Since the creation of the first computer, individuals, governments, and businesses have relied on the rapid growth of technology to propel itself forward. Fast forward to the 21st century, technology has permeated every part of everyday life, from simple tasks such as communicating with others to complicated ones such as calculating complex figures.
With the recent changes brought about by a global pandemic, the world has seen a meteoric rise in the reliance on technology. The marriage of technological innovation and everyday activities are stronger than ever, and the future seems like it will be a continuation of this trend. But what are the current prevailing trends in technology, and what can we expect in the future? Below are some points to consider.
The popularity of Streaming Platforms
The advent of online live streaming has opened a new platform for content creators to share their works with so many people all over the world. This new platform is proving to steadily gain popularity as more and more people prefer to watch creators while simultaneously interacting with them as well. Just this January 2021, streaming website twitch had an average of almost 3 million viewers with a maximum of around 6.5 million viewers, the highest number the site has had so far.
Perhaps it’s giving video streaming website YouTube a run for its money, but it might take a while for this type of format to fully take over because there is still a pretty big market for long format video streaming. Furthermore, creators also have varying personalities, preferences, strengths, and weaknesses. Some are more comfortable writing, planning, and editing recordings, while some are more attracted to spontaneous performances partnered with almost real-time interaction with viewers.
The Current Relevance of Social Media
There is no denying that social media has permeated our daily lives. For years, we’ve seen and treated social media as a way to share entertainment and information, as well as to keep in touch with family and friends. Recently though, we’ve started taking notice of how social media, or more specifically, social networking, can have crucial and lasting effects on both our personal and professional lives.
From Facebook to LinkedIn. and more recently, TikTok, users of these social media have utilized them to showcase their individuality. This extends to professional portfolios, as our online social accounts exhibit our abilities, personality, and inclinations, all of which are being looked into by hiring officers to determine employability. That said, these networking sites will most likely continue to be prominent and part of our norm. A change that is much needed though, is an increased level of privacy for everyone who uses social media.
How Remote Working Can Affect Computer Hardware Sales
The pandemic has provided great evidence that remote work is possible and effective for various business operations. With this proof, more and more businesses have opted to close some offices, and have sent their employees’ computer equipment to their homes. Of course, not only employees have benefited from the work from home setup, but also freelancers. This has opened more work opportunities, which in turn increasing demand for home PCs and other computer hardware.
According to IDC, computer sales have grown 8.3% in 2020 compared to 2019. This is the highest number in ten years, and can only be expected to grow even further as business continue their work from home format. Professions that initially required specific computer instruments and services such as business phone answering, language learning centers, and marketing firms have successfully implement remote working, and more industries are joining.
Paid Software as a Commodity
One interesting technological innovation that has carved a corner in commerce is paid software. Industries of different kinds utilize very specific software tools to accomplish complex tasks. Most of these software tools are hosted by a company, offering both the system and service for a price. While free and open-source software is a popular option, paid software still remains the most popular as companies (and individuals) prefer receiving assistance and service in case of an error.
As computers with powerful processing capabilities become accessible, the market of paid software is expected to rise to new heights. It can already be observed in the app ecosystem, as seen in both iOS’ App Store and Android’s Google Play Store. A ‘freemium’ format is also becoming popular, offering a free download of the basic software and a subscription fee for access to the whole system. In the future, we can expect paid software as part of regular expenses as it turns into an important commodity for everyone.
