Trends in IT in 2022 involve solutions that provide better access to databases, automated daily work and related routines, efficient access to large streaming services, the growth of m-commerce, and the ability to create applications without the need for code. These are programs that make everyday life easier, relying on the ease of navigating the online world and providing constant coverage in terms of information and entertainment. Let’s take a closer look at this.

Further Development Of Online Platforms That Enable Remote Working

One of the factors that extremely accelerated the development of remote communication platforms was the worldwide pandemic. Many people started working from home and even after the restrictions were over and you could already go back to the offices, the ability to work remotely became widespread. At first, the infrastructure was not quite ready for this type of communication and workload. With time, however, tools began to be built that would allow entire industries to function efficiently. Platforms are constantly being created so that employees can effectively perform their tasks without being in direct contact with each other. Examples of video conferencing tools that are constantly being improved include Zoom, ClickMeeting, MS Teams, Google Meet, and Skype. All of them are suitable for conducting video meetings with employees, as well as remote classes with students. When it comes to project management, it is worth mentioning such tools as Asana, Trello, Basecamp, and Nozbe. These programs improve the work of teams and allow them to collaborate, plan and share the results of individual tasks. It is very important to secure and encrypt important data we store on our computers. You can use one of the professional programs for this. The good examples are:

  • ESET Endpoint Encryption – a tool that enables full encryption of disk, removable media, files and folders, virtual drives and emails with attachments in MS Outlook,
  • BitLocker – encrypts the entire Microsoft Windows disk starting with Windows 7 version. Cryptographic algorithms used in BitLocker mechanisms are FIPS (Federal Information Processing Standard) certified,
  • VeraCrypt – open-source software used for data encryption. You can secure the whole disk or its part, a USB drive, as well as create virtual encrypted disks of a specified capacity.

M-Commerce – A Strong Branch Of E-Commerce

The pandemic has also translated into a huge growth of online shopping departments – e-commerce. The phrase m-commerce, which describes the ability to shop using mobile apps, has become popular. Currently, it is estimated that 1/3 of consumers use their phones to buy various goods online.
In connection with this, the role of mobile programmers (who are responsible for creating new programming, checking its functioning, and implementing it on the market) is growing in the IT world.

For Android systems, native applications are Java, C or C++. When it comes to systems like WebView or hybrid mobile applications, JavaScript is the most common choice. These are responsive applications. Their functionality is adapted to the browsers of mobile devices. It is estimated that in 2020 m-commerce accounted for as much as 65% of sales when it comes to all electronic channels. These results, however, have different intensities when it comes to different areas of the world. Asia-Pacific and China show particularly high m-commerce saturation (mobile sales in this region account for 80% of total e-commerce) and have a significant share of global sales (almost 50% of global m-commerce is in China). The other regions (Western Europe, North America, Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe) have much lower scores, with m-commerce accounting for only 40 percent of total e-commerce sales there. Mobile sales are predicted to continue to grow, at the expense of buying goods via computer. This is related to the general trend of using the internet with a smartphone in hand.

With the advancement in technology, mobile shopping has become extremely easy. Social media sites such as Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest have introduced a “buy” button, shopping there and thus, not leaving the platform. In many networks, it is possible to make a purchase with a single click. Once payment information is entered, it is possible to shop without re-entering data. Purchasing goods over the internet is becoming easier and easier. This is why the e-commerce industry is constantly growing.

A big revolution has occurred in the area of payment services. It is about mobile wallets and contactless credit cards. Google is planning to add 11 new financial institutions where users can maintain accounts. In doing so, it is expanding its Google Pay app for Android and iOS. Financial management tools are becoming increasingly important in the app, and thus the advantage of activating customers.

The Internet Of Things IoT – Cooperation Of The Remote Objects

Nowadays the different kinds of objects are provided with unique identifiers (UIDs) which enable them to transfer data over a network without requiring human-to-human or human-to-computer interaction. Smart devices are equipped with embedded systems, such as processors, sensors, and communication hardware. They can collect, send further and act based on data that is gained through their environments. This data can be sent to the cloud or analyzed locally. Objects can communicate with each other and react to the given information. What is most important – most of the work can be done without human intervention. Though the reaction can be implemented by giving additional instructions.

These systems create a better living and working environment. Their functionality can be seen in home automation solutions, like a fridge that is ordering itself missing products or heating systems that turn on and off at the right moments. But IoT is essential in modern business. It is responsible for checkouts and insights into the large scopes of processes. Controlling the performance of the machines, logistics operations, and supply chains are examples. This automatization reduces labour costs as well as lower waste and makes service delivery better and more transparent.

The real value of IoT is shown when objects can both collect information and act on it. A good example can be farming. Sensors can measure many conditions: temperature, motion, moisture, air quality, and light. Knowing this, the irrigation system can automatically act as needed. This all can be done without any action taken by a person.

More and more companies are interested in embedded systems to keep their business up to date and competitive. Some of the benefits:

  • more transparent business processes,
  • improvement in the field of the customer experience,
  • less waste of time and money,
  • better employee productivity,
  • more revenue generated,
  • adjusting to changing conditions and improving business models.

Some well-known platforms use IoT frameworks. For example, Amazon Web Services. This is a cloud that enables smart devices to easily connect and securely interact with the system and other connected devices. Another one is Microsoft’s Azure IoT Suite, consisting of several services. The users can interact and get the required data from their IoT devices. Then they can do various operations and analyses over received information.

Microservices Development And Containerization

More and more projects in the IT world require the ability to scale services, 24/7 availability and security of use. An example of the containerization of a streaming service is Netflix. It brings together millions of viewers every day, providing constant access to movies and series. Despite this, there are usually no technical problems, and if there are, they are quickly corrected. Why is that so? It is possible thanks to the use of microservices. The platform brings together several separate systems and provides about 40 services. Thanks to data segmentation, functions are scaled according to the number of tasks in the queue and can run on tens of thousands of different containers. Each application is a small component that can be easily replaced, independently developed and installed. Working together, they produce a much better result. The monolithic construction of their services has already been abandoned by the largest players on the market – Amazon, Twitter, eBay and Uber.

Low-Code And No-Code, Or Creating Applications Without Knowledge Of The Programming Language

Low-code or no-code platforms allow to create software without knowledge of programming language. Thanks to this, the appropriate solutions can be created by people who actually need them, such as analysts, administrators or marketing specialists. When it comes to low-code content, they require users to have basic programming knowledge. An example of this is the nAxiom platform, which uses visual design technology and does not require specialized programming knowledge. Business applications created using this platform can be easily built, modified and prototyped. Expansion and consolidation of the existing systems are also possible. As far as the no-code systems are concerned, these are solutions based 100% on “drag and drop” interfaces, for which no programming knowledge is needed at all. However, the disadvantage of such applications is the inability to create more complex and extensive applications and the inability to make significant changes. Companies often use such solutions to be able to create MVP (minimum viable product) projects. They are needed to test new business ideas and use technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning while writing very little programming code. An interesting example is a company called AnTail, which has developed, using a low-code platform, an application for tracking drug delivery. One of its features is monitoring the temperature of medicines throughout the supply chain. North Carolina State University, on the other hand, has enabled course registration options in its created app.

It can be said that the recent time is a breakthrough period for the IT world. The impact of the pandemic and the constant development of the Internet has created new demands on the market. It is primarily about the speed and ease of remote working, easy way to shop online, and efficient access to entertainment services. With all this, tools are being massively created that allow Internet users to make their own applications and websites. Just like in the case of social media, where individual profiles are created, more and more people can become owners of their own web solutions. Preparing the right tools to enable such solutions is a challenge for IT developers in the coming years.