The last 18 months have been marked by unexpected advances in technology as the world has adapted to the demands of a new reality. But are these innovations simply a product of the pandemic or are they here to stay? Here are five tech trends that experts say are here to stay.

Medicine without borders video thumbnail

In 2018, Erik Ekudden, senior vice president and chief technical officer of the Ericsson Group, cited “the realization of contactless” as the top  technology trend to follow . Little did we know how true his words would turn out – but not quite the way he thought they would. The global pandemic has forced people and businesses to quickly adapt to a new reality. But over the past year, we’ve also seen technological innovation fill those voids.

Advances in areas such as  artificial intelligence ,  e-commerce ,  and  the Internet of Things  (IoT) were already high on the radar of tech trend analysts. What we didn’t expect is that areas such as  education  and  healthcare , some of the most conservative in adopting new technologies, would suddenly take center stage – and progress within months. in a way that would usually have taken years.  But we never expected that

Now, as vaccination becomes more widespread and many of us eagerly await the return of discussions around the coffee machine in the office, I wonder: which of these new technologies will stand the test of time? Here are  five 2021 tech trends  that experts say are set to stick around for years to come.

Trend 1 – The digital workplace: The digital workplace

At the end of June 2020,  42% of the U.S. workforce worked from home full-time . As we struggle to find  the best ways to work remotely , collaboration software has seen a real boom. In 2020,  the global video conferencing market reached $7.87 billion , more than double the previous year.

Generally speaking, employees have reacted positively to the flexibility offered by working from home, and employers are also noticing the benefits – reduced office rental and maintenance costs, for example. According to our report on  the future of business , 60% of respondents are very satisfied with the possibility of reducing office space, and 43% are convinced that they will have no office at all by 2030. Early analyzes also show that remote workers are  up to 40% more productive  than their corporate counterparts.

Come into my (virtual) office

According to the global survey featured in our Industry Lab report on  the cloud office and the outlook for the future workplace of 2030 , half of respondents said they want a full virtual presence at work, wherever they are. Imagine digital workspaces where you can greet your colleague across the room, hand them an important document, or even share coffee and cake (with tantalizing digital flavors and flavors) without even leaving your home – or even your favorite getaway spot.

While many tech giants, including  Twitter  and  Facebook , have announced plans to implement  more permanent work-from-home arrangements  post-COVID, it is generally accepted that  the future of work is remote  and the traditional work will never be what it was.

Trend 2 – Online learning

Digital workspaces and dematerialization will not only benefit workers. At the height of the COVID pandemic, more than  1.6 billion children in 195 countries  around the world were sent home as classrooms closed.

Along with video conferencing tools, other digital services such as language learning apps, virtual tutoring, and e-learning software have all seen a surge in demand.

At the same time, initiatives such as  Keep America Running  have shown how quickly our society can connect – both digitally and with empathy – for a common cause, such as enabling more students without an internet connection to access to distance learning and reduce inequalities and  the educational gap .

Rutland behind the scenes – Keep America running

With the quality of education being a key component of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and the Human Development Index (HDI), there is no doubt that education must be well-resourced and accessible to all.

According  to the OECD , 95% of students in Switzerland, Norway and Austria have a computer to do their homework, compared to only 34% in Indonesia. And in the United States, virtually all 15-year-olds from privileged backgrounds said they had a computer for work, while almost a quarter of those from disadvantaged backgrounds did not.

As we continue the important work of improving  opportunities in education  through technology, we must ensure that we reduce inequalities in education, not just contribute to it.

While it is unclear to what extent online learning will continue once students return to their classrooms, the need for connectivity for education has become very clear. And as  5G networks  enable faster internet and more reliable connectivity than ever before – even in remote locations – these possibilities will only grow.

Trend 3 – Telemedicine

The healthcare sector has traditionally been one of the most resilient when it comes to adopting new technologies. However, the COVID-19 pandemic has shown the enormous potential, and real-world functionality, of  telemedicine technologies  as essential tools to help prevent the spread of viruses through tracking, testing and treatment. .