2020 destroyed many organizations’ plans and goals for the future. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, businesses of all sizes were forced to shift their objectives and working environments to survive and thrive.

As many nations across the world are still living with the pandemic, there will likely be a reliance on digital IT throughout the next 12 months. Therefore, if you want your business to overcome various challenges and thrive throughout the year, you might need to embrace new, forward-thinking technologies.

Read the following predictions on the technologies that might reign supreme in 2021.

Open Source Solutions

Open source solutions grew in demand in 2020, and the popularity is likely to accelerate in 2021 and beyond.

It enables development teams to build high-performance workflows that improve productivity, communication, privacy, and security. Some key features could include one-to-one or group messaging, core integrations, multi-language support, data loss prevention, and more.

Various open source platforms can help teams to deliver efficient software, which can support innovation and collaboration. However, a business must do its homework before investing in the technology. If it doesn’t, it could miss out on a dependable, comprehensive, and affordable platform. For example, when it comes to Slack vs Mattermost, you’ll find the former fails to offer private network deployment, transparency, advanced access controls, and much more.

Technology Consolidation

The COVID-19 pandemic led to many businesses consolidating their technologies in 2020 to reduce costs and simplify remote working environments.

Until a vaccine is rolled out, tech consolidation is likely to prove popular with businesses of all sizes during the first half of 2021. For example, many companies might migrate to the cloud to improve productivity and security.

However, if and when businesses return to the workplace during the second half of the year, many might return to using several service providers to improve processes, cybersecurity, and dependability.

AR Experiences

Augmented reality (AR) experiences are likely to prove popular with big brands in the coming months. The immersive technology can help bring a buying experience to life, which could be embraced by real estate and e-commerce companies.

For instance, it could help consumers to visualize how a product could appear in their environment, which could convince them to make a purchase.

While it cannot replace an in-store experience, it could be the next best option.

5G

Expect 5G coverage to grow in 2021. Don’t be surprised to find new smartphones and laptops featuring 5G capability, which will lead to apps providing higher-quality graphics and content due to its ultra-low latency.

Also, 5G is expected to be used in smart homes, buildings, and cities soon. As a result, it will offer a location accuracy within 1m, which is a big jump from 4G’s 10-100m. Therefore, it could lead to greater interconnectivity in living environments.

Technology has changed the way companies of all sizes operate, and 2021 will likely result in many companies turning to new tools to power their operations on a temporary or permanent basis. Watch out for these above technologies to take your business that much higher than everyone else.