2016 Tech Crystal Ball: 7 Trends for Engineers to Keep Top of Mind

Articles this time of year forecasting the future are always intriguing. While predictions are perhaps best read with a skeptical eye, consulting firms like IPS do tend to get a bird’s-eye view at what the New Year holds and can provide a solid sense of emerging technology trends for the New Year and beyond.

Evolution in wearables

In 2015, the marketplace saw a huge expansion of new products that involve wearable technology. Apple introduced its long-anticipated Watch. Microsoft introduced its Band. Other big players in the space, including Samsung and Fitbit, introduced new products. And there are many startups continuing to look for niche positions in the watch/band-type space.

In 2016, we can anticipate some shakeout. While the market is far from mature, there are too many players trying to get into the space with marginal value propositions beyond those being offered by the major players. Expect to see fewer new players in 2016 but also a continuing evolution of wearable products by the established players.

In the New Year, the next level of wearable technology will start to show up in the form of connected jewelry and garments. Expect this nascent market to start developing for both new and mature wearables players in the field.

Rapid expansion of NYC as tech startup hub

It is impressive how much startup activity is going on in and around Manhattan. While New York City is one of the more expensive places to start and operate a business, virtually every day new startups are being created. You can see this in new service areas in the Internet of Things domain and in software, but most impressive is the number of hardware-related startups trying to launch from NYC.

While NYC is not the hotbed of startup activity that is Silicon Valley, Big Apple momentum is growing. In 2016, expect to see critical innovative and entrepreneurial talent; infrastructure through incubators, labs, and launch spaces; and investments and professional services in NYC. The environment and energy are palpable, and the city’s draw to young, out-of-the-box-thinking engineers, designers, and businesspeople is very much at the critical mass point. Expect to see many more new businesses and products launched out of NYC.

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Mainstream IoT in consumer markets

The Internet of Things is, of course, the current rage. When you see IBM and Cisco attaching themselves to the IoT, one might argue that the technology and use case have truly come of age. Obviously, they are seeing green in IoT.

While connected devices in the consumer space are becoming more prevalent, the products to date have tended to come from startup players or niche, high-value product companies. In 2016, expect to see the beginning of connectedness emerge in products from brands not classically perceived as being technology driven.

Next year will see the proliferation of IoT products in any number of product categories that classically have not included technology or connectivity features. Not all of the concepts will offer sufficient value propositions to succeed in the marketplace. Expect to see new players, but also expect to see many startups fall by the wayside. Competing in this space is expensive, and there are lots of ideas out there that lack sufficient value to keep consumers engaged.