3 technology trends to act as force multipliers of digital business and innovation over the next three to five years. Here’s your quick guide to what the technologies are and why they’re valuable.

6G’s Early Stages

The successor to 5G cellular technology is 6G (sixth-generation wireless). 6G networks will be able to use higher frequencies than 5G networks, resulting in significantly higher capacity and much lower latency. One of the goals of the 6G internet is to support communications with a latency of one microsecond. This is 1,000 times faster – or 1/1000th the latency – than one-millisecond throughput.

The 6G technology market is expected to facilitate large improvements in the areas of imaging, presence technology, and location awareness. Working in conjunction with artificial intelligence (AI), the 6G computational infrastructure will be able to identify the best place for computing to occur; this includes decisions about data storage, processing, and sharing.

It is important to note that 6G is not yet a functioning technology. While some vendors are investing in the next-generation wireless standard, industry specifications for 6G-enabled network products remain years away.

6G networks will operate by using signals at the higher end of the radio spectrum. It is too early to approximate 6G data rates, but Dr. Mahyar Shirvanimoghaddam, a senior lecturer at the University of Sydney, suggested a theoretical peak data rate of 1 terabyte per second for wireless data may be possible. That estimate applies to data transmitted in short bursts across limited distances. LG, a South Korean company, unveiled this type of technology based on adaptive beamforming in 2021.

A greater focus on the metaverse

The metaverse is the next generation of the internet, allowing users to purchase, entertain, socialize, and work in an immersive environment that includes virtual and augmented reality aspects. Only a few corporations have attempted to enter this market thus far, including Facebook, which changed its name to Meta in 2021. The name change signals a shift in focus for Facebook from software to hardware, such as virtual reality headsets that can support metaverse activities.

The metaverse has a lot of room for corporate growth. Companies will be able to advertise, sponsor events, and provide digital products and games, just as they can on the internet. In 2022, many businesses from various industries will begin to consider how they may benefit from these metaverse features.

 A greater emphasis on security

Cyberattacks, particularly ransomware attacks, have become more common. The Colonial Pipeline incident, in which the corporation paid a ransom to regain access to its data, is a good example of how much leverage cybercriminals have over businesses. Even if your firm does not supply critical services, the information that could be compromised is critical to you and your operations.

Other businesses have seen this effect and have increased their efforts to teach staff the Dos and Don’ts of network computing, such as not clicking on links from unknown email senders. In order to prevent assaults, enterprise security providers have introduced features such as enhanced cloud protection, regulatory support, and attention to all data repositories.

Reading about technology trends is always interesting, but deciding whether or not to implement them in your company is a different story. Make sure the tools you’re considering tackle a real-world problem. Only organizations in particular industries, for example, are likely to require robotics, whereas almost any company could benefit from a security improvement. Start with your goals and obstacles to see whether any of the solutions listed above — or the many more not mentioned here — appear to suit.