To continue with last week’s discussion on the top 10 ICT trends for 2019, here are a few more to take into account:
6. Cyber defence is a system and culture, not a product
It is estimated that there are more than 120 million new variants of malware every year and that the cost of cyber-crime is now in the trillions. Anyone still buying discrete appliances to combat cyber-attack will fall behind – defence is a system and a culture, not a product. Zero trust networking with a security posture of default deny will be the first step to continuous risk/trust assessment.
7. 5G and nanosatellites
Anticipation and expectation of 5G is probably higher than any other new technology in history. While it promises higher speed and other benefits such as lower latency, 5G raises many questions around its commercial value proposition against existing options including 4G/LTE and Wi-Fi variants. 5G is also headed for a collision course with fixed-line broadband threatening its business case. 2019 will be a year of marketing (and politics) and figuring out the use-cases and business case.
8. The value of data to control and monetise
Amidst so much change, production and demand for data will continue to soar. Global IP traffic will grow three-fold to 2022 and mobile data will grow seven-fold. Economies are transitioning from human-scale to machine-scale, which means that more decisions are being made by machines and that machines and AI will thirst for more data. The value of data is clearer than ever, as machines with the right data help us make smarter, quicker decisions.
Traditional organisations like banks and telecommunication operators are acutely aware that they have stimulated data production and consumption while someone else has been taking advantage of it at their expense. The challenge is how to control and monetise it. As data becomes more personalised, it generates numerous opportunities as well as challenges for consumers, businesses and governments. Tension will rise between government and consumers and we can expect more regulation not less.
9. Decentralised web and the internet of blockchains
In less than a decade, the World Economic Forum expects that 10 per cent of global Gross Domestic Product (GDP) will be stored on blockchain. However, in 2018, crypto-currencies such as Bitcoin that use blockchain, have been in turbulence, turning the curious into sceptics and in some cases, disbelievers. But we should not to be side-tracked by cryptocurrencies. Blockchain itself is a serious, secure, distributed ledger and digital cryptographic platform. Venture capital and other investment is consistently growing. Blockchain offers distinct value to supply chains. Its credentialing capability is more secure and robust than alternatives, it is open source, collectively owned, decentralised and neutral – critical ingredients for Web 3.0 and the “decentralised Web” (DWEB).
10. Anywhere, anytime, any mode transport as-a-service
Although autonomous vehicles (AV) seem to attract the most attention, other transitions within the industry are taking hold and impacting consumers much sooner. Electric vehicles (EV) are more of a given now than a bold vision and although it will take some years, the move to EV is certain.
Kevin Bloch, Chief Technology Officer, Cisco ANZ
