For decades, people have been touting that the Internet is the future. This is true, and the Internet has become a very important part of the lives of many. In fact, it is likely that you have visited Facebook, YouTube, or another favorite site today, and will again tomorrow. People are developing fixed habits regarding the internet, and these habits won’t change easily. However, the Internet itself continues to rapidly grow and change. Web development professionals know this more than most. What was all the rage, just a few years ago, is now outdated and tired.
Nonetheless, the Internet is an intricate part of lives. People use it to stay in touch with friends and family, completing banking transactions, shopping, receiving news, and much more. Therefore, the demands on web development professionals are enormous. Across many industries, companies must
stay on top of the current trends. What are those trends? Well, there are too many to list within one article. However, there are some which are more dominant, and those are the ones that no one will escape.
- Artificial Intelligence – Many are already aware that artificial intelligence and machine learning are becoming an essential aspect of search engines and search results page ranking. Be that as it may, artificial intelligence is entering other aspects of daily and Internet life. Take for instance Project Sidewalk, created by the Makeabilty Lab at the University of Maryland. Here, the use of artificial intelligence and machine learning will help disabled people get around cities. The algorithms learn how to recognize obstacles, and can route individuals based on their disability.
- Virtual Reality – This topic is one that has been talked about for a long time, but has recently gained the public’s attention because of gaming trends. Google and other companies are now working on ways to incorporate virtual reality technology on the web. You only need your imagination to consider the possibilities. For instance, today real estate agents are most commonly providing “virtual tours” of homes using video. Coming soon, you will be able to walk through a home for sale using virtual reality goggles.
- Internet of Things (IoT) – The internet of things is traditionally non-internet-connected devices being linked to the internet, often called smart devices. Today, we see this commonly with things like home security systems, automobiles, and televisions. Regardless, developers are working on connecting
almost everything to the internet, including your toaster. The internet of things brings a lot of opportunities for web developers, and is something to keep a close eye on.
What haven’t we covered yet that is important to you? If you would like to talk more about web development trends for 2017, or need more information, please contact us.