According to Gartner, 2020 will be marked by 5 major digital technological trends
CIOs must understand how people interact with and experience digital technology along with understanding the technology itself, says Gartner which is of the view that they should take the lead in promoting an IT and CX (Customer Experience) vision for multiexperience design and development.
Today, every company is a technology company and digital experiences are no longer the preserve of disruptive startups. Enterprises understand the value that seamless digital experience adds to overall customer satisfaction.
“It is important for CIOs to understand how digital experiences are built and delivered,” says Daniel Sun, Vice President Analyst, Gartner.
Below are the 5 digital technology trends identified by Gartner:
Trend No. 1: Multiexperience
Multiexperience refers to the various devices and apps with which users interact on their digital journeys. This includes creating fit-for-purpose apps based on touchpoint-specific modalities while at the same time ensuring a consistent and unified user experience (UX) across web, mobile, wearables, conversational and immersive touchpoints.
New devices and new modes of interaction — from natural-language-based chat and voice to gestures used in 3D or virtual environments — coexist with the ever-popular web browser and mobile apps. Any combination of these new touchpoints can be used by customers along their journey.
CIOs should take the lead in promoting an IT and CX vision for multiexperience design and development that engages business partners in meaningful collaboration for the overall digital experience.
Trend No. 2: Interfaceless machines
Manufacturers across industries are abandoning on-machine controls or traditional interface models in favor of apps that run on their customers’ mobile devices. Larger screens on mobile devices, high resolutions and rich device APIs allow for device control experiences far beyond what can be achieved with on-machine interfaces.
Interfaceless machines offer CIOs an entirely new perspective on digital product management. CIOs can also consider the possibility of extending digital product management capabilities to the digital extensions of the organization’s main products.
Trend No. 3: Agent interfaces
Agent interfaces represent a new paradigm of human-computer interaction and have broad implications that will greatly influence how enterprises interact with customers, offer services and provide tools to employees. Conversational UIs (or chatbots) are good examples. One of the most common applications of conversational UI is virtual assistants like Amazon Alexa.
With chatbots, the number of steps required to provide a command are reduced to a simple conversation. Agent interfaces employ artificial intelligence (AI) to predict what users intend to do using data from past interactions on a master interface.
According to Gartner, CIOs will need to build the skills required as agent interfaces become more mainstream.
Trend No. 4: Facial recognition payment
Facial recognition payment is a digital experience trend emerging mainly in China, although it is quickly spreading elsewhere. It will increase the use of QR code payments and further diminish the use of bank cards and cash. The trend is slowly gaining popularity outside China with Apple’s Face ID with Apple Pay, with the trust existing between the user and the ecosystem provider (such as a bank).
Facial recognition payment offers CIOs a whole new perspective on enhancing digital CX and driving business growth.
Trend No. 5: Inclusive design
According to Gartner, inclusive design is the principle that the best way to serve the needs of the broad community is to consider the special needs of all possible communities.
Designers need to think about all potential users of the products and services that they design. The data sources used in their design efforts need to reflect all potential user segments and avoid datasets that are too narrow or non inclusive.
To sum up, 2020 promises to be a lively year for CIO who has been able to transform themselves and want to be perceived as innovator and not simply as person responsible for buying IT and managing operational concerns.