Making the most of IT is all about staying ahead of the wave of change, not scrambling to respond to it once it’s already made an impact. With that imperative in mind, we have put together this list of some of the top IT predictions for 2016:

• Automated Authorship – Advancements in automation and machine intelligence generally are contributing to a shift towards business content being authored entirely by computers. Emerging automated writing tools will limit the need for humans to create simplistic documents like shareholder reports, press releases, and legal documents.
• “Things” Come Online – The exploding “Internet of Things” will mean that waves of new support requests will come from objects rather than human customers/clients. This will require enterprises to drastically rethink the way they provide support in terms of both scope and strategy.
• Robot Supervision – Continuing the thread of machine intelligence, workers will increasingly be supervised by “robot bosses” who monitor metrics for speed, efficiency, productivity, and customer satisfaction. The impact of this supervisory sea change is difficult to predict, but it’s easy to forecast deep impacts that are both positive and negative.
• Threat of Digital Vandalism – As buildings and homes are increasingly controlled by automated systems rather than human maintenance personnel, the frequency and severity of digital vandalism will accelerate. Examples include defacing digital signage and plunging a property into prolonged darkness.
• Machines Over Employees – The cost savings of automation are impossible to deny. As automation technologies continue to evolve, companies will look for ways to replace workers with machines. In the near future we could see fully automated supermarkets and robotic fast food cooks.
• Reliance on Health IT – Wearable devices that track a person’s health and fitness in real time will increasingly be a feature of the workplace. Professionals who work in particularly dangerous or important roles will be required to wear these devices as a condition of employment.
• Big Data Informs CRM – Companies will use improving capacities to gather, store, and analyze data to improve CRM strategies. This capacity will also be used to automate more of the customer interaction process.
• Cloud Confusion – Despite widespread adoption, concerns about cloud security persist. Research, however, has shown that the majority of security incidents are caused by users rather than providers. In 2016 and beyond we are likely to see increasing use of cloud controls designed to force users to adhere to cloud security best practices.

It’s clear that IT will play a larger role than ever in the new year. That can prove to be either an opportunity or an obstacle. If you don’t have the tech staff you need to make the most of the changes yet to come, contact the team at RennerBrown.