Back from the summer break and approaching a new month of September, this time it seems that we’re finally able to leave behind the COVID crisis behind us. It’s therefore a good time to analyze what the main trends in telecommunications are for the months ahead. Let’s get down to business.
5G development
The fifth generation of the communication standard, better known as 5G, has been with us for some time now. Our mobile phones have the fastest connection we’ve ever known, but this is only the beginning of the potential that 5G will lead to in the coming months.
In a society where connectivity levels are increasing insatiably both at the industrial and domestic levels, having technology that enables higher connection density and ultra-fast speed is essential. Another feature of 5G that will undoubtedly bring about very important changes is its low latency, allowing real-time applications to be reliably developed over the 5G network.
As we mentioned before in this other article on the benefits that 5G can offer in industrial environments, the progressive adaptation of companies incorporating devices and infrastructures compatible with 5G will revolutionize the current paradigm of organization and distribution of work.
And this is where 5G ties in with another major player in the upcoming trends of the months ahead: the Internet of Things (IoT). 5G networks can support a high density of connected devices, whether in industrial or home environments, facilitating its further expansion.
IoT: Internet of things
The growth of devices and applications of all kinds connected to the Internet will be unstoppable. According to Statista data, by 2020 there were already 20 billion devices classified as IoT. And in just 5 years (2025) the number is expected to reach 75 billion devices.
As we pointed out before, 5G has enabled a great expansion in the application of IoT devices of all kinds, a market that will undoubtedly enjoy considerable growth in the coming months, both for applications in the home and in industry.
IoT will have a major impact on all technology-related sectors. It will allow organizations to carry out better management thanks to an increase in information and data regarding all their processes, increasing their productivity and therefore their profits. The interconnection and exchange of never-before-seen levels of information between devices, sensors, infrastructures and computers will open up a new range of optimization and management possibilities, driving Industry 4.0.
Cybersecurity
Greater connectivity also means greater reliance on IT equipment, cloud systems and all kinds of devices such as those needed for IoTexpansion. All of this carries with it a risk from potential cyber-attacks, as has already been seen in the past few months of the pandemic with the increase in internet transactions and remote working.
The future of cybersecurity therefore lies in anticipating potential threats and preventing any type of attack, whether on individuals or companies. This will be achieved through the application of blockchain technology, the development of new remote authentication solutions, improved protection of the data stored and transferred in the cloud, etc.
In addition, the application of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to cybersecurity will help to identify the emergence of new threats much more efficiently, speeding up the response and thus improving protection against cyber attacks.
Development of applications based on Artificial Intelligence
The application of Artificial Intelligence to a variety of fields will continue to grow in the coming months, becoming increasingly important. We have just discussed the benefits that the use of AI in cybersecurity can bring, and this is just one example.
There are many other sectors where there will be breakthroughs thanks to the application of AI, such as healthcare, virtual and augmented reality applications, security and prevention systems, etc.
One of the most interesting uses in the business environment is the development of AI-based conversational platforms. These platforms, such as chatbots, will be able to provide increasingly “human” attention, which will improve sales and customer services (among others), and can be scaled up at much lower cost.
If you want to delve deeper into this topic we recommend this other post in which we explain how Chatbots and IVR are revolutionizing customer service.
Edge Computing
Edge computing is a type of computing infrastructure that brings applications closer to the source of the data. This offers numerous advantages: shorter response times, greater security since the data does not reach the network/cloud, greater bandwidth availability for other uses, etc.
Edge computing will continue to develop in parallel with 5G and the increased use of IoT devices. This convergence will enable an unprecedented amount of data to be generated. Sending all that data to the cloud or to a processing center can create problems due to network capacity or latency, something that can be critical in applications such as autonomous vehicles or precision robots for remote surgical operations.
The development of edge computing will mean that data will not have to make that journey, and will be analyzed and processed locally at the source. This will be made possible by the growing computing power in the devices and peripherals themselves. It is becoming increasingly common for the very elements that generate data to have a certain processing capacity, as may be the case with that autonomous vehicle or robot, where it is critical that data and actions are transmitted in real time.
Garner (IBM) estimates that by 2025, 75% of data will be processed outside the cloud or traditional data processing centers. It will be smart objects, mobile devices and other elements that will take on this task.
Centum, your technology partner
At Centum we are aware of the challenges posed by new technologies and methodologies. We offer Quality Assurance and Automated Testing services to help you in your development projects as well as solutions in Cybersecurity Systems Engineering, Smart Factory, etc. If you need more information, please contact us.
