By Neelesh Kripalani, Chief Technology Officer, Clover Infotech
In 2024 and beyond, the IT industry is poised for innovation and transformation. From exciting innovations and opportunities to newfound challenges, the ever-evolving technological landscape will bring an entirely new spectrum of change. So, let’s delve into the most anticipated technological advancements set to reshape our world in this year.
Specialised Cloud Platforms – Specialised cloud platforms offer tailored solutions for enterprises in specific industries, providing industry-specific features, optimised performance, and compliance with sector-specific regulations. For instance, Oracle’s Fusion Financials offers a suite of tailor-made solutions for the financial sector by providing integrated financial management, regulatory compliance, advanced reporting, security, scalability, automation, and customer-centric features. These capabilities enable financial institutions to navigate the complexities of their industry more effectively and efficiently.
Low-code Development Platforms – Low-code development platforms are revolutionising industries as they provide a visual development environment that accelerates application development, reduces reliance on highly skilled developers, and increases productivity. These platforms enable rapid application development, fostering agility and flexibility in responding to changing business needs. They also contribute to faster time-to-market for applications, support legacy system integration, and come with built-in governance features, ensuring adherence to organisational standards.
Self-serve Analytics – This is a form of business intelligence (BI) in which line-of-business professionals are enabled and encouraged to perform queries and generate reports on their own, with nominal IT support. Self-service analytics is often characterised by simple-to-use BI tools with basic analytic capabilities and an underlying data model that has been simplified or scaled down for ease of understanding and straightforward data access.
AI and GenAI – If 2023 was the year in which GenAI burst into the mainstream, then 2024 will be the year when everyone starts to understand just how transformative GenAI will be to our lives. Companies will progressively employ GenAI to enhance productivity and efficiency by delegating routine tasks such as information retrieval, scheduling, compliance management, etc. AI will continue to evolve, with a focus on more ethical and responsible usage.
Artificial Intelligence as a Service (AIaaS) – This is a cloud-based service offering of AI. AIaaS enables individuals and businesses to experiment with AI, and even take AI to production for large-scale use cases, with low risk and without a large up-front investment. It offers numerous advantages, including cost-effectiveness, scalability, and accessibility. By eliminating the need for substantial upfront investments in AI infrastructure, AIaaS enables organisations to swiftly integrate advanced AI and machine learning capabilities into their applications. Cloud-based platforms provide pre-built models and APIs, allowing for quick deployment and reducing development time.
Sustainable Practices – Sustainability is emerging as a pivotal focus for the business world. Driven by a collective acknowledgment of environmental responsibilities, sustainable practices are gaining momentum across industries. For instance, IT industry is adopting green computing practices, transitioning to renewable energy sources, and embracing circular economy principles to reduce electronic waste. The development of energy-efficient technologies, coupled with efforts to measure and offset carbon footprints, showcases a commitment to environmental conservation.
In conclusion, as we navigate this era of unprecedented change, it becomes evident that staying at the forefront of these innovations is not just a strategic advantage but a necessity for organisations and individuals alike. Embracing these transformative technologies will undoubtedly shape the trajectory of progress in the years to come.