February Poll Results: What Technologies Do You Expect Will Significantly Change Your Day-to-Day Work Experience in 5 Years?

We’ve spent the last couple of years anxiously worrying about what’s going on. Now, finally, it appears that we can shift our focus and start optimistically wondering about what’s to come.

That was the theme of February’s poll question, in which we asked you to share the technologies that you expect will significantly change your day-to-day work experience in 5 years.

There were many interesting and thought-provoking responses. Here is a recap of the advances, inventions, and innovations that you believe will change how (and where and when) you work in 2027 — or maybe even sooner. For convenience, we have grouped the predictions into categories:

Predictions for IT Security:

• More MFA
• More SAML
• Widespread use of biometrics instead of passwords (fingerprint, iris scan and facial recognition).

Predictions for Remote Work:

• The ability to work from anywhere through secure and robust remote access: the four walls of the business are gone.
• Automatic work and login from everywhere.

Predictions for Computing and Software Development:

• More cloud-based apps (although community member CotOTK predicts that companies will start pulling services back in-house once the “cloud bubble” pops).
• Better infrastructures to support emerging technologies: from 5G/6G, to alternates to Starlink, all nearest to the instant and insanely big data throughput
• Acceleration of ARM-based SoC systems and specialized to the point that there will be many times more ARM CPUs in data centers than the x86-64 that exist now.
• Building more fabs so the semiconductor crisis goes away.
• New and better components to build new and better devices.
• Improved games and game developing technologies.

Predictions for AR/VR:

• Augmented reality glasses that can provide things like overlay walking directions when you're navigating an unfamiliar city, provide background color/information about the buildings you're looking at (like having your own personal tour guide), and maybe even put information tags above people's heads if they so choose listing things like their name or nickname, interests, etc. (although community member RM wonders whether the “Metaverse” could have some negative implications).
• More augmented reality for engineers.
• More virtual and augmented reality technologies that will allow us to interact with digital content in new and more immersive ways.

Predictions for AI:

• AI implemented in the OT world, which will make it possible to perform updates and changes from anywhere in the world.
• AI taking over a large percentage of current menial tasks, such as monitoring and alerting response (this has already started, but reaction to alerts are not yet widespread), patching/updating, and even to a lesser extent job scheduling.
• Advancements in AI that will allow us to automate more tasks and allow us to interact with technology in more natural ways.

Predictions for Work Experience and UX:

• "Always online" will finally become true for a significant percentage, and thus mobile computing will grow by taking over as primary contact and ID system.
• Greater usage and penetration of productivity apps like Slack.
• Faster, common, and easier interfaces for all devices.
• Companies start writing "runbook responses" for common cloud and on-prem solutions so we can actually stop having 24/7 operations teams monitoring everything new.

Predictions for Transportation:

• More efficient, powerful, and ecological car batteries.
• Autonomous vehicles, including self-driving taxis (Johnny Cab, here we come!)

Gazing into the Crystal Ball

Early 20th century Danish physicist Neils Bohr said that “prediction is very difficult; especially if it’s about the future.” Mr. Bohr’s wise observation still rings true. Indeed, if the last couple of years has taught us anything, it is that unexpected scenarios can erupt at any time and render useless what once seemed like sure plans and safe expectations.

However, the fact that the future is not 100% clear is not daunting. It is exciting! It means that new possibilities can happen. And we are sure that many of the IT pros in our community will not just watch the future unfold —they will apply their specialized knowledge and brilliant creativity to help build it!

The Winners Are

Now, let’s reveal the two lucky poll participants who were randomly selected to each win a $25 Amazon gift card. Congratulations to Stian Simonsen and Surgat baconfrito! Please email me at lcadieux@devolutions.net to claim your prize.

Stay Tuned

Thank you to everyone who participated in the February poll and made it one of the most interesting ever. Please stay tuned for the March poll, which will be published very soon