This year has seen more advancements in technology than ever before, and because of this the ways in which people do business is changing as well. It’s important to stay current as technology improves for your business to stay relevant. Whether you’re a big business or just starting out, there are plenty of new innovations you can implement into your workplace – and it’s important to do so. Your success might depend on it.

Artificial Intelligence

Artificial intelligence, or AI, allows computers to think, learn, and perform tasks that once required human intelligence. Instead of wondering why you would need AI for your business, consider some of the less obvious uses for AI. AI doesn’t have to mean robots or all-knowing digital assistants. For example, chatbots are another type of AI that have taken businesses by storm.

If you visit a website and receive a pop-up chat, it’s most likely a bot greeting you. Chatbots have been proven to boost engagement between customers and businesses, and customer retention has increased, too. 56 percent of customers would rather message one of these bots than call customer service, and 53 percent are more likely to patronize businesses they can message online.

These bots can be used for conversational purposes, but they are also equipped with the tools companies need to track data. This is useful for all kinds of businesses. Keeping track of customer conversations and questions can give a company information on what it’s doing right or wrong and can help them discover what their consumers care about most.

When asked about AI, IBM CEO Ginni Rometty commented, “I would say in five years, there’s no doubt in my mind that cognitive AI will impact every decision made.”

The Cloud

We’ve been hearing the term “the cloud” for some time now. It’s not just a storage option for your iPhone: the cloud is an internet-based system where you can store and access data instead of using on-premises storage and applications. “The movement to cloud is an inevitable destination. This is how computing will evolve over the next several years,” says Oracle CEO Mark Hurd.

Using cloud-based software and services can offer your business a number of benefits. Your company’s ability to collaborate, manage its data security, handle disaster recovery and even mitigate its environmental footprint can all improve when you take advantage of this technology. Thanks to the cloud, productivity and overall work quality rise.

If collaboration isn’t something you’re concerned about, focus on the security benefits. This is an area every business needs to be concerned with. Data security is becoming a larger-scale issue on all fronts, and security breaches can happen to you regardless of the size of your business. The cloud provides your business with one centralized system that is constantly monitored by vendor personnel. The cloud also enables increased threat detection capabilities, faster patching and general safety for your business.

If by some misfortune you do have a security issue, the disaster recovery systems within cloud services are superior as well. This technology has built-in backup storage system and a faster response time, and is less expensive than hiring and training your own in-house recovery team.

Virtual Reality

Virtual Reality, or VR, is an exciting advancement that can benefit businesses as well as consumers. This technology is used in new ways every day. Businesses are using VR to step up their creativity and invent new ways to improve marketing, client experience, and even human resource work.

Utilizing VR in your business can appeal to both clients and potential employees. Showing that your business knows how to utilize cutting-edge tech like this can attract attention from top talent who are often on the cutting edge of technology. You can also utilize VR to manage employees by using it for employee onboarding, communication, and education.

Companies are developing creative tactics to use VR in their marketing campaigns. In the early days of VR, The New York Times famously did this by sending Google Cardboard glasses to their most loyal customers and providing films for them to watch. This essentially established an incentive plan. If customers proved their loyalty to the newspaper, they would get special perks such as an early-adopter’s look at VR.

Some believe VR is one technology to watch and that it will have a profound impact on the world. As VR innovator Chris Milk said, “It connects humans to other humans in a profound way that I’ve never seen before in any other form of media, and it can change people’s perception of each other. And that’s how I think virtual reality has the potential to actually change the world.”

Next Steps

No matter the size of your company, it’s important to keep tabs on emerging technologies like these to ensure your team is up-to-date on the latest trends. What’s next? Continue researching these technologies, find what works for you, and get your team on board! Some might be hesitant to make a big change like switching to the cloud. The better prepared you are with knowledge about these technologies and how they can benefit you, the more likely it is that everyone will see your perspective, and you’ll find success.

Sara is an experienced tech expert who writes with her colleagues on Enlightened Digital, to share her passion with others around the web. After 15 years in the industry, her goal is to bring information on all technology to the masses. Her philosophy is to create each article so that anyone can understand the content, whether they are a consumer or a technology expert. Check out her site at Enlightened-Digital.com.

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