the Future of Cloud Computing.

Contact Pacific Infotech today to find out more about how to make the most of your business technology in 2017. Call now on 020 313 76707 or contact us online to arrange your free, no-obligation consultation.