Industry executives and experts share their predictions for 2024. Read them in this 16th annual VMblog.com series exclusive.
Soaring Data Volumes and Beyond
Written by Jason Haworth
As we look ahead to 2024, it is a fairly
obvious prediction that data volumes will continue to rise and there are
catalysts aplenty to thank. From global catastrophes, energy conservation
efforts, AI and the new ways of digital communication, the amounts of data
needing to be managed will reach new highs. We will also see the continuing
evolution of AI, uncovering more of its pros but also its cons. Finally, some
of the biggest disruptions to our lives throughout the past couple of years
will find their permanent place providing more than just flexibility.
The
Financial Impact on Data Volumes
Global catastrophes will continue to have an
impact on many things. With the ongoing war in Ukraine, Israel and Hamas,
tensions between the US and China, COVID resurgences, and global warming, we
will see more financial crises, and logistics and supply chains will continue
to take hits. There will be less money to spend and it will be important to
consolidate the tools and resources we use. This is especially critical as data
volumes will continue to soar. When you have overwhelming amounts of data and don't
know how to process it, costs rise and time is lost.
Green
Energy Means More Data to Manage
We will see increasing energy costs next year,
making everything more expensive. These rising costs will further push us
towards green energy, motivating the energy sector to evolve and encouraging
citizens to evolve. A part of that evolution will be the increasing popularity
of electric vehicles, which will be an excellent thing for the environment but
a stressor on the power grid. Some refer to electric vehicles as ‘cars that
have become computers', which means even more data must be managed. It is said
that electric vehicles could generate up to 10 exabytes of data per month,
leading to significant ramifications for policymakers, manufacturers and
infrastructure in general, as this will be more data than we've ever had to
manage before.
AI
Increasing Errors and Jobs
AI will continue to boom, and we will see
adaptations in almost every area of our lives. While it will undoubtedly make
our lives easier in many ways, we will see an uptick in error rates because
this technology is only as smart as the language it's been trained on. AI will
inevitably replace more people and jobs, but the good news is that it will also
create more jobs. In a few years, we will see many autonomous vehicles,
essentially cell phones on wheels. With AI, the possibilities are virtually
endless, and we are only now starting to explore them.
Virtual
Communication Is Here to Stay
While life has returned to normal
post-pandemic, virtual communication is here to stay. We will see technology
play an even bigger role in our day-to-day lives, from working remote jobs to
regularly visiting doctors via telehealth appointments. New devices and routes
will continue to emerge as we determine the best ways to collaborate and
interact with people worldwide successfully.
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ABOUT
THE AUTHOR
Jason
leads the product development and Solutions Engineering teams at Apica. As a
seasoned technology leader, he is responsible for product improvement,
innovation, and the lifecycle of the Apica solutions. He has more than 20 years
of experience in performance technologies, where he leads the technical
management, software development, security, network and systems administration
and engineering functions. Through his work with cloud operators, telcos, and
the Fortune 50, he has spent most of his career driving innovation in areas
such as IoT, 5G, and Cloud Transformation.