Tag: technology

Indubitably, technology has become an inescapable part of our lives. Everywhere we go, we are greeted with its different marvels. From smartphones to artificial intelligence, technology is unquestionably developing at an ever-increasing pace. Perhaps the area most affected by it is business. 

Just think about how much you rely on tech solutions to tackle everyday work tasks. Nowadays, business owners are always thinking of new means of incorporating technology into their industries, so clearly, it has a huge role in setting trends. To better understand this role, read on for an in-depth analysis of the relationship between tech and industry trends.

Automation

Without a doubt, modern solutions have changed the way we go about completing our tasks. Some would say that businesses have become over-reliant on technology. However, this is not necessarily a bad thing. Advanced software and automation have cut the time employees need to generate reports, conduct audits, and track finances in half. Technology has made automation an indispensable part of any industry thriving for success. This trend brought about some negative impacts, though. According to recent statistics, around 400000 people lost their jobs due to automation in the 1990s and early 2000s. Because of the coronavirus-induced lay-offs, this trend is becoming even more pronounced. Automation in itself is not inherently negative, though. It is up to business owners to strike balance between the use of technology and traditional labor.

Marketing

Marketing has always been an important aspect of running any business. After all, a company cannot flourish without a loyal customer base. Technology has clearly affected marketing trends and made advertising your products or services much easier. The great advancements in telecommunication have completely revamped the marketing industry. For instance, SMS and email marketing were the norm two decades ago. Currently, social media is the uncontested winner when compared to other advertising channels. Of course, these tech solutions have facilitated things for small businesses, as entrepreneurs do not have to waste thousands of dollars on T.V. ads to get the word out about their companies anymore.

Gaming

In the 80s and early 90s, most people would have scoffed at the idea of video games becoming a legit industry, but here we are now, with hundreds of releases each year! Technology has made this possible thanks to the new developments it introduced, including VR. The industry has also become more accessible for enthusiasts, given the introduction of user-intuitive engines. Gaming is now a huge trend, considering how many businesses are opting for gamification to appeal to younger demographics. Not only that, but the gaming industry also changed as a whole with the introduction of online stores. Digital copies are now more popular than physical ones. Perhaps this variety of options is what has helped video games become more mainstream.

Publishing

Have new solutions made paperback books obsolete? Well, experts are divided on this point, but one thing is certain: Technology has totally transformed the publishing industry, forcing the business owners operating in this sector to rethink their strategy and try to become more inclusive. 

This, in turn, started a new trend: audiobooks and e-books. Thankfully, books are currently more accessible to a more diverse demographic. Because of the introduction of audiobooks, visually impaired individuals are now able to consume written material much more effectively. Furthermore, Kindles and other e-book devices have become the new norm, considering how they enable people to read books on the go. 

Freelancing and Remote Working

Around 10 years ago, the thought of working full-time from home or fully controlling your work schedule was a far-fetched dream. Due to the lack of proper means and technology, remote work was not a thing, and most people had to settle for traditional 9-5 jobs. This is not the case anymore, though, especially given the outbreak of COVID-19. We now have the technology to sustain remote jobs. Business owners everywhere have taken notice of this new trend and started integrating it into their business models whenever possible. Not only do many clients deal with freelancers to finish urgent tasks, but traditional employees now have the freedom to work from home without having to contend with long commutes. Overall, this trend has made most industries more flexible and adaptable.

It is impossible to ignore the role of technology in setting business trends. By just looking at the way different industries operate today, you can clearly see the massive change that modern tech solutions have made. Whether you are an employee or a business owner, tracking the most recent trends in your sector and incorporating technology into your everyday life as much as possible will help you see a boost in your productivity and income.

The internet has revolutionized the way we operate businesses, how we consume information and music, and how we communicate. However, this was not the case two decades ago. The internet was created in 1989, and ever since, it has gone through a period of transition. 

This article will continue to explain in detail how the internet has changed in the last two decades to understand how everything came to be as it is now.

Social Network in the early 2000s

By 2001, Wikipedia was already emerging as a top online hub for information. It grew even more once Encyclopaedia Britannica 1911 came to the public domain.

