As modern tech continues to make our lives easier and more productive, it is itself growing more advanced by the day. Each day a new technology replaces an old one with better applications and increased development rate.
2018 is going to be no different. We will see a lot of new tech coming up that will change our way of doing things, for the developers as well as for the end users.
In a survey, we closely watched the popularity of several technologies throughout 2017 that can be classed under “web development” and “data sharing”. We found top 3 technologies that will affect customers worldwide and in this blogpost, we will explain why you can’t skip knowing about them!
1. Blockchain
Ever heard about something called Bitcoin?
Yes, it is a cryptocurrency that allows you to make money transactions anonymously. Cryptocurrencies like Ripple, Dogecoin, Bytecoin and many more run on a system called blockchain.
The blockchain is a distributed database build-up technology that stores information in the form of blocks. A series of these blocks is called a chain, hence, the blockchain. The noteworthy aspect of blockchains is that they store data in an encrypted format which can’t be changed once created without altering the entire chain.
This technology proved to be successful for creating a truly non-replicable digital currency in 2009, today what we call, the Bitcoin. The idea was conceived by Satoshi Nakamoto, who is till date, an anonymous identity.
Applications
The blockchain is basically a reliable way of quantifying data that is time and origin sensitive. Apart from being used in crypto currencies, the technology can be used in storing relevant information for goods, people and even land registries.
Research and development have already started, and a few companies like Mahindra in India, Walmart in the US, and Foxconn in China are slowly moving to blockchains for tracking their capital flow.
Earlier this year, Sirin Labs announced their new range of Smartphone and PC called, the Finney Phone, which will come with an inbuilt crypto wallet for carrying out crypto currency transactions directly from the phone itself. It will also use blockchain’s peer-to-peer architecture to achieve resource sharing among Finney devices.
It is also debated that a truly disruptive effect of blockchain will not be visible until 2025 or later, but the early developments clearly signal towards a fast paced and high amount of growth related to the blockchain.
2. PWA (Progressive Web Apps)
From something as truly disruptive as Blockchain, let’s divert our attention to our forte subject, web design and PWA (Progressive Web Apps) is something you must know about.
Progressive Web Apps are apps that run in your browser and give you the UX similar to the one installed on your Smartphone, PC or tablet. They provide all the functionalities that you expect from a real app but don’t require an install, hence helping you run them without crowding up space on RAM.
Progressive in PWA stands for the progressive process in which these apps adapt to your device and keep getting better with time. They are resilient towards updates, poor internet connections and even work offline if required. You can pretty much place a browser shortcut for these apps to access them directly from your home screen.
The demand for PWAs has increased enormously as we head into 2018 with several content delivery websites renovating their websites around the PWA architecture. If you have a business that needs a web app to be served to your clients or end-users, you might want to consider this as a bright option.
Here is how you can make a PWA yourself!
What’s more, PWAs are fully responsive and reactive. Means they can accommodate all breadth and length ratios of various devices that you may use them on while being able to provide you with content updates in real-time.
We developed many such web app solutions for our clients in 2017 which can be viewed from here. PWAs are for sure going to influence B2C web development markets a lot in 2018, and this is why you should already start planning to get one made!
3. Bots
Ever wondered what your chat support representative might actually be a computer talking to you?
Well, that’s what a bot does. The word “bot” is the tech world jargon for a Humanoid Robot, which can replicate human activities for business or personal uses. One simple application is a chatbot that talks to humans using AI functions to provide instant answers and suggestions to user queries. Google Assistant that has been integrated into several of Google’s Apps such as Allo, Google Home and the smart home speakers is a fine example of a bot helping you carry out simple tasks such as turning off lights or ordering a pizza.
If this seems far-fetched, you can go ahead and open the Messenger app for Facebook and search for bots. You’ll find a number of configurable bots ready to chat with you for sales and support purposes.
How to build your own bot for Facebook Messenger?
In 2018, we will see more bots than ever. These bots will provide us with hotel reservation services, product recommendations and even help us relieve stress. You may use them internally for your company and save a considerable chunk on the payroll. As AI advances and new techniques to replicate human language come up, we can set up bots for doing pretty much anything.
Matter of fact, we at Dikonia, provide services for setting up and enabling bots for business purposes. If you were wondering how to get one made, shoot us an email!
Conclusion
So, these were the top 3 technology trends you must take notice of and plan your business and personal goals accordingly. Blockchain will revolutionize how you spend, PWAs will change the web app experience and Chatbots will make better chatters than any human being out there.