Artificial Intelligence, Blockchain, Cloud Computing

Gartner analysis firm unveiled last year its popular tees of emerging technologies in 2017. This report is often considered to be a good overview of the technologies ready to affect businesses and their it spending in the next few years.

Gartner indicates that the machine learning (machine learning), the blockchain (chain of blocks), drones, security software-defined and brain-machine interfaces have progressed along the media cycle in the 12 months precedents. However, this enthusiasm is tempered by the fact that none of these technologies will integrate the company anytime soon.

Gartner accompanies indeed its cycle from a legend that determines the likely date of impact. Over the next two years, none of these emerging technology reaches the "plateau of productivity", name given to the last phase of the cycle of Gartner in which systems and services reach widespread adoption.

The interest of a cycle of emerging technologies is that he tries to expose the considerable changes that should affect the environment of work in the coming years, by providing an estimate of when they are likely to occur. He shows that a part of the mentioned technologies already dominate the agenda of the Director of marketing, often at the expense of practical operational concerns.

My Inbox is full of results of studies and opinions on artificial intelligence and robots. Yet, CIOS are still struggling with the last big change: the arrival of cloud computing. Cloud is indeed at the heart of the strategy of many CIOS spending, while more advanced technologies were pushed far into the
background.

The good news is that CIOS who sponsor early investigations in these emerging areas work at least in line with expectations and recommendations of Gartner.

The media cycle for 2017 has focused on three major emerging technological trends: artificial intelligence widespread, transparent immersive experiences and digital platforms.

According Gartner, Enterprise Architects and makers of technological innovation should study and propose ideas around these three major trends to understand the future impact on their business. The Council is a good idea: innovation, almost all items addressed to the DSI boast of experimentation.

However, the tests cost money. It budgets, which are often limited anyway, are under strong pressure. In this sensitive environment costs, only a limited number of DSI have the luxury to have a laboratory of research and development with all the necessary resources.

They are still less likely to be able to afford to bet on a high-profile technology that could affect their business in five years or more... or that could be a complete failure.

These operational problems are closely related to the fears that surround the digital disruption. No CIOs see the competitive advantages obtained by Agile rivals and want that technology investments produce similar benefits.

Add to this the ever larger fears cybersecurity and don't have a very large margin of manoeuvre to the DSI for adventurous computer investments.

So instead of investing in artificial intelligence and virtual reality, most CIOS focus on technologies that provide a platform for digital transformation. This focus on the platform is the expression that comes up most often in interviews with CIOS: innovations such as artificial intelligence and virtual
reality receive a mixed, while cloud computing and the big data are welcomed with enthusiasm.

The fact is that CIOS and their counterparts in the business activities remain focused on elements of computing that were high-profile a few years ago. Are they still talk about cloud computing and big data, is that these technologies are only now truly widespread adoption.

The hype surrounding the computer market place is far ahead the operational realities of the DSI. Regarding cloud computing and the big data, the famous plateau of productivity is finally reached. This sentiment is shared by Chris White, CIO of the law firm international Clyde & Co, which reminds computer trends are often more time than expected to reach the market.