23 Trends That Will Shake The Business World In 2018. Part 4

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16. More Intelligent Applications
When I started using computers, applications were, for the most part, a thin layer on top of a database that presented lists of items for people to choose from (think of an old-fashioned music player like WinAMP). Today, there’s so much information coming at us from all angles that we can’t design applications like that anymore. We need to have the most useful information presented to us at the right time. It’s the job of the application to figure out what counts as useful at any moment. With the introduction of sophisticated machine learning, low-latency mobile connections, low-power sensors and augmented reality, we’re going to see applications get much better at filtering and prioritizing information. Ultimately, that’ll free us to focus on generating value. - Justin Blanchard, ServerMania Inc.
17. Growth Of Automation
We're seeing the growth of automation right before our eyes, and I think we'll see this coming into more workplaces as we move into 2018 and beyond. While we may not see the game-changing moves happen right away (e.g. an entire role replaced), I do think we're going to see tools being built in the SaaS space that continue to make our work lives a little easier. Where some people may develop stress around this idea, it will allow us to automate time-consuming tasks and focus on the big picture. Some of my favorite instances of this are social media automation, chatbots and the quick replies that Gmail is beginning to provide that leverage machine learning and AI. - Erin Blaskie, L-SPARK
18. Fractured Social Media
As many different social media platforms begin to resemble each other more closely, they also start to reach different demographics. An example of this is the schism between Snapchat and Instagram users: The recent addition of Stories and face filters from Instagram has drawn some users away from Snapchat. As users begin to draw lines in the sand, our focus will turn towards picking a side as well. To make the most out of our time and resources, we plan on committing to two or three key social media sites by creating content and interacting with followers. It is true that by adopting one network we will be turning our backs on an entire demographic of people. However, the scatter-shot approach just doesn't offer the kind of return that justifies the extra effort. - Bryce Welker, Beat The CPA
19. Augmented Reality
I’ve been impressed with some of the augmented reality applications that were created following Apple’s release of ARKit earlier in 2017. But I think 2018 will be the year AR goes huge. By bringing the digital and physical worlds together, AR will touch many business processes. I’m particularly excited about the training and educational potential. As a server and cloud hosting provider, we manage several large data centers. AR will be great for training new staff members on our equipment and letting them run through repair and support procedures. I’m also looking forward to integrating AR into our monitoring systems so server administrators can locate problematic servers and access a live overlay of server performance and issues. - Vik Patel, Future Hosting
20. The Human Touch 
A lot of people are focused on innovative technologies like AI and blockchain, and these have a lot of potential. But the biggest trend that matters in 2018 and beyond is how we treat our customers and ensure we continue to meet their preferences. While innovations are exciting, it can be tempting to roll out new tech before it's ready, potentially alienating customers and even team members in the process. This is why we plan to continue to invest in a world-class customer service team staffed with humans (not chatbots), and remain responsive and open to what our customers need from us. - Ross Cohen, BeenVerified

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