software development | Data engineering | virtual reality
Every year brings new terms to add to the tech lexicon and familiar terms given new spins as they make their way to the general public.
2022 is no different. As we look ahead to what the world’s top engineering minds are focused on in the near future, we’ve identified key takeaways about the rise of artificial intelligence, the metaverse, and all manner of tech advancements. Buckle in, because these are the AI to Z of engineering terms to know for 2022.
Artificial Intelligence
Will 2022 be the year the machines finally usurp humanity to assert their dominance across the earth? Maybe not, but expect to see artificial intelligence applications become increasingly complex and deployed in areas of business they haven’t traditionally been seen.
Business Analysis
Technology for technology’s sake will no longer suffice. The most innovative solutions will be those resulting from a thorough analysis of a business problem, where software and hardware are developed and shaped according to the strategic needs of a business, rather than the other way around.
Computer Vision
Because artificial intelligence will become more commonplace, there will be a greater need to feed real-world data into such applications. Computer vision serves this purpose, enabling software to extract incredible insights from extraordinarily large amounts of data that mere mortals couldn’t possibly sift through.
Design Systems
It’s not enough for a product to look good, or even function well. Every part of a digital experience must seamlessly interact with every other part, in a way that’s intuitive to the user. Design systems ensure every tech brand has a successful foundation to create an impeccable user experience.
Embedded Systems
Even as some applications grow more complex, other technologies will rely on systems that complete one task very well. These embedded systems may themselves grow in complexity, but technologists will continue to find success in offering embedded products that serve as a single cog within other software and hardware offerings.
Fairness
We’re cheating a little, because we wanted to say ‘Accessibility’ but that was already taken by AI, and we couldn’t replace that or we’d have to change the title of this entire thing.
Accessibility will continue to progress in 2022, bringing much-needed fairness and democratization to the web. The companies that invest not just in smart, innovative technology, but in technology that’s built from the ground up to ensure all potential users are able to easily engage with it, will find the most success in 2022 and beyond.
Gamification
Technology that gamifies the user experience will only grow its market share in 2022. Especially as concepts such as the metaverse take hold (don’t worry, M is coming up), engineering will continue to think up ways to keep you coming back again and again through repetitive tasks, auditory stimulation, badges, achievements, and more elements that have long existed in the realm of games.
Hybrid Cloud
While companies continue to find cost-savings and operational efficiency through cloud migration, organizations are also giving hybrid setups more consideration. Thanks to evolving business needs and the ease in transferring data between cloud and on-premises servers, hybrid storage will be common in 2022.
Innovation Strategy
How do you catch lightning in a bottle? By developing a strategy designed to provide a steady charge throughout your organization. Companies are increasingly putting together strategies for sparking innovation, even hiring firms that specialize in just this discipline. That will continue as entrepreneurs look not just to disrupt, but to create a process that will allow disruptions to happen as often as technology allows.
Javascript
While there’s certainly no shortage of programming languages, Javascript continues to reign due to its relative low entry threshold combined with a shockingly deep level of customization. Exciting and arguably more versatile programming languages are out there, but Javascript will continue to exert its dominance in the market.
KringleCon
A shoutout to some of our own Aviturians’ favorite white-hat hacking contest. Held every December, KringleCon helps cybersecurity experts stay up to date on the latest advances and protocols while putting their own skills to the test in a series of challenges. We already can’t wait until the next contest in December 2022!
Legislation
Politicians can’t agree on much of anything these days. Except, it turns out, that big tech companies have too much control and need to be reined in. This is one of the few areas where the right and the left find common ground, and it could result in some of the most momentous legislation ever passed to break up or limit the business practices of companies like Facebook, Apple, and many more. Which may dash the plans of a certain dominant social media company…
Metaverse
The metaverse became a term everyone started hearing about the moment Facebook rebranded to Meta and announced its intention to create a virtual world we could interact in just like the real world. But they’re far from the only player in this meta space, with many other companies developing hardware and software designed to immerse us in a virtual world. 2022 may be the best indication yet of whether or not uptake becomes rampant or virtual reality remains a relatively niche field.
