The COVID-19 pandemic helped pave the way for a significant shift to the digital world, creating new opportunities for tech adoption and innovation.
In a Dec. 17 company blog post, Amazon Vice President and Chief Technology Officer Werner Vogels, PhD, explained why he thinks 2021 will be a "launchpad for all kinds of change," and shared seven areas he predicts will drive digital transformation.
1. Cloud computing and storage capabilities will become accessible from nearly everywhere, including rural communities and in remote areas such as the wilderness.
2. Adoption of machine learning models across industries will continue to accelerate, building on data advancements that healthcare institutions, scientific researchers, pharma companies and the government led this year to keep people healthy during the pandemic.
3. Audio, video and image technologies will increasingly replace keyboards, as consumers will turn to multimedia to communicate.
4. Advanced data analytics will help cities adopt designs that offer advantages of social distancing without the sense of feeling apart. Communities will be designed to be healthier and safer rather than denser and more efficient.
5. Remote work and schooling will become more normal options, especially for unforeseen events such as pandemics or natural disasters.
6. Small businesses will increasingly adopt higher-level technologies and advanced cloud platforms to connect with their customers.
7. Quantum computing will move beyond just the academic world and start being used more by business plans and in the products and services market.