Identify Emerging Technologies and Practices in IT

The information technology (IT) industry or ICT sector encompasses many businesses and organisations. They are involved in creating, managing and applying technology-related products and services. The IT industry is vital in the digital transformation and the advancement of technology in various sectors. 

There are sources of information you can access to determine emerging technologies and practices. Sources of information refer to the various outlets, channels or platforms. You can obtain knowledge, data and insights about emerging technologies and practices in the IT industry.

There are various sources of information on emerging technologies that you can access. These can include the following:

Sources of Information	Definition	Examples
Technology news websites	These are online platforms that offer updated news and articles about emerging technologies. These provide news on technology developments, government policies and business technology trends.	ZDNet Australia Delimiter
Industry magazines and research journals	These are printed or digital publications. They are dedicated to in-depth analysis and research on specific technology sectors. Likewise, they provide detailed insights into technology trends, innovations and best practices.	TechLife IEEEXplore Springer Elsvier
Official vendor and developer documentation	These consist of guides and resources provided by technology companies and developers. They are about their products and technologies.	Microsoft Google Cloud
Tech conferences and webinars	These are events that gather experts and professionals. They discuss emerging technologies, share insights and offer networking opportunities.	CeBIT Australia Tech in Gov
Tech reports and market research	These are studies and analyses conducted by organisations. They often highlight market trends, emerging technologies and opportunities.	Telsyte Gartner
Academic and research institutions	These conduct studies, publish research papers and provide education on emerging technologies. They engage in research and education related to emerging technologies.	University of Sydney Monash University
Technology blogs and forums	These are online platforms where experts share insights and experiences on emerging technologies. They provide spaces for IT professionals to discuss and learn about new practices.	Whirlpool ITnews

On the other hand, here are the sources of information for emerging practices:

Sources of Information	Definition	Examples
Industry publications and magazines	These are dedicated to providing indepth analysis and research on specific technology sectors. They offer articles and insights on IT leadership, best practices and emerging methodologies.	Australian IT Australian CIO JSTOR Google Scholar
Online communities and forums	These are platforms where professionals discuss, share and learn about emerging practices. They allow participants to engage in discussions and gain insights into emerging practices.	Whirlpool Reddit
Tech conferences and webinars	These gather experts and professionals to share insights into emerging practices in the tech industry.	Tech in Gov DevOps Talks
Whitepapers and research reports	These offer detailed studies and analyses of emerging practices in technology industries. They publish reports highlighting industry trends, best practices and emerging methodologies.	Australian Computer Society Local research firms
Professional organisations and associations	These provide resources, events and networking opportunities for professionals. They offer events, publications and resources on emerging IT practices.	ustralian Information Industry Association Australian Computer Society
Online courses and massive open online courses	These provide structured learning on emerging practices and methodologies in IT. They offer courses covering data analytics, AI and IT project management.	University of Sydney online courses edX
Government reports and policies	These provide insights into emerging practices in the public sector and related regulations. They offer reports and policies related to technology, cybersecurity and data management practices.	Australian Cyber Security Centre reports Federal or state government websites
Podcasts	These are audio programs available online. They cover various topics, including emerging technologies and practices. These feature discussions on emerging tech trends, digital innovation and IT practices.	The Sizzle Technology Uncorked

Accessing various sources of information on emerging technologies and practices involves a systematic approach. This ensures that you stay updated. You must determine the technologies or practices you want to learn about. Then, define your goals and areas of interest within the IT industry. Also, you should diversify your sources. Use a mix of sources to gain a well-rounded perspective.

