What Your Association can Expect From the Tech World in 2019

With the digital world constantly in motion, what should your association expect to see within the new year? It may seem like technology is at its peak, and there can’t possibly be anywhere to go from here. But with so much shifting and transforming already, your association should expect to see some brand new tech ideas blossoming in 2019.

‍After all, with Forbes claiming information technology to have a big part in the fastest growing industries in the United States, we can only expect things to get more intense from here.

So, what surprises should your association keep an eye out for when developing a tech strategy for the upcoming year? Let’s take a look at the most surprising and influential tech trends headed our way that you won’t want to miss out on in 2019. With this list, you’ll be able to have a general idea of what you can expect to incorporate into your association’s general digital strategy.

1. Cyber security

While cyber security isn’t a new tech innovation, your association can expect to see a focus on the topic in the upcoming year. Cyber security is something that many associations could use to their advantage. With new cyber threats constantly popping up, you need to make sure your association’s data stays secure at all times. Member data is a prime opportunity for cyber hackers, and members will think twice about sticking with your association if you experience a data breach.

‍Luckily for you, cyber security will be focused on heavily in the upcoming year. According to an infographic from the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA), the rate of growth in cybersecurity jobs is steadily increasing up to three times already. From that statistic, it’s expected that 3.5 million cybersecurity jobs will be available by the year 2021.So, what does this mean for your association? It means you have the ability to better secure your data. With a rise in cybersecurity focus, you can ensure you’ll have a variety of options to choose from, allowing you to select the one that works best for your needs. And with a solid cybersecurity software behind you, you can ease the minds of members- hopefully convincing them to renew in the future.

2. Real-time technology

Who doesn’t enjoy their online problems and queries being solved right when they’re asked? In 2019, you can expect more of an emphasis on implementing real-time technologies into businesses and organizations. Technology that learns and transforms in real-time can help your association assess problems and adapt to almost anything. And in the new year, more of a focus on creating tech that can adapt to problems will be prevalent, so you’ll want to pay attention. What do we mean by this? Think about technology you already use that could benefit from having a real time response rate.

‍Whether it’s surveying, event management, customer relations, or all of the above, having an approach that allows you to troubleshoot problems and get answers as soon as possible is appealing to any organization looking for an easier way to macro-manage. If the idea of real-time tech is appealing to you, we highly consider you check out the resources that already exist before the new year. You can look into real-time chatbots for your website to help you with customer complaints, using collaborative real-time project software like Google to create projects with staff, live video streaming websites to reach your members, and much more. Expect to see more real-time options within the next year for your association to capitalize on.

3. Collaboration

And speaking of collaboration, expect to see a shift in the way organizations are creating and taking on projects. According to Ray Watson, VP of technology at Masergy, collaboration will be a “formally adopted” idea by many bigger companies and IT departments. In fact, collaboration will be the latest trend in fostering a healthier work culture between employees. And it’s already started in many organizations- perhaps even at your own association. Collaborative software like Microsoft Office, Google Drive, and Slack allow work teams to message back and forth, contribute to projects at the same time, and offer comments/suggestions to pre-existing work. If your association uses one of these tools or something similar, it knows just how beneficial it can be to have everyone working in the same place and on the same project.

‍In 2019, collaboration will be seen as almost the norm when it comes to completing tasks. So, if your association has thus far ignored any collaborative tools you could possibly be using, you may want to reconsider. Collaboration is a great way not only to get your staff working amicably with one another, but to get projects and tasks done at record time and efficiency.

4. Artificial Intelligence

And last, but certainly not most shocking, we have the rapidly growing and ever so interesting world of artificial intelligence. With AI having a heavy influence in the world of technology for the past few years, it’s no surprise that companies and organizations are still finding its services useful for years to come. But in 2019, experts are expecting to see a turning point in the world of AI- and it could be something that directly affects your association. According to Allan Andersen, director of enterprise solutions for IPsoft, organizations can expect to see less of a focus on one-dimensional chatbots and a rise in more cognitive forms of AI. More specifically, AI will begin to shift into platforms that do a better job understanding human context and “thinking” cognitively. This is great news for associations that use chatbot software to deal with member queries. With AI becoming more accustomed to thinking on its toes when dealing with humans, you can expect more satisfied members from your chatbot service, making your life much easier in the long run.

‍Similarly, AI is expected to be able to take on a multitude of tasks at once, juggling processes with ease and handling even the most complex request your association may have. This is great news for any association looking for a way to make things more efficient for both staff and members.

‍So, don’t label AI as down for the count in the upcoming year. While you may think its had its time in the sun, there is so much more to come from the world of artificial intelligence. Technology will always be in the midst of transformations and updates, and if your association can keep up with all of the trends, you can take the tech world by storm in 2019.