Five Transformational Technology Trends for 2020

According to DXC Technology (NYSE:DXC) there are five technology trends poised to transform the future of work beginning in 2020.

In its annual forecast DXC has said that the rapid adoption of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) – coupled with trusted data ecosystems, empowered interconnected teams and tech-evangelist leaders – promises to produce new levels of workforce efficiency, productivity and growth across enterprises.

“The notion of accelerated productivity will force enterprises to rethink their technology decisions and investments across the enterprise technology stack, which, in turn, will drive a sea change in how enterprises are led and structured, make informed decisions and engage employees and customers,” said Dan Hushon, senior vice president and chief technology officer, DXC.

“Tech-evangelist leaders will define new interactions between AI and people to create high-performing teams and shape digital strategies that unlock an organisation’s full potential – securely and confidently modernising applications, optimising data architectures and moving workloads to the cloud to produce new and better business outcomes.”

Hushon identified five technology-driven trends for the future of work in 2020 and beyond.

AI redefines professional services
The pervasive use of AI and ML in business is revolutionising professions such as legal, accounting, healthcare and education by democratising access to data and expert services. AI is extending customisation and personalised services to a broad base of customers through low-cost intelligent agents. Additionally, AI benefits professionals in their decision-making because it can provide new insights, manage information overload and reduce human error.

Hushon noted that while AI and ML democratise professional services, organisations should stay vigilant to guard against the potential loss of critical skills while using increasingly sophisticated, AI-powered decision support systems.

“As these decision-support systems become more sophisticated, businesses need to continue to build critical skills in organisations,” said Hushon. “Additionally, enterprises should protect against unintended consequences by training people to quickly detect and correct improper bias or unsafe behaviour from AI. Overall, AI will illuminate intelligence hidden in systems, empower consumers and complement professional expertise.”

Design thinking shifts from IT services for people to IT services for machines
The thinking behind systems design is shifting as IT services are increasingly being built for machine-to-machine interaction, and as processing moves closer to where data resides. This will further expand “The Matrix” – the pervasive, intelligent IT infrastructure beyond the cloud that includes edge computing, internet of things (IoT) platforms, machine intelligence, augmented reality/virtual reality and more. It will usher in new design choices and transformational architectures, and push companies to more aggressively pursue IT modernisation.

“Microprocessors capable of decisions in nanoseconds, stream and batch processing architectures and analytics moving to the network edge (where the data is) – all of this will enable enterprises to make better, faster, data-driven decisions more cost-effectively,” Hushon added.

Data’s value increases in ecosystems
Enterprises are pooling data in ecosystems to achieve outcomes that benefit both the individual and enterprise. Data ecosystems will flourish as they adopt trust mechanisms that validate an individual’s right-to-share and an enterprise’s right-to-consume data. Self-sovereign identity standards and blockchain-based consent with trading partners, for example, are helping to facilitate responsible data sharing and drive the rapid growth of data exchanges.

“As these capabilities become more pervasive, manufacturers, service providers and consumers will be more willing to share data in exchanges and ecosystems,” Hushon explains. “In turn, CEOs will seek to identify and pursue ecosystem-centric business models and trading partners that deploy trusted and compliant data-sharing practices.”

Teams, not superstars, are the high performers
In 2020, companies will recognise that achieving their full potential means developing and nurturing a network of high-performing, interconnected teams consisting of multidimensional individuals, rather than siloed groups of single superstars.

Enterprises will restructure to expand team linkages across the organisation. The shift from superstar individuals to high-performing teams will require new strategies for talent acquisition and development.

According to Hushon, “Enterprises will put greater emphasis on communication, adaptability and decision-making empowerment; double-deep expertise in business and technology; and collaboration tools that promote productivity and learning.”

New wave of tech-savvy leaders accelerates business transformation
A shift in business leadership will gain momentum in 2020 as technology-driven markets proliferate and new leaders advocate for technologies that can improve enterprise speed, agility, productivity and innovation advantage.

“Emerging technology evangelists will work at the CXO level to shape digital strategy. At the same time, they will spearhead major initiatives with smart products, mergers and acquisitions, intellectual property development and learning initiatives for accelerated business transformations, value and outcomes,” Hushon concludes.