Here are ways on how you can access various sources of information:

• Use search engines to find specific articles, reports or sources of information. Enter relevant keywords like 'emerging technology trends' and explore the search results.
• Visit websites, blogs and news portals dedicated to technology, IT and emerging trends.
• Subscribe to really simple syndication (RSS) feeds. These can be from your favourite technology news websites and blogs. They can help you organise and follow updates from multiple sources.
• Follow technology experts, organisations and tech news accounts on social media platforms. These can provide real-time updates and discussions on emerging technologies.
• Access podcasts on various platforms like Apple Podcasts, Spotify or Google Podcasts. Subscribe to relevant technology and IT podcasts for audio insights.
• Join online tech forums to participate in discussions and seek information from the tech community.
• Use academic databases like IEEE Xplore, JSTOR and Google Scholar. These can help you access research papers and studies on emerging technologies and practices.
• Use news aggregator apps like Flipboard or Feedly to customise your technology news feed with your preferred sources.
• Subscribe to email newsletters from technology news websites and organisations. These newsletters provide curated updates and articles directly to your inbox.
• Explore official vendor websites and documentation for technology products and services.
• Enrol in online courses and MOOCs related to emerging technologies on platforms.
• Join professional IT organisations and associations to access resources, publications and events.
• Visit government websites and agencies related to technology and IT for reports and policies.
• Register for technology conferences and webinars. You can attend live or view recorded sessions on emerging technologies and best practices. Many events offer online access.
• Explore university websites and academic institutions. These can help you access research papers, reports and educational resources.
• Develop and expand your LinkedIn profile to include relevant companies and leaders in IT.

In this subtopic, you can identify and document them. However, before you can identify these emerging technologies and practices, you must understand the current organisational technologies and practices.

Organisational technologies include a range of tools currently employed by organisations. They enhance their internal operations, productivity and decision-making. These technologies are integrated into an organisation's infrastructure and support its goals. These can include the following:

• Email, or electronic mail, is a common organisational technology used for electronic communication. It allows individuals to exchange messages and documents through the internet. This enhances collaboration and information sharing within an organisation.
• Internet browsing refers to using web browsers to access websites and search for information and content. It is a fundamental technology for research and communication. This also keeps your organisation updated with current events and trends.
• Microsoft Office suite is a collection of productivity software applications used in organisations. It includes programs like:
  • Microsoft Word for word processing
  • Microsoft Excel for data analysis
  • Microsoft PowerPoint for presentation creation
  • Microsoft Outlook for email management
• Virtual private networks (VPNs) are technologies that create secure and encrypted connections over the internet. They enable remote and secure access to an organisation's network. This ensures data privacy and allows employees to work from various locations.
• Video conferencing enables real-time, face-to-face communication between individuals or groups in different places. It is often used for meetings, presentations and collaborative discussions. This makes it an essential tool for remote work and global connectivity.

These technologies are updated and reflect the state of the art in a particular field or industry. They are actively employed to meet various objectives.

On the other hand, organisational practices refer to the established and current methods and procedures. They are followed within an organisation to achieve its objectives and maintain its standards. These can include the following:

• Agile project management emphasises flexibility and collaboration in managing projects. It involves iterative planning, development and delivery. This is often used in software development and other industries.
• Quality assurance (QA) testing ensures the quality and reliability of products or software. It involves evaluating and verifying a product or service meets standards and requirements.
• Lean manufacturing is a production method focused on minimising waste and optimising efficiency. It involves continuous improvement, reducing non-value-added processes and delivering value to customers.
• Performance appraisals are a systematic assessment of an employee's job performance. They provide feedback and set goals. Likewise, they make promotions, salary adjustments and professional development decisions.
• Professional development platforms are tools that enhance employees' skills and knowledge. They offer courses, training and resources to help individuals advance their careers.
• Learning management systems are software that manage, deliver and track educational and training content. They are commonly employed in organisations for employee training and development.

After learning about these current organisational technologies and practices, you can identify the emerging ones. These emerging technologies and practices should be relevant to the organisational context. Organisational context refers to the specific environment and needs of a particular organisation. It encompasses an organisation's unique characteristics, goals, challenges and operational aspects.

When identifying emerging technologies and practices, you must consider the organisational context. These innovations must align with and address the organisation's specific requirements and objectives.

