Technology Landscape in the next 10 years

[I encourage you to read my earlier blog post “We won’t be using smartphones by 2025” before reading this one. Thanks]

A few weeks back, Jonah Stephen, a friend invited me to address the team members in his office. He gave me the topic of “Technology Landscape” and how it’s changing fast beyond recognition every day. He wanted me to focus on why it’s important for those who work in IT & ITES to be aware of the change and adapt for their own survival.

I set the stage by talking about how the choice of programming languages have changed dramatically yet C/C++ has remained constant. As per a study was done by IEEE Spectrum, Java appears to be the most popular language, followed by a wait for it C & C++, followed by Python & Microsoft C#. The reasons are simple to guess.

• Java is popular in Enterprise Application Server space and market domination thanks to Google Android OS
• C/C++ is the most standardized and proven way to write code that runs closer to the silicon
• Python due to its versatility and availability on every platform you may want to run it
• Microsoft C# due to its manageability of Web Applications & SharePoint Apps written using it

What stands out from the list is “JavaScript”, today it’s in 8th position, but I feel it’s going to get into top 3 very soon thanks to its near ubiquity. In JavaScript language, you can write scalable web apps with Node.JS, develop Universal apps for Windows 10, create Native Mobile Apps using Apache Cordova, execute NoSQL queries and process JSON payloads.

Then I moved on to list the four major trends I see in the technology space over the next 5 years and are likely to affect everyone in the IT industry.

1. First one is obvious, Mobile which has become the primary device for access digital world. As I wrote in an earlier post, the form factor is going to change drastically over the coming years, but Mobile devices are going to become super intelligent and good at predicting and delivering information at the correct time. It’s going to be a very personalized device.
2. Cloud, we have entered a world of ambient computing where we can tap into processing power that’s almost invisible & infinite.
3. FinTech, every industry is getting disrupted by #1 & #2. One industry that’s in the first line, going to get massively disrupted by these forces is Finance (traditional BFSI). As this May 9th article in The Economist wrote there is a revolution that has started with Fintech startups. Billion Dollar investments in mainframe and Core Banking/Insurances systems perfected over two generation of coders can lose it’s advantage overnight.
4. Virtual Me, this is a continuum to #1. We will have a world that’s powered by Personal Profiles, Sensors (IoT) and everything will be tailored to the person, environment & the job at hand. Generic Operating Systems like Windows & Android or SalesForce CRM or SAP ERP may become thing of the past.

I hope I delivered an enjoyable session to the audience (Download the Presentation). Thank you, Jonah, for inviting me.

(Recording of the same talk delivered on a different event for Anjanasoft Group)