The COVID-19 pandemic dramatically accelerated the digital transformation of businesses last year. Because of this, technology is now evolving at such a rapid pace, enabling companies to change and progress faster. As such, IT professionals and organizations are hurrying to develop new tools and technology to prepare for the post-pandemic world.

Companies will need to keep up with the fast-changing trends if they don’t want to be left behind and outshined by competitors. You might have to be constantly learning, unlearning, and relearning tech applications. But to do so, you need to be aware of the top technology trends of the year.

1. Digital Workplace

After remote working became the new normal in 2020, many found the benefits of such a setting. Companies will continue to use this technology trend as the world prepares to recover and coax back to a pre-pandemic level of in-office work. Staffing firm Robert Half even found that 74 percent of professionals who worked from home would like to continue the setup after the pandemic restrictions are eased. With that said, organizations are now starting to accept the inevitability of mixing an onsite and digital work setup.

2. Cybersecurity

More and more businesses are now moving to digital environments, creating opportunities for cybercriminals to increase their attacks. Companies need to rethink their security approach and processes if they want to protect their data and assets. Bolstering cyber basics and switching to a zero-trust mindset can improve your security. Although cybersecurity has been around for a while, this technology continues to evolve as people find new ways to breach and threaten digital systems. It will continue to be part of the top technology trends as long as there are hackers.

3. Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence has been receiving quite a buzz over the past decade. And like cybersecurity, it has been part of the top technology trends for several years. This technology helps businesses efficiently find patterns, reveal anomalies, generate insights, and make predictions and decisions. Given how it transformed how businesses are done, it’s not surprising that companies wish to implement some form of Artificial Intelligence.

4. Machine Learning

Although machine learning is a subset of Artificial Intelligence, this deserves recognition on its own. As companies return to full operations this year, manpower shortages will be an issue. With machine learning poised to overhaul operations and human-decision making, this technology could fill the gaps of labor and skill shortages. That way, chief data officers and data scientists can focus on more sophisticated work rather than routine cleansing and aggregation tasks.

5. Bespoke Solutions

From online schooling, remote working to ordering food, most of the population relied on digital interactions and services during the pandemic. But as we look into 2021, customers are starting to pine for more personalized human experiences. Distinct physical and digital experiences no longer provide the same satisfaction. Now, people want a combination of the best features that both offer. In the next few months, we can expect more companies to embrace bespoke solutions and explore ways to use digital technology with a personalized touch.

As the world tries to recover from the impact of the pandemic, these five technology trends offer promising insights and inspiration for 2021. The future may be a veil of uncertainty, but businesses need to evolve and keep up with technology to survive these trying times.

Want to know the technology trends in the Real Estate? Read ”Top Real Estate Technology Trends in 2021” to learn more.