In launching the Tech Trends 2014: Inspiring Disruption report, Deloitte managing partner, Technology Agenda, Robert Hillard, said the 10 topics selected had the opportunity to impact on organisations across industries and geographies over the next 18 to 24 months. "These 10 trends exemplify the unprecedented potential for emerging technologies to reshape how work gets done, how businesses grow, and how markets and industries evolve," Hillard said. "Each of the 2014 trends is relevant today and has significant momentum and potential to make a business impact. "All of the trends warrant timely consideration, even if the strategy is to wait and see. Our advice to you is not to be caught unaware -- or unprepared. Use these forces to inspire, to transform and to disrupt." As in prior years, the trends are organised into two categories: Disruptors are areas that can create sustainable positive disruption in IT capabilities, business operations, and sometimes even business models: Enablers are technologies in which many CIOs have already invested time and effort, but warrant another look because of new developments and new capabilities.
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In other words, disruptors are trends that will disrupt current ways of doing things, while enablers will enable ways of doing things differently. The report's major take-outs explore how CIOs are going to be preoccupied with five forces: data; mobile; social; cyber-security; and Cloud. Cyber-security is a recurring thread throughout the report; more important than ever, but embedded into thinking about how to be secure, vigilant, and resilient in approaching disruptive technologies.
The top 10 technology trends for 2014 include:
Disruptors
Enablers
A new section in the report is dedicated to exponential technologies, in collaboration with Singularity University, and highlights five innovative technologies that may take longer than the standard 24-month time horizon for businesses to harness them.
Examples include artificial intelligence, robotics, and additive manufacturing (3D printing). The research, experimentation, and invention behind these 'exponentials' are the building blocks for many technology trends.
Deloitte said that these technologies could lead to new 'Kodak moments', where existing businesses are wiped out (as Kodak was by digital cameras) by upstart companies harnessing the emerging technologies. "It will be about industries effectively leveraging technologies to improve their productivity and cost-efficiency, resulting in more agile and adaptable businesses that can create new opportunities," Hillard said. The exponentials are:
"Many business leaders confront exponentials in a negative way as they believe their survival is under immense threat. However, CIOs and business leaders need to adopt an abundance mindset and become aware of the limitless opportunity a population of digitally connected people will mean in terms of economic value," Hillard said.