Emerging technologies

Emerging technologies are innovations and advancements in the field of information technology. They are in the early stages of development, adoption or application. There are numerous emerging technologies available today. Here are the most common emerging technologies relevant to the organisational context:

• Generative artificial intelligence (AI)
• Smart(er) devices
• Machine learning (ML)
• Robotic process automation (RPA)
• Extended reality

Generative artificial intelligence (AI)

This refers to AI systems that can generate content. This content includes text, images and videos. This is often indistinguishable from human-created content. The generative AI has the following purposes:

• Automate content creation
• Enhance creativity
• Generate realistic content for various applications

Here are common examples of generative artificial intelligence:

Smart(er) devices

These are everyday objects connected to the internet. They are equipped with sensors and data processing capabilities. These allow them to collect and exchange data to perform tasks and functions autonomously or based on user input.

Smart devices aim to improve efficiency, convenience and automation in various aspects of life. These devices include the following:

• Smart home gadgets
• Wearable technology
• Internet of things (IoT)devices

These can be used for smart cities, health monitoring and data collection for analysis.

Here are common examples of smart(er) devices:

• smart cities
• autonomous vehicles
• health trackers

Machine learning (ML)

This is a subset of the AI. It focuses on the development of algorithms and statistical models. This enables computer systems to improve their performance on a specific task. It is done through learning from data without being explicitly programmed.

Its primary purpose is to enable systems to automatically learn and make predictions or decisions based on data patterns. Here are common examples of ML:

• predictive text
• email automation
• social media optimisation

Robotic process automation (RPA)

This is a technology that uses software robots (bots). These bots automate rule-based, repetitive tasks within business processes. They can perform tasks like data entry, data extraction and data validation.

It aims to increase operational efficiency by reducing manual labour. It also minimises errors and allows employees to focus on more complex and value-added tasks. It is used in finance, human resources and customer service industries. Here are common examples of RPA:

• collating data from multiple websites to find the best deal
• call centre operation
• help desk automation

Extended reality (XR)

This encompasses virtual reality (VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality (MR). XR technologies create immersive experiences by combining the physical and digital worlds. XR is used for various purposes, including gaming, training, education and simulation. VR provides fully immersive digital environments, and AR overlays digital content in the real world. Lastly, MR combines real and virtual elements for interactive experiences. Here are common examples of extended reality:

Emerging practices

Emerging practices are not yet widespread but hold potential benefits. There are numerous emerging practices available today. Here are the most common emerging practices relevant to the organisational context:

• development, security and operations (DevSecOps)
• cybersecurity measures
• green IT
• zero trust security
• serverless computing

Development, security and operations (DevSecOps)

This is an approach that integrates the following processes into a unified and collaborative process:

• Software development (Dev)
• Security (Sec)
• IT operations (Ops)

It emphasises security practices throughout the software development life cycle. The purpose of DevSecOps is to improve the security of software applications. It ensures that security considerations are incorporated from the beginning of development. It aims to reduce vulnerabilities and enhance compliance. It also accelerates the delivery of secure software.

Cybersecurity measures 

These encompass a range of practices. They protect computer systems, networks and data from unauthorised access, attacks and breaches. Their purposes are to:

• Safeguard sensitive information
• Maintain data integrity
• Prevent security incidents

These measures include the use of the following technologies:

• firewalls
• encryption
• access controls
•  intrusion detection systems

Green IT

This is also known as sustainable IT. It involves adopting environmentally friendly practices and technologies. It also aims to reduce the carbon footprint and minimise the environmental impact of IT operations. Likewise, green IT promotes sustainability by reducing energy consumption, e-waste and carbon emissions. Practices can include energy-efficient hardware, virtualisation, solar energy and recycling programs.

Zero trust security

This is a cybersecurity framework. It challenges the traditional security model that assumes trust based on network location. Instead, it treats all users, devices and apps as untrusted until proven otherwise, regardless of location.

