5 Tech Trends That Businesses Can’t Afford To Ignore
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With technology evolving at such a rapid pace, some business owners are left digitally disoriented as they try to figure out which of the latest innovations they need to invest in and what they can ignore.
It can make for confusing times. All that bewilderment aside, though, these fast-developing advances also create opportunities that can help small and medium-sized businesses become more competitive – if they understand how to seize them.
“Technology exists today that at one time was available only to large corporations with huge technology budgets. Every year, technology becomes even more accessible to companies of all sizes.” says Chris Hoose (www.choosenetworks.com), an IT consultant who works with small businesses.
Hoose says businesses that want to stay on top of their games should make sure they invest in these technological trends if they haven’t already:
1. The Internet of Things
Many Internet of Things-connected devices, such as smart refrigerators and thermostats, are designed for home use, but there are also applications for small businesses, Hoose says. Some examples: smart locks use digital keys that can’t be lost or stolen, and log a record of who uses a door and when; RFID tags on merchandise can prevent theft and automatically update inventory; and mobile-card readers can replace cash registers.
2. Artificial Intelligence
Don’t be fooled into thinking that AI is something only the big organizations can afford to use, Hoose says. “It’s making inroads into technologies accessible for businesses of all sizes,” he says. “AI can help you offer increasingly personalized experiences to customers by maximizing your time and automating manual tasks, like data entry.” AI also can be used to improve decision-making, Hoose says. Essentially, AI will help you take that jumble of data most businesses have and analyze it in a way that allows you to make better-informed judgments on the actions you need to take.
3. Telecommuting
The office world is changing and more workers spend at least a portion of their workweek telecommuting. “In many cases, remote employees use their own equipment, which can eliminate some of the company’s costs with purchasing and maintaining computers, printers, and mobile phones,” Hoose says. Video conferencing, instant messaging and other advances are helping to make telecommuting a viable option, he says. Additionally, with the help of the RDS remote desktop found here, employees can access their work desktops and applications from any location, providing a seamless remote working experience. It also allows for easier collaboration and communication between remote workers and those in the office.
4. Voice Search
Consumers increasingly are making use of such AI assistants like Siri or Alexa to help them do internet searches using their voices. “Voice search is changing the way people find information because these queries are structured differently than when we type terms into a search engine,” Hoose says.
5. Customer Relationship Management (CRM) Software
Any application that a business uses to interact with customers, analyze data, or recommend products and services to customers is “part of the CRM family,” Hoose says. “This type of software helps your team manage, control and build customer relationships,” he says. “It can log your team’s touchpoints with prospects, including emails, phone calls, voicemails, and in-person meetings. You can have a complete record of your team’s interaction with a prospect that’s easy for anyone to access.”
“Organizations of all types can benefit from optimizing their content to improve where they fall in a voice search. To help propel your business going forward, it’s important to stay abreast of technology innovation,” Hoose says. “These technologies will help you expand your customer base, create more efficient in-house processes, and increase engagement from both customers and staff.”
