Gartner identified a list of 10 strategic technology trends that organizations should explore in 2023. The list was presented at the Gartner IT Symposium/Xpo and focused on four themes: Sustainability, and trends to help organizations Optimize, Scale and be a Pioneer in their industries. 

Key trends include Applied Observability, Adaptive AI and Wireless Value Realization, among others. Gartner’s report notes that Sustainability is a key priority for CEOs, and organizations need to develop sustainable technology frameworks.

Applied Observability means getting the right digital data at the right time to enable data-driven decision-making. Adaptive AI systems use real-time feedback to quickly respond to rapid changes in the environment.

Wireless Value Realization predicts the increasing usage of wireless solutions, including radio connectivity. Wireless solutions will provide insights using built-in analytics and become a source of direct business value.  

RFID Global is addressing each of the trends with technology solutions which leverage radio connectivity to deliver innovative and sustainable business value.

1. Sustainability

Sustainability overlays all the strategic technology trends for 2023. In a recent Gartner survey, CEOs reported that environmental and social changes are now a Top 3 priority for investors. Organizations need a sustainable technology framework that increases the energy and material efficiency of IT services, and enables sustainability through analytics, traceability, renewable energy, and AI.

RFID technology used in asset tracking solutions supports sustainability initiatives by tracing products through their full asset lifecycle to disposition and recycling, helping ensure products are properly handled and disposed of at end of life.

Optimization Trends:

2. Applied Observability 

Observable data are digital artifacts, such as downloads, file transfers, logs, and API calls that get captured when a stakeholder takes any kind of action. Applied observability takes this digital data and organizes and integrates it to accelerate organizational decision-making.

RFID technology is a fundamental component to enabling applied observability. Our Visi-Trac solution enables rapid, data-driven decision-making by consolidating views of physical inventory across all locations into one enterprise-wide view. Visi-Trac combines numerous data such as purchase orders, equipment manifests, receiving and shipping status, and building, room, and shelf locations, into a real-time view of an organization’s inventory based on digital inputs.

3. AI Trust, Risk and Security Management 

Many organizations are not well prepared to manage AI risks. A Gartner survey in the U.S, U.K., and Germany found that 41% of organizations had experienced an AI breach or security incident. However, the same survey found that organizations that actively managed AI risk had better results. More AI projects moved from proof-of-concept into production and achieved greater business value when organizations managed these functions.

RFID systems enhance security and mitigate risk by tracking the real-time movement and location of goods and personnel throughout an organization or supply chain. This technology can complement and be a countermeasure to artificial intelligence systems by providing real-time visibility into far-flung operations. RFID systems can also generate instant alerts when a movement policy, product stock threshold, or other error condition occurs, providing effective oversight on systems controlled by new AI technology.

4. Digital Immunity

Over 75% percent of teams responsible for digital products are also responsible for revenue generation. CIOs are looking for new approaches to deliver greater business value while reducing risk. Digital immunity combines insight into operations, software engineering, automated testing, incident resolution, and application security, to increase the resilience and stability of IT systems. Gartner predicts that by 2025, organizations that invest in digital immunity will reduce system downtime by up to 80%. 

RFID solutions help build digital immunity by generating operational data in real-time. RFID tags send information directly from retail shelves and industrial equipment to operations, ordering, and financial systems, helping ensure management has the critical information needed to increase business resilience.

Scalability Trends:

5. Wireless Value Realization

While no single technology will dominate, enterprises will use a spectrum of wireless solutions from Wi-Fi, to cellular, to low-power services, and radio connectivity. Gartner predicts that by 2025, 60% of enterprises will be using five or more wireless technologies simultaneously. As networks move beyond just connectivity, they will provide insight through built-in analytics.  

Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) technology is one of the wireless technologies with predicted and continued explosive growth. RFID provides highly accurate, location and status information about an enterprise’ physical inventory, and the frequency spectrum is free!  No cellular or satellite plans are required to gain real-time insights into your business operations. RFID, along with numerous wireless technologies, can provide geospatial visibility to your company’s critical assets, with RFID the leading choice of many enterprises.

6. Platform Engineering

Platform engineering is the discipline of building and operating self-service developer platforms for software delivery. The goal is to optimize the developer experience and accelerate product delivery. Gartner predicts that 80% of software organizations will establish platform teams by 2026 and 75% will include developer self-service portals.

RFID Global implemented self-service capabilities in VIsi-Trac by including a Self Service module so customers can easily create their own dashboards and reports. Our goal is to make our software simple to use, readily accessible, and highly flexible, so that it best meets our client’s individual needs.  

7. Industry Cloud Platforms

Cloud platforms offer a combination of SaaS, platform-, and infrastructure-as-a-service software with industry-specific capabilities. Enterprises can use the packaged capabilities of cloud platforms as building blocks to build their own digital products, achieving agility, innovation, and reduced time to market. By 2027, Gartner predicts that more than half of enterprises will use industry cloud platforms to accelerate their business initiatives.

RFID Global’s Visi-Trac solution is available on cloud platforms such as Amazon Web Services and Microsoft Azure, as well as on-premise on a customer’s IT infrastructure. Visi-Trac provides modular, industry-specific capabilities to accelerate deployment of the right solution for your organization.

Pioneering Trends:

8. Adaptive AI

Adaptive AI systems aim to continuously learn based on new data and quickly adapt to changes in real-world circumstances. AI systems use real-time feedback to make dynamic adjustments. This makes AI solutions suitable for operations where changes in the environment or enterprise goals require a dynamic, optimized response.

RFID technology provides real-time visibility into the location, status, environmental conditions, and movement history of physical goods. Operations managers are increasingly relying on RFID to allow them to dynamically respond to changing customer demand and supply chain availability. RFID is an essential tool to better manage audit, compliance, and security requirements. RFID brings adaptive AI to the shop floor, warehouse, retail store, or data center, using simple, low-cost wireless tech.

9. Superapps

A “Superapp”, combines the features of an app, a platform, and an ecosystem into one application. It not only has its own set of functions, but provides a platform for third parties to develop and publish their own apps. By 2027, Gartner predicts that more than 50% of the global population will be daily active users of superapps.

RFID hardware manufacturers are investing in building a Superapp ecosystem. Zebra and Impinj both offer middleware products enabling data streams to be easily exported, so that independent software vendors (ISVs) and customers can build their apps on top of the stack. Manufacturers are building their own ecosystems of trusted partners with expertise in software, solution design, and deployment. 

10. Metaverse

Gartner defines a metaverse as a collective, virtual 3D shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical and digital reality. The metaverse provides enhanced immersive experiences. It will have a virtual economy enabled by digital currencies and NFTs. By 2027, Gartner predicts that over 40% of large organizations worldwide will use a combination of Web3, AR cloud, and digital twins in metaverse projects. 

RFID technology used for asset tracking bridges physical and digital reality. Objects tagged with a unique wireless identifier create a ‘digital twin’ which represents the physical asset. RFID does for goods and equipment what the metaverse is doing for people – creating avatars that can be traced, managed, re-directed, and serviced in a virtual environment. 

This year’s strategic technology trends highlight the innovation that will drive significant disruption and opportunity over the next five to 10 years. RFID is a key technology to achieving leadership in many of these arenas. Contact RFID Global at info@rfidgs.com to get started on your digital transformation journey today.

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