6 Latest Technology Trends of 2021

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In 2020, technology changed like never before. Adapting to the pandemic, people needed to find new ways to interact, whether it was through health care or school. Technology was there for all these needs, but it’s not done making progress yet. The latest technology trends 2021 has in store will continue where last year left off and take the world to new and exciting places. 

1. Tech from Home

The pandemic forced everyone inside. Whether cases and restrictions in your area are lifting or getting stricter, indoors is the safest place. Of course, with these changes, the world adapts. School, work, doctor’s visits — everything is virtual now.

Microsoft Teams, Webex, Google Meets and Zoom are some of the prominent conferencing solutions that you can now use to connect with everyone in your life. However, 2021 is going to solidify home learning and work forever. New startups are already working on home-based tech. 

Eloops, for instance, is a platform that aims to boost employee engagement in fun ways. Like Eloops, more and more tech will start revolving around the home. Food delivery is another good example — plenty of restaurants are creating their own apps to cater to consumer’s needs.

2. Cybersecurity

With all the new technology that has come from the pandemic, security and privacy come into the spotlight. Whether it’s your email or a file storage and sharing platform, you want your content to be as secure as possible.

Additionally, with everyone relying on tech for information and work due to the pandemic, phishing scams increased exponentially. Now, these scams are back and tricking people into COVID-19 vaccine misinformation.

In 2021, cybersecurity will solidify itself as its own industry. From firewall protection, virus-scanning software, coding and IT departments, vast amounts of work go into protecting individual privacy and entire systems. You can bet on seeing more services and firms opening up that specialize in digital security.

3. Augmented Reality

Virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are two peas in a pod, but they have their differences. VR involves immersing you in a virtual world, whereas AR entails bringing elements of the virtual world to you. These two fields grew popular in gaming in 2020, but now other industries are seeing the potential.

You may remember when “Pokemon Go” was big a few summers ago. This game uses AR to bring the Pokemon creatures into the real world. In 2021, you’ll see clothing and home decor companies using this same idea. Virtual try-on and virtual furnishing will be two of the biggest trends this year — especially since contact-free services are ideal.

For instance, you can download the IKEA Place app on your mobile device and use AR tech to virtually place a piece of furniture in your home without it actually being there. This trend is ideal for seeing if you like something before buying! 

Other industries, like architecture and construction, are now seeing the benefits of AR, too.

4. Edge Computing

The cloud used to be the biggest, most innovative form of computing. Now, a new era is here. Edge computing takes cloud computing and pushes it a step further. With the cloud, you can store your content anywhere and get fast connectivity. However, the cloud’s biggest setback is its latency.

Edge computing gets rid of that delay, or lag, and provides a more immediate and powerful service. Data storage can be remote as ever, too. This kind of connectivity, alongside the new 5G network, is ideal for smart city progress in 2021. When using smart tech, data is abundant. Edge computing is the system to handle it all. 

5. Blockchain

Blockchain isn’t new but it’s still becoming one of the latest technology trends 2021 has to offer. Blockchain tech’s most common use is for transacting cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin. It’s a decentralized system that stores each transaction in a “block,” or a ledger. Other industries will now begin to adopt this tech.

In healthcare, blockchain would be useful for keeping a ledger of who has received the COVID-19 vaccine and when. It can also help track the storage and production of the vaccine vials. In politics, blockchain could help implement a faster form of voting. Banking, too, could see this new technology.

The ideal part of blockchain is that you won’t have to work with a third party to handle your information. The chain operates independently and securely, ensuring privacy. People can only add information to each “block,” too — no one can alter or delete data. 

6. Internet of Behaviors

You’ve heard of the Internet of Things (IoT), now get ready for the Internet of Behaviors (IoB). This concept is still getting its bearings, but 2021 will see swift developments. The IoB uses big data, analytics and IoT devices to track and predict consumer behavior. It’s a tactic from organizations to provide better services.

Though the IoB would theoretically provide more personalization and better customer experiences, this area can get murky. To some degree, many companies already use these tactics on smaller scales. With more widespread use, though, privacy and security will no doubt come into play. It will now be interesting to see how the IoB progresses as one of the latest technology trends 2021 has in store.

A Tech-Driven Year

As the pandemic continues, the world’s response is to use technology. The pandemic highlights the pre-existing needs of citizens — like smarter cities and faster processes. Now, 2021 will solidify itself as a technological powerhouse.