Hits and Misses From Our 2022 Tech Trends Predictions – Part 4 of 6

Technology changes so rapidly that it sometimes surpasses our best forecasts. Working closely with our customers to best align our offerings to meet their needs and expectations – our solution experts are in a unique position to accurately foretell market trends.

Our popular blog series, “Six Technology Predictions for 2022”  focused on trends around Cloud, Data, Cybersecurity, AI, and more. It detailed how most C-Suite executives spent 2021 adjusting to the radical changes prompted by the events of 2020. In the first half of this year, as global supply chain disruptions continue and inflation rises, CIOs must continue to find ways to overcome delays in shipping and increased pricing for IT hardware, services, and talent.

By rethinking strategies from on-prem to cloud, reprioritizing IT spend from OpEx to CapEx, and honing collaborative efficiencies, we earned high marks for accuracy on our first half predictions.

1H Predictions – Hit a Home Run

With the understanding that a digital transformation will only speed up for the remainder of the year, what did NWN Carousel experts correctly predict in 2021 and where did we fall short?

Read on for Part IV 2022 Recap Predictions. Stay tuned for future insights!

Visual Collaboration, Health & Safety – Score B

Our Prediction

Safety and health will be at the forefront of 2022. Advances in technology will be used for smarter buildings and room capacity warnings. For example in the hotel industry, being able to self-guide customers through digital signage and break up large conference rooms into smaller huddle rooms.  Smart technology will continue to be used to lower room capacity using digital signage to indicate limits.

What Experts Say

In a Tech Target article, “As hybrid work shrinks offices, motion sensor use might grow,” it states: “… technology can improve the working environment…” “But desk reservation systems are too intrusive. A better approach is to “install the sensors, collect the data and wait,”

In a recent article, “Virtual reality won’t solve hybrid work anytime soon:”  “While the idea of a limitless virtual reality world is certainly compelling, Metaverse remains very much in development and may not be launched for a few years yet. The latency issues that come with virtual reality, which can make it a dizzying experience, still need to be ironed out. And even then it remains to be seen whether it will be used for work as well as entertainment.”

Our Score – B

Got Right:  With many new collaboration users remaining hybrid, companies have not planned for a CAPEX budget to fund this strategy. Many will opt for an OPEX budget until there’s a better understanding of the long-term impact.

In Limbo: If you’re curious about the possibility of Virtual Reality becoming a trend in the near-future, our experts say not too fast. Augmented Reality, however, is gaining more traction because AR uses a real-world setting while VR is completely virtual. AR allows users to control their presence in the real world and can be accessed with a smartphone while VR users are controlled by the system and require a headset device. AR enhances both the virtual and real-world while VR only enhances a fictional reality.  Not a ton of traction in the marketplace just yet for VR and AR but more to come.

Read the PREVIOUS installment of “2022 Technology Predictions” focused on Cybersecurity Scrutiny.

Sign up for the next installment of “2022 Technology Predictions” focused on Unlocking the Future of Device-as-a-Service (DaaS).

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