Moving Forward with 2016 Tech Trends 

Michael Ngan, Country General Manager, Lenovo Philippines

The year 2015 brought the world an amazing array of impressive products and ground breaking technologies. This year, the world is gearing up for even more innovations – from revolutionary changes in mobile technology, social media, big data and analytics, and the Internet of Things (IoT).

Immersive and Innovative Mobile Experiences

Over the last few years, mobile technology has evolved at a breakneck speed. 2016 will see improvements in existing smartphone features, which will propel mobile experiences forward.

Flagship smartphone models will offer increasingly larger screens, with stunning graphics and more capabilities. Displays with 2K to 4K resolutions will emerge, and 720p will be the standard for even the most basic models. Battery power will also increase to cope with the requirements of apps and entertainment along with alternative battery materials coming into the arena. This could make smartphones lighter and more powerful, lasting longer than its predecessors.

The advancement in screen resolution and battery power will spur more users to get hooked on mobile entertainment, especially as Filipinos look ready to embrace subscription services that will allow them to enjoy their favorite movies, TV shows, and premium digital content wherever and whenever. A telephone company brought in a subscription video-on-demand (SVoD) service last year, which reached 300,000 customers in November 2015.[1] This will have serious competition as soon as local customers take advantage of another well-known SVoD broadening their reach into most parts of the world.

This is why Lenovo has always been ever ready and will continue to offer disruptive innovations that define the next generation of technologies. With the recent release of the Lenovo PHAB and PHAB Plus — the ultimate connected smart devices which pack the fun of a tablet and convenience of a smartphone into unparalleled phone and tablet mash-ups, we will continue to come up with products that are dynamic, fashionable, user-friendly, and are a perfect fit for consumers’ needs and budgets.

Social Media 2.0

At the beginning of 2015, a study by Gartner showed that 80 percent of global netizens own a smartphone, with the majority of these users logging into their social media accounts using their mobile devices more than their desktop computers.[2] Businesses can no longer ignore this trend, as they can lose to more mobile-oriented competitors.

In 2016, social media users will also be expecting brands to increase engagement with them, indicating that a company’s presence on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram will not be enough and that they will do better if they immediately set up a team that can deploy quick responses to inquiries, praise, and complaints, as social media will be the new platform for customer and public relations.[3]

Another thing that will soon emerge is live streaming, which allows access to real-time events happening offline. Aside from sporting events, international beauty pageants and news-as-it-happens, there are thousands of possibilities and applications for viewer to take advantage of this technology. Twitter’s Periscope and Meerkat is slated to garner more subscribers and event coverage this year, especially in the United States with its slew upcoming presidential debates, according to Adobe Social.[4]

Social media will also feature more commercial functions, allowing users access to their favorite brands and items they wish to purchase right on their timelines and feeds.[5]

Acceleration and Transformation in Data

As early as 2014, Gartner analysts predicted the rise of a new generation of data platforms that could work more efficiently, such as the Hybrid Transaction / Analytical Processing (or HTAP) platforms.[6] These HTAP platforms can simultaneously run online transaction and online analytical processes without additional tasks such as data duplication that pose a heavy toll on the system. 2016 just might be the year when the world takes advantage of the promise of the HTAP platform.

Storage may also see itself becom
ing an abundant resource as the world is about to witness an increasing number of providers developing software-based storage technologies for the computer, enterprise, and consumer markets. There will be no need to invest in expensive storage hardware as data will be accessible wherever and whenever.

To take advantage of this, the newly opened Lenovo Solutions Center in the Philippines, also known as the Proof of Concept (POC) Lab serves as a venue to further strengthen Lenovo’s long standing relationship with its alliance partners and utilizes the latest Lenovo System Server, Storage, and Networking products. The facility specifically aims to reach out to clients, business partners, alliance partners, and Independent Sofware Vendors (ISVs) who wish to test their solutions on Lenovo infrastructure.

IoT to Gain Foothold among Consumers

Smart homes have been part of tech forecasts for years, leading some cynics to believe that it would never happen in our lifetime. 2016 will see smart homes going mainstream, as evidenced by the exhibits at this year’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas. Appliances can be connected to the Internet and perform their respective functions by remote control.

Lenovo’s global team is taking a bold step into this direction with ShenQi, which will drive hardware development in IoT technology. IoT hardware will be complemented by Lenovo’s continuing research and development into alternative input, including innovative voice, touchscreen, and pen technologies.

To further meet these objectives, we have to stick to the times and find new, richer ways and reach out to our consumers, helping them stay connected as they are more attached to their devices– both to the web and to each other. With all these trends and futuristic technology so close to realization, 2016 is definitely going to be one of the most exciting years for the tech industry.

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