The world of business has always embraced new technologies. In many circumstances, new technological developments can help improve business practises, boost productivity, or reduce costs and time in specific business processes. Many business leaders recognize this fact and routinely assess what new technologies are available for business use and if they can give the company a competitive advantage.
In the last decade, the pace of technological development has been rapid. Processing power continues to increase at a rapid rate, and microchips continue to advance and become more compact, furthering their applications across businesses. For example, in recent years, many businesses have benefited from moving their essential IT systems to the cloud, taking advantage of sophisticated online platforms. This can help to drive a productive and effective remote workforce, which, in turn, leads to reduced travel costs and efficiency gains.
In this article, three key pieces of business technology will be discussed in detail. Each of these has the power to transform a company in key areas and can contribute towards the cultivation of a truly modern and efficient organisation.
API management solutions
As previously mentioned, many businesses have moved their essential IT infrastructure and key applications to the cloud. A main driver for this was the COVID-19 pandemic from 2020 onward. Almost overnight, millions of businesses transferred key applications to Internet locations to facilitate remote working and adhere to movement restrictions.
After the most serious impacts of the pandemic began to recede, businesses continued to recognise the efficiency gains that can be enjoyed with cloud-based systems (lower costs, improved accessibility, and so on). However, it is important to understand that as more applications are moved to the cloud, there is a greater need to install a high-performing API management platform to control and manage them.
Such platforms are vital when a company uses multiple online software packages and a range of business applications. One key feature that API management platforms share is that they boast built-in security features that can monitor and control the traffic to applications. Unauthorised access can be quickly identified, and security protocols can be used to effectively protect key applications from the threats posed by cybercriminals.
Put simply, these systems should be considered vital pieces of modern technology for any business that conducts online operations.
Drone usage
In the last decade, drone usage in a business context has gone from being a theoretical concept to one that is becoming integrated into many companies’ daily operations. Key examples include the agricultural sector, where drones are beginning to be deployed to monitor crop conditions and yields and gather data.
A large agricultural enterprise can often be assessed by a drone much more quickly than by human employees. By fitting cameras to drones, real-time footage of crops can be gained and accurate predictions can be made.
Drone usage is also becoming more widespread in the industrial sector. Here, drones can be deployed to monitor structures (thus removing the need for human staff to work at height or in dangerous environments) and are beginning to be used to assess damage after machinery malfunctions or chemical spills. Their ability to replace human workers in such tasks and the benefits this has for safety in an industrial setting are considerable.
Project management applications
In the modern world of business, many teams and individuals work from a remote setting or are expected to work while travelling to different sites. This creates a challenge when seeking to ensure that effective collaboration takes place between staff on key projects or tasks.
Thankfully, there will be a wide range of project management applications that are suitable for business use in 2023. These are typically located online so that project updates can be shared in real-time and all staff have a clear understanding of the progress on related tasks. Reminders can be created so that sub-tasks can be completed on time, with individual steps being marked as complete once they are finished.
Put simply, project management apps are a vital piece of business technology that helps promote collaboration and coherent project work in an increasingly decentralized workforce.
To sum up
Many businesses now rely on the latest API management platforms to cultivate and maintain their online systems and working methods. Drone technology is now becoming increasingly utilised across many business sectors as the efficiency and safety benefits are starting to be realised. Project management applications now play a key role in creating effective teamwork, especially in a workforce that adopts remote or hybrid working patterns.
