Consumers have a lot of tech news to keep up with in 2020, with anticipated advances in autonomous vehicles, folding touchscreen phones and new video game consoles. But what are tech professionals gearing up for this year?

The answer depends on who you ask. For example, Executive VP of Product at Arrive Logistics Michael Senftleber is watching how business processes particularly in the world of freight will be affected by the increasing popularity of artificial intelligence and machine learning. Meanwhile, Vikram Phatak, founder of cybersecurity firm NSS Labs, is monitoring how 5G, IoT devices and other infrastructure will affect the future of digital protection strategies.

These are just a few of the upcoming tech evolutions the following Austin professionals are paying attention to. While each tech leader is harnessing different technological developments for different reasons, all paths lead to improved customer satisfaction and a continual evolution of their businesses.

Arrive Logistics EVP of Product Michael Senftleber said his team is planning to use AI and machine learning to enhance the overall capabilities of their freight prediction tech, while also improving the usability of their platform.

What are the top tech trends youre watching in 2020?

I often hear people talk about data science, AI and machine learning like theyre magic silver bullets for every problem; they are not. AI and ML are best applied when theres significant data, a computationally complex problem and repeated samples or transactions. In 2020, the AI and ML hype will continue to grow. But so will tangible business applications that leverage those technologies and data science to solve real challenges and provide unique insights.

In 2020, the AI and ML hype will continue to grow.

How are you applying these trends in your work in the year ahead?

The opportunities for data science, AI and ML in the logistics industry are enormous. We are leveraging these technologies with market and proprietary data to predict the future cost to move a load of freight, match the right load to the right truck, alert on opportunities or deviations and make business decisions in real time.

However, while powerful, often complex technologies end up in complex, hard-to-use platforms, its critical that we continue to build technology to harness opportunities and enable business workflows, while building an interface to enable a simple, seamless experience for our users.

At the 2019 Consumer Electronics Show, IBM unveiled the worlds first quantum computer designed for commercial and scientific use. NSS Labs Founder Vikram Phatak said further developments in the world of quantum computing will play a significant role in moving cybersecurityforward, and his company is gearing up for that change.

What are the top tech trends youre watching in 2020?

The adoption of cloud computing, ubiquitous high-speed internet like 5G wireless, internet of things, artificial intelligence and quantum computing will drive major shifts in the way the world works, including how we protect people. IoT devices will operate more efficiently and autonomously as AI evolves. And quantum computing is a transformative leap forward that makes possible new technologies that we havent even imagined yet.

Modern encryption that takes thousands of years to break with current computing technology can be broken in seconds using quantum computing. Our research indicates that as the virtual and physical worlds merge, cybersecurity will naturally evolve to focus on protecting people regardless of whether they are using mobile devices, computers or IoT devices connected to the cloud. This new paradigm will spur a scalable, zero-trust alternative to current cybersecurity architectures.

As the virtual and physical worlds merge, cybersecurity will naturally evolve.

How are you applying these trends in your work in the year ahead?

We select test topics based on enterprise customer demand. The world is rapidly changing and our plans for 2020 reflect that. This year we have a lot planned, including testing cloud security offerings like secure access service edge (SASE), and security for cloud computing, like cloud network firewall. We are also initiating research on how 5G will change cloud computing, practical uses of AI and getting prepared for a post-quantum world.

Kuldeep Chowhan has his head in clouds...of cloud computing. The engineer at vacation property rental site Vrbo said his team is watching public cloud computing.

What are the top tech trends youre watching in 2020?

Innovation and scale at the major public cloud computing providers continues to accelerate. Many platforms that were difficult to operationalize are becoming managed services that are easy and cost-effective to consume. Many of these services lower the bar for entry for data science and machine learning, which are blossoming in sophistication and applicability.

Vrbo is accelerating its migration to the cloud.

How are you applying these trends in your work in the year ahead?

Vrbo is accelerating its migration to the cloud so we can leverage the power of the Expedia Group travel platform. We want to provide travelers with a rich product offering that is personalized and relevant to them. That strategy includes a hybrid cloud data platform for all of Expedia Group that will power new AI capabilities to help our travelers find their perfect vacations.

Janani Mohanakrishnan said the water sector will experience a significant number of evolutions in the coming year. And as a result, the VP of product innovation and delivery said her team atwater conservation technology provider Banyan Water is adjusting their approach to automation and user data.

What are the top tech trends youre watching in 2020?

In the water sector, Im keeping an eye on more utilities and commercial customers leveraging digital solutions to improve operations. These operations include the following: keeping privacy in mind, detecting issues faster and reducing costs associated with troubleshooting and resolution. Were also watching the identification of improved uses of water, more businesses considering migrating to a circular economy, reduced truck rolls, and improved customer communication and engagement.

We will be updating our take on user research, data analytics and automation.

How are you applying these trends in your work in the year ahead?

Our products help commercial customers save money and water through the optimization of irrigation and indoor water management. We will be updating our take on user research, data analytics and automation to maximize value for customers.

We will be smart about how we make research an inherent part of the process, knowing we are resource-constrained. Weve trained select team members to collect feedback from users whenever they can. We accept that some research is better than no research, and that its OK for us to be brave with predictions.

Well also improve the intelligence of our existing models, leveraging tailored interventions as applicable to help buildings dramatically reduce indoor water consumption when there are inefficiencies.

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Technology Trends to Keep an Eye on in 2020 - Built In Austin