However, one of the most notable improvements was experienced when Apple was able to lay a foundation for its steady growth, as we see today. iTunes came in to allow subscribers to download their favorite commercial jams legally and make 250,000 sales in just a day. This brought to a halt the reign of the Walkman and the disc. People were now able to download infinite songs, and they did not face the risk of scratching disks and skipping tracks anymore.

Skype was also invented as a way through which users could call each other for free on the network. However, there were more developments at hand, and soon, the platform was developed for messaging and videoconferencing. Beyond videoconferencing, this technology found use in the medical industry, allowing physicians to treat their patients from afar.

By 2003, Linkedin and MySpace were launched, giving rise to social media sites as we know them today. Later in 2004, one of the most revolutionary social media sites, Facebook was invented by Mark Zuckerberg. Today, Facebook owns WhatsApp, Instagram, and Facebook Messenger, making it a social media giant.

The Smartphone Revolution in the Mid-2000s

Before, internet users could access the internet through dial-up connections. However, this was a slow and excruciating process. For instance, a 6 MB picture could take up to 15 minutes to download. Today, it takes approximately 2 seconds. The smartphone revolution began with the development of YouTube and, subsequently, the blogging culture.

YouTube was developed in 2005 as a video-sharing website, thanks to the growing popularity of audio-sharing that provided a foundation. Google later purchased YouTube for an astounding $1.65 billion.

Twitter began as a microblogging site and allowed for an instant wider reach to an audience. As Facebook opened its doors to the public domain, the first iPhone was released, revolutionizing the internet as now, people could access it on the go.

People no longer had to be on the desktop to access the internet, and apple tapped into its growing market by launching an App Store that contained up to 500 applications.

Android was founded in 2003 and later bought by Google. Android soon had an app store after the launching of the iPhone, too, allowing users to download applications and perform different tasks.

Social Causes 

The internet has also been used for social good, especially in the 2010s. After the discovery of social media, it has been used as a tool for encouraging social change. From as early as 2011, there have been online protests organized through social media, including the Egyptian uprising and protests that helped oust Hosni Mubarak, the dictator president of Egypt. In the same light, online hashtags were used to highlight the plight of Nigerian girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram so that they could return home.

It is also in the 2010s that there has been a rise in the vlogging/video blogging culture during this time, and these kinds of bloggers cover content from all niches, including cooking, fashion, beauty, travel, and much more. The result is a multi-billion dollar industry that is quickly changing how advertising works.

The Internet and Business

Businesses have recently embraced the power of the internet into their operations. Two essential functions that are now carried out over the internet include cloud storage and online marketing. Consumers tend to look for brands online and do not necessarily have to walk into a brick-and-mortar store to get what they need. Brand messages are delivered through mobile phones and browsers anytime and anywhere. Businesses have learned to exploit these platforms and are now sending commercial messages to get noticed. It is now common to see an advertisement just before reading a news story. The print industry as a medium for publication and dissemination of information has declined because of the presence of information online.

Businesses have also changed the way they collect and store information. Instead of stocking piles of paper in a warehouse, data is processed differently. Email marketing, social media, and cookies help businesses collect data that helps companies understand their customers. Data protection laws have come up, as a result, to help protect consumers and activities as well. Business processes such as data storage are now done on the cloud, which has helped businesses to operate more efficiently. 

There are companies out there that focus their attention on offering managed IT services customized to a business’s needs. You can click here to have a detailed understanding of how companies can benefit from these services. Some of the services beneficial to companies resulting from the internet business revolution include enhanced cybersecurity, maintenance of IT systems, electronic recycling, and cloud services. These solutions ensure that a business can be operated from anywhere, and the data will be safe. This improved efficiency and convenience make companies more likely to buy these products.

There have been more tremendous changes in the last two decades. One of the notable advancements in the wake of the 21st century was the development of social media platforms. Today, the social media movement has become a force that cannot be stopped. Smartphones also came in and revolutionized how we accessed the internet, and now, people can connect only with the touch of a button. The internet has been a driver of social change and has impacted how businesses are conducted, and data is extracted and stored. Further changes of the world we know today are yet to come.