Technology Trends To Keep On Your Radar In The Second Half Of 2021

The following post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga.

The year 2020 was nothing short of an interesting one. The COVID-19 pandemic has meant that we rely on technology more than ever before to keep on top of our lives and work. Now that we are in 2021, technology is once again playing a big role in the reopening of the world. 

The first half of the year saw more attention being paid to blockchain technology, 5G, and AR, but what does the second half hold? Here are some of the tech trends to keep an eye out for in Q2:

DeFi Connectivity: 

In terms of the blockchain and crypto space, this year has been all about Decentralised Finance (DeFi) and that shows no sign of stopping. This is where firms like Frontier come in, providing a safe and convenient gateway into the Crypto & DeFi space.

Frontier is a non-custodial App where users can store, send, receive and stake crypto assets safely and securely. The mobile app, which is available on iOS and Android, supports 10+ blockchains and popular DeFi protocols such as AAVE, Compound, UniSwap, Sushiswap. With millions of more people entering the DeFi space, Frontier makes it easy for users to access DeFi and Crypto on Mobile.

The Great Financial Migration

The rise of decentralized finance has positioned the world’s traditional markets at a turning point - institutions, enterprises, and retail users are now aware of the inherent benefits brought by blockchain technology, leading to a fundamental shift in the way we bank, transact, lend, and interact with one another. 

Onomy Protocol bolsters the CeFi to DeFi migration through a product suite that allows users to mint, trade, and lend stable representations of national currencies across prominent blockchain economies. Soon to serve as the world’s de-facto Decentralized Reserve Bank, Onomy Protocol will deploy financial products that converge the $6.6T/day foreign currency exchange marketplace with decentralized finance and native crypto assets.

Internet of Things (IoT)

Ever get the feeling that we are more connected these days to the internet? The truth is that we are. From our voice assistants that play music and turn out lights in our homes to our cars being programmed to make calls and monitor our homes when we aren’t around, everything is connected to the internet.

This is where the Internet of Things comes in. Firms like Samsara create everyday items that are universally linked over the internet and share data. It is thanks to these firms that we can have all our electronic devices connected and working in synch. Because of the sheer convenience that Internet of Things devices offer us, this industry is going to get even bigger in 2021. 

Artificial Intelligence

While AI might conjure up thoughts of a dystopian sci-fi world with robot overlords, it is very much taking center stage even now. The thing about AI is that it is near-limitless in its ability to function. AI is being deployed in the medical field to detect diseases in patients ahead of time and in everyday life, it is being used in customer service chatbots, with firms like Microsoft Azure MSFT leading the way.

With the latter, it has become practically an industry standard and with machine learning seeing more strides, AI will be even more prominently used in practically every facet of life. 

Digital Workspaces

Perhaps the biggest change to our professional lives in the last year is that many more of us are working remotely, with companies like Zoom seeing its share price skyrocket thanks to all the people going to work and school from their homes. As the pandemic winds down globally, however, not everyone will be going back to the office.

Some businesses are considering permanent remote working and this is giving rise to digital workspaces that allow the efficiency of in-person offices but with greater flexibility for staff. Tech firms are already catching on to this, with Citrix offering digital workspaces with app virtualization, file sharing, and single sign-on. It is clear that how we work will be forever changed by the pandemic and digital workspaces will take center stage in Q2 of 2021 for this reason. 

Tech trends come and go but 2021 is poised to be one of the most significant for the industry, given the legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic. The above trends will likely be one of the biggest and most lasting. From AI to workspaces, Q2 2021 will certainly be one for the books. 

Image by StartupStockPhotos from Pixabay

The preceding post was written and/or published as a collaboration between Benzinga’s in-house sponsored content team and a financial partner of Benzinga. Although the piece is not and should not be construed as editorial content, the sponsored content team works to ensure that any and all information contained within is true and accurate to the best of their knowledge and research. This content is for informational purposes only and not intended to be investing advice.