The rise of technology has stirred great change in the corporate world over recent years, and for the foreseeable future, will continue to do so. There isn’t an industry that hasn’t adjusted the way it operates to accommodate and harness the technological advances of our times. Here are five of the most fascinating tech advances that are shaping our corporate future:
Virtual Communication
In today’s technological climate, there’s nothing stopping a freelancer in Melbourne, Australia from leading a marketing project for a clothing company in Los Angeles, California.
Tech-Advancement
Thanks to virtual communication, such projects can now be handled in a smooth, effective process with endless options designed to suit all types of business needs. A growing number of companies are ditching the traditional office environment altogether, in favor of virtual offices for all their business support services, freeing up their resources and capital for more critical functions.
As our machines become smarter, they are able to handle an ever-increasing array of tasks for us. Repetitive and rote business chores can now be handed off to machines to perform without the need for human supervision. Automation is affecting all industries, increasing business productivity, and saving payroll costs. This has raised fresh discussion regarding the role of human resourcefulness and the future job market.
Smart devices have become increasingly accessible, to the extent that they are now staples upon which we rely. Smart-phones, tablets, laptops, Amazon’s Alexa are just a few of the technologies we’ve come to depend upon. Meanwhile, technologies such as cloud computing, Bluetooth and others are allowing everyday items to interact with each other in ways we could never have imagined. Smart appliances, navigation systems, smart security devices, and innumerable others are changing our lives on a micro-level. The increasing accessibility of smart devices means we have around-the-clock access to copious amounts of information and technological functionality, allowing us to lead smarter, more productive, and comfortable lives.
The mind-boggling scale of today’s corporate data collection is largely a byproduct of our increasing reliance on smart devices. Every Google search, social media post made or reacted to, and even the song requests we give to Alexa all create reams of data that allows businesses to better cater to and predict our needs and desires. Despite the helpfulness of this proliferation of data, skeptics are concerned regarding infringements on individual privacy and law-makers are working to balance the two.
Automation isn’t the only job-market disruptor today’s technology has given rise to. The rise of the internet has given countless individuals who never attended colleges access to higher-education. Websites like Coursera and Khan Academy offer courses on almost every subject. This has forced business recruiters to change their hiring systems and colleges to provide more online education opportunities. For a growing range of industries, college degrees are no longer an absolute condition of entry.
Technology’s ever-increasing capacity has drastically changed the way the corporate world runs and will continue to do mold its future direction. It has altered the way we communicate, work, live and play. Thousands of years of collective wisdom is now held at our fingertips on smart-devices, and most of our daily actions produce scores of data, making us wiser and more connected.
Education has become increasingly more accessible, challenging the age-old college education hierarchy. Is there an area of the corporate world that won’t be affected by technology? Whether you are a skeptic or an opportunist, technology isn’t something you can afford to ignore. Your competence in the corporate world will largely depend on your ability to harness it to your benefit.
