The tech industry has witnessed lots of activity in the year 2017―with companies like Facebook utilizing Artificial Intelligence, and an increasing number of companies introducing newer technologies into their various business models. Gopalan Rajagopalan, head of TCS Scotland highlights some of the latest technological innovations to become the rave of the moment in the coming year 2018.

Artificial Intelligence Foundation

This is an IT system that is programmed to learn, adapt and act on its own volition―and would become more common in 2018.

Thanks to the rapid evolution of wireless technology, connecting with numerous devices has become very easy—which opens newer and better ways to interact and manage information in ways previously deemed impossible.

Recent studies have shown that AI would have a major impact on various industry sectors during the coming years.

Business 4.0

The world was taken by storm with mass production, steam trains and then computers during the industrial revolution.

Currently, technologies are at the heart of every industry as the world undergoes transformation. Even businesses are affected, and tech is remodeling the way the business sphere operates. A large number of businesses have imbibed several integrated innovative technology into every aspect of their business and gone digital.

Business 4.0 is basically a collection of numerous technological innovations such as AI, Cloud, Machine Learning, IoT, Augmented Reality etc. Any business that decides not to change pattern would definitely remain stagnant and miss out on the myriad of opportunities that would avail itself to those who embrace newer technology in this digital age.

Augmented Reality

There's a chance that this tech would witness more popularity in 2018. With an increase in smartphone users, mobile phone companies are taking advantage of this innovation to excite customers—with instances such as Apple’s release of the ARkit and iPhone X.

Social media app Snapchat, are collaborating with automobile company BMW to give customers the ability to visualize how a car would look in real life before acquiring it. This should be one of the newer technologies to watch out for in the coming year, as there might be a quite competitive marketplace for it.

Voice controlled digital platforms

Platforms such as Amazon's Alexa can answer basic questions and process simple requests like current weather or song information.

These platforms are witnessing significant development and 2018 may be the year it finally possesses the ability to perform more difficult tasks. It could even get implemented into phone sex to spark up your sex life. But, there are still some hurdles left to be crossed such as language tone.

Digital Twin software

The Digital Twin is a technology that's paired with an object which is physical, and is a digital representation of that object. The development is already being utilized in several industries and applications―and is bound to become increasingly advanced and cost-effective to implement due to the Internet of Things (IoT).

While certain elements such as CAD 3D Models have been around for quite some time, a new aspect would involve saving design feedback in the cloud.

Coupled with the ability to gather data, Digital Twin also possesses physics, machine learning, analytics and even AI.

In November, an IoT announcement with luxury automobile brand Rolls-Royce revealed that an increasing number of engineering companies would integrate it in daily work life and would enquire from the Digital Twin information about a specific design or system, or past and future operational performance.

This eliminates certain costs for prototyping, design, engineering and even maintenance—while also preventing downtime.