A recent publication by IDC on the top 10 IT industry predictions for Australia got me thinking about what trends are likely to impact not just the enterprise, but small to medium organisations also...
The prediction I found most interesting was number 5, the ‘Immersive Interface’.
IDC are predicting that in 2017, 60% of consumer-facing AU500 companies will experiment with augmented reality/virtual reality as part of their marketing efforts. I have no doubt this will be the case.
A few months ago I had my first ‘real’ experience with virtual reality at a local studio called VRXP. It’s actually quite hard to put into words just how amazing the experience was – ‘immersive’ doesn’t do it justice, but it’s the word that best describes it. It’s one of those things you have to experience to understand, but as more and more people do experience AR/VR for the first time, I have no doubt it will become something that we all use regularly.
In fact I recently purchased a 360 degree camera (it cost less than $250), which also supports playback using VR equipment. If you’re not familiar with this technology, it can record a full 360 degree field of view just like a normal video camera, which got me thinking about the practical business implications of this technology.
Real Estate is an obvious one that comes to mind. Real Estate agents will be able to record the inside of properties they want to sell using 360 degree cameras, giving prospective buyers a whole new experience of being able to ‘walk-through’ the property without interrupting the agent or the existing property owner. Function centres could also benefit from this technology, by giving prospective clients a more interactive experience than still photos. There’s many other examples, but one thing is for sure – VR is coming, and it will become a regular part of our lives.
IDC Top 10 IT industry predictions for Australia
1. The digital transformation economy
IDC predicts that, by 2020, half of the top 500 companies in Australia will become part of the digital transformation economy, as they see the majority of their business depend on their ability to create digitally enhanced products, services, and experiences.
2. 3rd Platform by default
By 2019, according to IDC, 3rd Platform technologies and services will drive over 70 per cent of IT spending, growing at twice the rate of the market.
3. Cloud 2.0
Cloud will morph to become distributed, trusted, intelligent, industry-focused, and channel-mediated by 2020, according to IDC, with 67 per cent of all enterprise IT infrastructure and software spending set to go into cloud-based offerings.
4. AI everywhere
IDC predicts that, by 2020, 40 per cent of all digital transformation initiatives, and 100 per cent of all effective Internet of Things efforts, will be supported by cognitive and artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities.
5. Immersive interfaces
IDC believes that, in 2017, 60 per cent of Australia's top 500 consumer-facing companies will experiment with augmented reality or virtual reality as part of their marketing efforts.
6. Industry collaborative platforms
The number of industry collaborative clouds will increase to more than 50 by 2018, according to IDC. By 2020, IDC expects that over 60 per cent of the top 500 Australian companies will be digital services suppliers through industry collaborative clouds (ICCs).
7. Digital transformation developers
By the end of 2018, over 50 per cent of the top 500 Australian companies will have dedicated digital transformation and innovation teams, according to IDC.
8. Digital transformation channel
IDC predicts that, by 2020, over 60 per cent of cloud services providers’ revenues will be mediated by channel partners or brokers.
9. Digital transformation benchmarks
By 2020, all enterprises' performance will be measured by a demanding new set of digital transformation-driven benchmarks, requiring 40–60 per cent better business performance, according to IDC.
10. The rise of the 4th Platform.
IDC predicts that, by 2020, one-third of the health-life sciences and consumer products companies will begin developing the first wave of products and services that tightly integrate 3rd Platform technologies with the human body.
By the mid-2020's, IDC believes, augmented humanity offerings will have become mainstream.
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Source of this article is from IDC - the full IDC press release can be found here
