Opinion: Tech predictions for 2023 and beyond

Security must be holistic and proactive, especially in the retail and manufacturing sectors. — Dreamstime/TNS

It is unavoidable, it is everywhere and it's not aliens, it is technology. If you are looking to escape its clutches, retire to some remote island that does not have electricity.

Here's some tips from a technology company that rang my bell. Especially the one on data. It is our boon and can be a millstone around our neck if we don't learn how to manage it.

See below:

Security must be holistic and proactive, especially in the retail and manufacturing sectors. Future proof will replace the new normal as businesses attempt to build for the unexpected.

Chris Smith, Lumen's vice president of product management, platform application says:

"We've seen how an idealist approach to technology creates fatal vulnerabilities. It's time businesses put a spotlight on anaemic areas where weaknesses can flourish — cybersecurity, networks that won't scale and a lack of automation. Companies that future proof will win. The good news is that it's getting easier to do." (Eric here, maybe for some, maybe not for Boomers!)

Gen Z shows no mercy as they make or break emerging and immersive technologies. It is a generation of harsh and fast judges for digital adoption or rejection.

Miriana Martinova, Lumen's VP of core network solutions, says:

"We already know what it will take to succeed in the Metaverse and beyond: flawless data delivery, security, and privacy," says Miriana. "The bigger question is, can companies deliver?

Generations of digital natives will have no hesitation in abandoning apps and experiences that can't. Industries need to outrun a tech-savvy Gen Z by supporting today's low latency, high-bandwidth demand. Otherwise, companies that never worried about data and tech will feel the world shift about a split second before they ultimately flounder and fail."

The "blur" is coming, created by a glut of data, paralysing unprepared enterprises.

Steve Grabow, Lumen's senior vice president of edge computing solutions suggests businesses corral data and put it to work for them: "Everyone wants data on demand, but there's more to it. Surviving 'the blur' happens when a business (or government) can corral data and put it to work before it becomes an unmanageable monster. If a business's experiences and decisions aren't already powered by real-time data, they soon will be."

Amid shrinking budgets and hiring freezes, enterprises and governments resurrect staffing by turning to managed services.

David Capote, Lumen's vice president of product management, managed and professional services, says managed services can help narrow the skills gap: "Tech teams are battle weary. Don't let them down. The longer they wait for reinforcements, the closer an organisation gets to losing the innovation game. An uneasy global economy has everyone looking at staffing and budgets. Businesses can skirt danger by embracing à la carte services to protect their bottom line." – Government Technology/Tribune News Service