(This is a Guest Column for TechGig by Dr. Hemen Goswami - Vice President Solution, Infogain Corp.)

2018, so far has been a year of incredible amount of innovation, from breakthroughs in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning to advances in the Internet of Things (IoT) and Automation. Here are the top technology trends I predict will shape 2019.

#1. AI/ML will continue to penetrate more areas in 2019
There is a significant increase in use of AI/ML in a variety of industries, including banking, retail, healthcare (medical prognosis), agriculture/farming, etc. As more companies look to tap technology to create that unique differentiation, 2019 will again see increased adoption of these emerging technologies.

#2. Blockchain will occupy centerstage in 2019
Blockchain technology is already widespread acceptability across the private and public sector. The strengths and limitations of blockchain are now understood better. We should see more secured identity-driven private blockchain architecture emerging for adoption especially in segments with the potential use of distributed record/ledger, on a massive scale.

#3. IoT will continue to find new use cases
IoT has been around for a while, and now Industrial IoT (IIoT), i.e. connecting machines and devices in industries such as transportation, power generation, and healthcare is becoming more prevalent. There is a clear roadmap on how to achieve both cost-efficiency and scale in developing connected autonomous vehicles. This would significantly accelerate overall spending in IoT sensors, actuators, associated enterprise decision and analytics systems.

#4. Chatbots will become indispensable
2018 was the year that saw AI find mainstream uses, and Chatbots were a part of the evolution. Here at Infogain, for example, we developed a contextual Chatbot for the HR department to be used by all employees and contractors. The Chatbot/Conversation Interfaces were launched for queries in the context of HR processes, policies, and regular issue management.

Chatbots provide a better interface in line with digital workforce expectations, resulting in Improved HR and employee productivity. The contextual Chatbot uses advanced AI/ML, NLP (Natural Language Processing), and NLU (Natural Language Understanding). In 2019, I expect that Chatbots and conversational AI will provide an opportunity for enterprises to drive digital transformation across all areas of the workplace, including customer support, sales, marketing, human resources, IT help desk, supply chain, payroll, etc.

#5. The current phase of technological evolution is going to change the global labor market
Many people worry that emerging technologies will displace the human workforce. But consider the following:

- Technological innovation and digital transformation are primary drivers of automation. There are growing patterns where repetitive and manual jobs across industries are replaced by machines using modern technologies, such as AI/ML, RPA (Robotic Process Automation) and Predictive Analytics.
- If we closely watch the industrial revolutions in earlier phases, the invention and proliferation of technology always displaced a section of the workforce from one category and moved them to the other. The ongoing evolution is also going to open new services and new markets, that would demand a new workforce with a different set of skills and expertise.

#6. Big Data will continue to be the key to the management of a customer’s experience
At Infogain, for example, we are continuously building advanced data analytics solutions for our global clients in retail, insurance, travel & hospitality, loyalty management, e-commerce, and customer support. Big data analytics provides key indicators to understand consumer’s expectation proactively and provide personalized services. We have invested in Center of Excellence (CoE) in data analytics; we have set up innovation labs in collaboration with industry’s leading big data platform providers to develop solutions for industries.

GDPR will have an impact on data protection requirements globally

Data security will continue to be a pertinent concern, especially, in the context of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) that came into effect earlier this year in the EU.

Infogain has always set up comprehensive data security frameworks at the enterprise level, that encompass multiple layers. Data security involves several aspects- human behavior, physical processes, tools, guidelines, monitoring/surveillance, and reporting. The company has implemented automated frameworks to continuously check and balance compliance to new regulations.

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