By its very nature Information Technology is never going to be the same as it used to be. Think of it as a perpetual motion machine that constantly reinvents itself and the way it works.
From interactive watches to automatic cloud storage systems, it’s equally true that IT is more than ever an integral part of our daily lives.
As a result the Developers who make it all possible are more important than ever.
And with IT constantly evolving and adapting to the needs of users, the newest trends, as we move into tail end of 2015 and ahead 2016, are certain to shake up the industry and the job marketplace.
Social media 2.0
We’re all on social media but how we interact with it and use it is evolving – as are the IT gurus behind it.
The Web Developers of the very near future will need to be able to shape social media platforms to fresh needs and expectations. Developers also need to offer a different experience across platforms.
Social media is also a powerful marketing tool and PR Advisers and Marketeers will play a bigger role than ever in platform development. Because of this, expect messenger apps to play a bigger role in communications with social media being used as content managers.
App Developers will be needed at the forefront of this evolution, with user-friendly social media mobile applications in increasingly high demand.
The internet of all things
By 2020 it is projected that 40 billion devices will be connected to the internet. Your television, your heating, your car and even your fridge will be hooked up and controlled via your phone and computer.
This remote control of all your electrical products via the internet has been coming for a while – it’s simply a natural evolution – but expect it to have a bigger impact than ever going into 2016.
Software Engineers must be ready for this and, so too, the Programmers who build the frameworks to make it all possible on smart machines.
And don’t forget apps – yes, some of us really do need to be able to chill the wine from our seat on the homeward bound bus.
Cyber security and big data
As the internet assimilates itself into – some would say invades – our lives, the need for improved security is paramount.
This is true not just with regard to our own personal use, but also with big data. When companies and organisations store our data en masse, the need to protect it is greater than ever – just think Ashley Madison.
The Software Developers and Security Analysts will be required to combat the work of hackers with new, intelligent, strengthened security, because collecting big data is going to be a big part of ITs future.
Companies need to utilise big data to reduce costs and hours, enable new product development and facilitate smarter business decision making.
There is a much wider debate on online privacy that looks certain to come to the fore in the next few months – but, no matter what happens, our data has to be more secure online. That means the smart money is on a job in IT security.
Mobile Payments
Flawless online e-commerce systems are in massive demand right now but expect the interest to shift to making flawless mobile payments.
We want a comfortable online shopping experience which caters to our needs, and understandably so. App Developers, those working in infrastructure and security and even Web Developers are already beginning to feel the pressure to adapt and build systems that make us want to make the shift.
Another way companies are influencing the change is by offering loyalty benefits for using mobile payments – it’s estimated that 60% of Starbucks smartphone-owning customers use mobiles for this reason.
Hardware and technology
Thanks to the uptake of tablets and smartphones, it’s unlikely that Programmers, App Developers and Software Engineers will be out of a job anytime soon.
By 2016, worldwide mobile device shipment is expected to reach an astonishing 2.6 billion, with the market in Tablet PCs growing by 35% and in Smartphones by 18%.
As such, expect an improvement not only in the screen technology, but also of the software and applications that we use on them.
Wearable technology markets, meanwhile, are set to exceed £6 billion by 2016 – although it is widely accepted that technology such as interactive watches need to adapt to new platforms.
There hasn’t been a real breakthrough here yet. Maybe you are the App Developer to do the job?
Search the latest IT jobs now.