This aims to enhance cybersecurity by minimising the attack surface. It also reduces the risk of data breaches and provides granular access control. Zero trust security can include the following:

• credential privileges on each device
• endpoint hardware type and function
• geo-location
• firmware versions
• Authentication protocol (2FA)

Serverless computing

This is a cloud computing model. Cloud providers manage the structure and automatically allocate resources to run applications. Users pay only for the resources consumed during the execution of their code.

This simplifies application deployment and management while reducing operational costs. It lets you focus on writing code without worrying about server provisioning and maintenance. This makes it ideal for scalable and event-driven applications.

Features, functions, attributes and potential applications

These emerging technologies and practices also have features, functions, attributes and potential applications:

• Features are the specific, notable characteristics or capabilities of a technology or practice. These set them apart from others. They describe what the technology or practice can do and how it does it.
• Functions refer to the tasks or operations a technology or practice performs. They describe the practical actions the technology or practice is designed to carry out.
• Attributes are inherent qualities or properties of a technology or practice. They may not be specific functions but represent inherent traits or qualities. These go beyond specific actions or capabilities. They describe more general qualities or characteristics.
• Potential applications refer to the areas or industries where a technology or practice can be employed. They address needs or solve problems.

Here are the features, functions, attributes and potential applications of emerging technologies:

Emerging Technologies	Features	Functions	Attributes	Potential Applications
Generative artificial intelligence (AI)	Content creation Human-like creativity Adaptability Diversity	Generates articles, artwork and graphics for various purposes Produces conversational AI, chatbots and content summarisation Aids in website layout, user interface and product designs	Creativity and humanlike content generation Potential for automation in content creation and design Large datasets and computational power for training	Creativity and humanlike content generation Automation in content creation and design Large datasets and computational power for training
Smart(er) devices	Connectivity Equipped with sensors to collect data Automation	Collects temperature, humidity, energy usage and more data to provide insights Allows users to control and monitor devices remotely through mobile apps or voice commands Communicates with other smart devices to coordinate actions and share data for analysis	User preferences and learn from behaviour Designed to optimise energy consumption and resource usage Part of the Internet of Things ecosystem, contributing to a network of connected devices	Smart thermostats, lighting and security systems for energy efficiency and security Smartwatches and fitness trackers for health monitoring and notifications Sensors and devices for predictive maintenance and monitoring in manufacturing
Machine learning (ML)	Learning from data Automation Customisation Predictive analytics	Predicts future trends and outcomes based on historical data Identifies patterns, anomalies and trends in large datasets Enables machines to understand and generate human language	Large datasets and complex problems Data-driven decision-making across industries Machine learning is applicable in various domains	Identifying when equipment or machinery requires maintenance Detecting fraudulent transactions in finance Diagnosing diseases, analysing medical images and predicting patient outcomes
Robotic process automation (RPA)	Automation Mimicking human actions Integrates into various systems and apps Scalability	Automates data entry and extraction from documents and systems Ensures data accuracy and compliance by validating information Streamlines routine, recurring processes across various industries	Reduces errors and ensures consistent data handling Enhances operational efficiency by executing tasks around the clock RPA tools are designed to be user-friendly and accessible	Automates invoice processing, payment verification and financial reconciliation Streamlines employee onboarding or payroll processing Used in chatbots for customer support and issue resolution
Extended reality	Immersive, sensory experience Combine realworld and digital elements Specialised headsets, glasses and displays	Creates entirely digital, immersive environments (VR) Overlays digital content onto the real world (AR) Combines virtual and real elements, allowing interaction (MR)	Provides a high level of immersion and presence Aims for realistic and natural interactions with digital elements Involves content creation tools for XR experiences	XR is used in gaming, providing immersive experiences Military, aviation, medical and industrial training simulations Field service technicians use XR for maintenance guidance
Development, security and operations (DevSecOps)	Automated security testing Encourages collaboration Ongoing risk assessment and mitigation	Treat code and integrate it into development practices Perform automated security tests continuously Support incident response planning	Support agile development by accepting changing security requirements Foster a security-aware culture within development and operations teams	Used in application development Ensure security in cloud-based applications and services Critical for securing Internet of Things devices and applications
Cybersecurity measures	Data protection Threat detection Access control Incident response	Prevent unauthorised network access and detect intrusions Protect data through encryption methods Identify and rectify system vulnerabilities	Proactive in preventing incidents and reactive in addressing them Adapt to evolving threats and technology changes Employ multiple layers of defence, including network, application and endpoint security	Protect networks from unauthorised access and data breaches Secure devices from malware and other threats Ensure data protection and access control in cloud-based services
Green IT	Energy efficiency Reduce e-waste Promotes renewable energy	Manages and monitors energy usage in data centres and IT equipment Uses virtualisation to optimise server and resource use Implements reporting and assessment of sustainability practices	Reflects a commitment to reducing the environmental impact of IT operations Ensures adherence to environmental regulations and sustainability standards Considers sustainability when acquiring IT hardware and software	Implements energy-efficient practices in data centre operations Cloud providers aim for sustainable data centre practices Supports energy-efficient smart grid technologies
Zero trust security	Continuous authentication and verification of users and devices Micro-segmentation Dynamic policies	Manages user identities and enforces strict access controls Segments networks into isolated zones to limit exposure to threats Requires multiple forms of authentication for user access	The default stance is to trust nothing and verify everything Can be applied to any network Security decisions are based on real-time risk assessments	Enhance corporate security and protect against advanced threats Ensure secure access for remote workers to corporate resources Protect cloud-based applications and data
Serverless computing	Event-driven Automatic scaling Pay-as-You-Go Managed infrastructure	Supports the execution of application code and functions in response to events Processes, transforms and analyses data as it flows through the system Serves as the backend for application programming interface (API) endpoints, enabling serverless APIs	Functions are stateless, meaning they do not retain data between executions Serverless instances are short-lived and can be terminated after execution Offers seamless and automatic horizontal scalability based on load	Used for web application backends, handling API requests and data processing Processes and analyses data streams, such as IoT data and log analysis Performs real-time data analysis and insights generation

