We love technology. It’s at the heart of all things business-to-business. Whether your B2B company manufactures chemicals for industrial applications or offers training solutions for energy utilities, technology will play a key role in the type of product or service you offer, how you develop it and how you sell it to your audience.
We took a look at Gartner’s recently released list of top strategic technology trends for 2015 and thought, “Which ones will have the most impact on the B2B marketplace?” Read our ideas below and feel free to leave a comment with your thoughts.
The Internet of Things (IoT): Now officially in the Oxford dictionary, this phrase refers to a development of the Internet in which everyday objects have network connectivity, allowing them to send and receive data. The exciting part of this is not with things that we expect to be connected (computers, phones and tablets), but with the unexpected, like smart cars that assist with driving and smart buildings that monitor and help manage themselves. These new developments will open up opportunities for B2B companies to contribute to the efficiency of IoT and discover new real-world applications for the technology. How about smart coatings that gather environmental data, or advanced prosthetics that monitor and regulate health conditions? The possibilities are endless, and very exciting.
3D printing: Worldwide shipments of 3D printers are expected to grow 98 percent this year, with industrial applications such as biomedical driving much of the demand. If 3D printing doesn’t exist at some point along your company’s supply chain, chances are it will in the next few years. B2B companies will be at the forefront of this technology, not only with finding new applications, but with making the process more efficient, cheaper and more accessible to both businesses and consumers. Need a new prosthetic limb? Hold on, let me get my printer.
Context-rich systems: Applications that understand the context of a user request and adjust its behavior based on these conditions are changing the way humans interact with technology. These context-aware systems are creating a level of awareness within technology that we have never seen before. This development proves, however, that no matter how much technology evolves, B2B companies still must take into account the user experience of their brand and continually try to improve how the company and its products interact with its customers and prospects. While technology is there to help us, it will always be the job of the B2B marketer to analyze and understand the audience and know what must be done to address and solve their toughest challenges.
Source: http://www.itbusinessedge.com/slideshows/top-10-strategic-technology-trends-for-2015.html
Image: https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/20141030123321-1633032-what-if-technology-had-a-heart