NFT
2022 is set to be the year we find out if the promise of non-fungible tokens lives up to the hype. With more companies pursuing blockchain and NFT initiatives than ever, only time will tell if leading engineering minds come up with innovative, useful applications for NFTs or if they’re destined to remain in pyramid scheme territory.
Obsolescence
Flash. Internet Explorer. Movie theaters? As the world continues to recover from a pandemic still impacting businesses around the globe, companies are forced to confront their tech stack and value propositions in equal measure. Those willing to adapt their services to meet the needs of an increasingly tech-literate audience will succeed, while those who insist on outdated, unsustainable technology face an uphill battle for relevance and survival.
Predictive Analytics
This has been around for awhile, but thanks to advances in machine learning and the continued addition of data, predictive analytics will keep getting better at providing actionable insights for businesses. Expect more and more applications to analyze customer behavior, preferences, and trends to create takeaways that will drive strategy within organizations.
QR Codes
They’re back, baby! Although QR codes largely fell out of favor in the late 2010s, the pandemic brought a surge in contactless interaction. They started appearing in restaurants, rideshare vehicles, advertisements, and businesses of all kinds. QR codes are widespread, and they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
Real-Time Data
Data from last month isn’t as good as data from last week, and data from last week isn’t as good as data coming in right now. Real-time data acquisition and analysis is crucial to gaining a competitive advantage in 2022, and more and more applications will offer such a feature, with dashboards that display details in the most intuitive manner possible.
Sentiment Analysis
One of the benefits of real-time data collection is the ability to invoke sentiment analysis to determine how people truly feel about your product, service, or company as a whole. Sentiment analysis is a type of machine learning or AI that looks at things like product reviews, social conversations, and more to see what the overall sentiment is about a given thing. Expect more of these applications as the social media landscape becomes more and more fractured.
Tech Debt
Companies have now had two or three decades to develop their digital infrastructure. Just about everyone has had fits and starts, including reliance on tech offerings they wish they could take back. This tech debt has a cost, and it’s dragging down organizations. In 2022, it will be more important than ever to pay off this tech debt through APIs, system integrations, and streamlined solutions that get rid of unnecessary technology that’s harming your ability to innovate.
User Engagement
Many of the other items in this alphabet soup point to something ineffable: user experience will continue to be a key component of tech. Because artificial intelligence and other suitably advanced applications are in reach of smaller companies, not just major tech providers, the organizations that succeed will be those who take a readily available tech tool and combine it with an unmatched user experience to create something wholly unique.
Voice Applications
Tied intrinsically to accessibility, voice applications are a mainstay of modern software development. Successful technology providers will strive for a voice app experience that’s similar in scope to a standard browser or app. Expect areas like eCommerce, smart appliances, education, and healthcare to see vocal growth.
Web 2.0
For all intents and purposes, we’re currently living in Web 2.0, and there’s no sign Web 3.0 is arriving anytime soon. Web 2.0 describes the internet we’re all used to, where much of the web is defined by content and conversation across platforms like Twitter, Facebook, Google, Amazon, etc. Web 3.0 requires a level of decentralization that essentially decouples the internet from these tech conglomerates. We’re simply not there, and probably nowhere close to there, so Web 2.0 is where we’ll live for years to come.
XR
Extended reality, or XR, is the full gamut of virtual and augmented reality applications and their interplay with each other and the real world. It’s tied intrinsically to the metaverse and will become a common phrase if and when the metaverse expands its presence in the popular conscience.
Yar
Watch out for people pirating your software!
(Okay, this one’s thin, but we needed something for Y, so…pirates.)
Zero Day Patches
As providers of software and hardware race to get their minimally viable products to the market, sometimes before they’re ready, expect to see more and more zero day patches meant to address vulnerabilities and bugs. Of course, the tech companies that take the time to fix these before mass production could gain an edge over competitors who insist on releasing something that’s closer to a beta product.
There you have it, the AI to Z of engineering in 2022. Questions? Ideas for your own business? Contact Aviture to expand your horizon in these and many other areas of tech interest.
