Over the years, I’ve learned that the best way to predict the future is to hang out with the people who create it. While working with a top consultancy and having leading technology innovators as clients, it’s pretty easy to recognize trends that have the greatest potential effects.

Technology-based professions are not shifting at the same pace, but they are growing, and the experienced IT professional knows that his or her job is not going to remain the same. And a 21st century IT worker should constantly be learning (if not necessary, of necessity).

Once the digital transformation history is written, 2019 is likely to be a milestone year in which innovation has been rife. In business there’s only one constant–and that’s what changes things. And in recent years, this transition has been accelerating. Businesses have had to adapt to new ways of doing things, most of them linked to the digital revolution undergone in recent years by business and the planet. From artificial intelligence (AI) to blockchain and the Internet of Things (IoT), new digital innovations will have a huge impact on business–and this impact will only grow in 2020.

Here are the top five trends that companies need to learn about:

Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is one part of what we broadly call automation, and because of potential job losses, automation is a hot topic. Experts say that by 2030 automation would destroy more than 73 million jobs. Nonetheless, automation creates and removes jobs, especially in the field of AI: experts predict 23 million jobs in AI by 2020. Jobs in development, programming, testing, support and maintenance will be developed, to name a few. One of these positions is the architect of artificial intelligence. Many claim that in need of skilled professionals, data scientists will soon be competing. Learn about building a career in AI or why you should earn an AI credential to learn more about potential jobs in AI.

 

Machine Learning

The rapid deployment of machine learning in all kinds of industries creates a huge demand for skilled professionals. It is estimated that the demand for machine learning will rise to $8.81 billion by 2022. For data analytics, data mining and pattern recognition, machine learning algorithms are used. On the consumer end, web search results, real-time ads and network intrusion detection are driven by Machine Learning, to name only a few of the many tasks it can do.

This creates jobs in addition to accomplishing endless things on our behalf. Machine learning positions are among LinkedIn’s top new workers, with nearly 2,000 job listings listed. And these jobs pay well: a machine learning engineer’s median salary in 2017 was $106,225. Engineers, developers, analysts, and data scientists are interested in machine learning work.

 

Robotic Process Automation or RPA

Robotic Process Automation, or RPA, is another technology that automates jobs, like AI and Machine Learning. RPA is the use of software to automate business processes such as program analysis, transaction processing, data processing, and even email response. RPA automates the repetitive tasks that used to be done by people. These are not just a low-paid worker’s menial tasks: it is possible to automate up to 45% of the jobs we do, including the work of financial managers, doctors and CEOs.

 

Edge Computing

Cloud computing was once a technology phenomenon to follow, with major players dominating the market, including AWS (Amazon Web Services), Microsoft Azure, and Google Cloud. Cloud computing adoption continues to grow as more and more businesses move to a cloud solution. But it’s not the emerging technology anymore.

As the amount of data we are concerned with continues to increase, in some circumstances we have recognized the limitations of cloud computing. Edge computing is designed to help solve some of these problems as a way to bypass cloud computing latency and get data to a processing datacenter. If you like, it may live “on the bottom” closer to where computing needs to occur. For this reason, with limited or no connectivity to a centralized location, edge computing can be used to process time-sensitive data in remote locations. Advanced computing will function like mini data centers in those circumstances.

The use of the Internet of Things (IoT) applications would improve edge computing. By 2022, it is estimated that the global edge computing market will hit $6.72 billion. This will generate various jobs, as with any growing market, mainly for software engineers.

 

Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality

Virtual Reality (VR) improves the user’s experience while Augment Reality (AR) enhances the environment. Although VR has been used mainly for gaming up to now, it has also been used for training, as with VirtualShip, a simulation platform used to train U.S. Captains of the Navy, Army, and Coast Guard. A popular example of AR is Pokemon Go.

There are major players on the VR market, such as Google, Samsung and Oculus, but there are plenty of companies emerging and recruiting, and the demand for VR and AR skills professionals will only grow. It does not require a lot of specialized knowledge to get started in VR. Basic programming skills and forward-thinking outlook will attract a job, although other employers will also search for optics as a skill set and hardware engineers.

 

Blockchain Technology

Blockchain can be defined as data that can only be added, not removed or altered. This is why the word “net” is used because you are building a data chain. That makes it so safe is not being able to change the previous blocks. Furthermore, blockchains are driven by consensus, so that no entity can take control of the data. With blockchain, for overseeing or validating transactions, you don’t need a trusted third party. For a detailed and thorough understanding of the technology, please refer to our Blockchain tutorial.

A blockchain developer specializes in the development and implementation of blockchain technology software and solutions. A blockchain developer’s average annual salary is $130,000. If you’re fascinated by Blockchain and its applications and want to make your career in this fast-growing industry, this is the best time to learn Blockchain and get ready for an exciting future.

 

Internet of Things (IoT)

The Internet of Things is the future and has already made it possible to connect to and exchange data over the Web with computers, home appliances, cars and much more. And we are only in the early stages of IoT: by 2020 it is expected that the number of IoT devices reached 8.4 billion in 2017 will reach 30 billion devices.Through WiFi connectivity, several “things” are now being installed, meaning they can be linked to the Internet — and to each other. Therefore, the Things Internet, or IoT.

We are already using and learning from IoT as users. Once we leave for work and preheat our ovens on our way home from work, we can lock our doors remotely, all while monitoring our health on our Fitbits and hailing a Lyft trip. Yet now and in the near future, companies also have a lot to gain. As data is collected and analyzed, the IoT will enable better security, productivity and business decision-making. It can allow predictive maintenance, optimize medical care, enhance customer service, and provide benefits that we haven’t even considered before.

 

Cybersecurity

Cybersecurity may not seem like emerging technology, because it’s been around for a while, but it’s changing just like other technologies. That’s partially because there are constantly new risks. The malevolent hackers who are trying to access data illegally will not give up in the near future and will continue to find ways to get through even the toughest security measures. It is also partly due to the introduction of new technology to improve security. We will have cyber security as an emerging technology as long as we have hackers because it will grow continuously to protect against those hackers.

Most cyber security jobs pay six-figure salaries, and responsibilities can vary from ethical hacker to security engineer to Chief Security Officer, offering a promising career path for someone who wants to get into this realm and stick with it.