Watch

Watch these videos to learn more about various emerging technologies and practices:

Identifying emerging technologies

Identifying emerging technologies involves recognising and understanding new and innovative technological advancements. These ensure they stay competitive and innovative. There are various practices you can use to identify these emerging technologies. These can vary depending on the organisation. To do this effectively, you can use these common practices: 

Identifying emerging practices 

Here are the common practices for identifying emerging practices in the ICT sector:

Documenting 

After identifying these emerging technologies and practices, you can start documenting them. Documenting is a structured and cyclic process that properly records valuable information. This can be used for future reference and decision-making.

The steps for documenting these can vary depending on the organisation. However, here are the steps you can follow:

1. Define your goals and objectives: Identify the specific insights and information you need to capture. Understanding your goals will guide the entire process.
2. Establish a framework: This can be a database, document templates or a content management system. These allow for organised storage and retrieval of information.
3. Collect the identified information: These include research findings, articles, case studies, reports and expert insights.
4. Analyse and categorise information: Categorise it based on key criteria, such as:
   • Technology type
   • Industry relevance
   • Potential impact
   • Maturity level
5. Assess the relevance: Consider whether it aligns with your goals and objectives. Likewise, identify if it can address specific challenges or opportunities.
6. Document key insights: Record key insights and takeaways from the information. Highlight the most important details. These can include how a particular technology or practice can benefit your organisation.
7. Create detailed profiles: Create detailed profiles for each emerging technology or practice. Include their features, functions, purposes, attributes and potential applications.
8. Establish a review: Ensure your documentation remains current by setting up a regular review and update process. Emerging technologies and practices can evolve rapidly, so it is crucial to keep the information updated.

Identifying and documenting emerging technologies and practices allows you to stay competitive and foster innovation. By proactively recognising and recording these developments, you can adapt to changing landscapes. Likewise, it allows you to seize opportunities and address challenges with informed decisions.

Activity 1 - Quiz