Click to learn more about Ross Garrett.
Just as fax machines have been replaced by email, and floppy disks with USB drives and the cloud, so too will new advancements in technology render aspects of today’s status quo obsolete in 2016. However, the changes on the horizon will first have to overcome the inevitable obstacle of real-time data overload.
As today’s connected, mobile-first world advances, the seamless delivery and integration of big data in real-time, at scale, no matter the connectivity available, will be paramount to this successful evolution. When data is sent efficiently and intelligently, we can expect to see a few concepts become outdated in the New Year, including Internet of Things terminology, Omni channel and tactical integration platforms.
The Internet of Things is here and, with it, the term disappears
The Internet of Things (IoT) is a computing concept that describes a future where every day physical objects will be connected to the Internet and be able to identify themselves to other devices. However, despite what feels like ages of hype surrounding it, we are finally at a point where the IoT is no longer a futuristic concept.
Today, with just the alarm on your phone going off in the morning, the coffee machine can begin brewing, the television can be triggered to turn on the local news, and the car can start to map the fastest route to work. With all of these devices connected and working together, it is safe to say that the age of the IoT is here.
Developers need to ensure that large amounts of data can be delivered in real-time, so that apps in the IoT can operate seamlessly, allowing this level of connectedness to be our new normal. Similar to how ‘surfing the Web’ has become so common that we no longer refer to it as a unique activity, the IoT is becoming our reality, and the need to refer to it as a specific term will disappear in 2016.
Omni channel is dead
The term Omni channel has been a buzzword in the retail industry for the last several years. By connecting with consumers across all channels while following their path to purchase, companies, in theory, are able to ensure a sale from at least one touch point. However, today’s consumer is ‘channel blind,’ and they expect the same service, products and offers regardless of if they are shopping online or offline. As such, it’s even more critical for businesses to ensure a consistent experience across all channels or risk losing customers.
It is hard to believe, but generation Z consumers have scarcely seen a world that doesn’t combine real-world actions with mobile apps or social engagement. They no longer think in silos and expect to search for products in real time whenever and wherever they want, with contextual feedback from the application. In today’s world, the consumer can potentially use their desktop to search online for a product they are interested in buying, read reviews from their peers about the product right from their social media accounts, go to the store to examine the quality of the product in person, and, while there, maybe even receive a real-time discount via their smartphone.
To keep the attention of users, organizations need to leverage solutions that provide the necessary data abstraction and distribution features to deliver seamless integration across all of these channels. When businesses are able to break down the separate channels, and provide a unified experience between physical and digital worlds with ubiquitous data delivery, they will be able to meet these user expectations and will emerge in 2016 as most successful.
Tactical integration platforms can’t keep up
App requirements have changed radically over the past decade. Ten years ago, the average person had a desktop computer at home and, if they were lucky, maybe a laptop for work. And, smartphone apps weren’t yet on the scene. But, now, the average person has multiple devices all using different platforms, and expectations for apps have shifted to real-time response rates and constant availability.
With requirements for new tools to support a range of deployment platforms, real-time responses and unfathomable amounts of data, today’s on demand expectations are simply not being met by yesterday’s architectures and technologies.
As IT organizations make strategic investments in next-generation application and enterprise architecture, tactical integration platforms such as MBaaS will become obsolete. The applications of 2016 will be flexible, data centric, capable of scaling to massive numbers of devices and able to meet users’ modern app demands.
Here today, gone tomorrow
In today’s data-driven society, the ability to seamlessly send and receive data to/from end users will be a key component in the advancement of technology. But, only when it is able to be delivered at scale, regardless of the connectivity available, will we be able to move beyond what we have today to what we could have tomorrow.
When data is distributed in real-time, effortlessly, across multiple channels, it will ensure a high-performant, positive user experience, rendering Internet of Things terminology, the Omni channel and tactical integration platforms as things of the past.