With buzzwords from edge computing to hyper-automation floating around and new technology entering the market at an increasing pace, it can be difficult to keep tabs on what trends are the most important to stay on top of.

While discussing the products Round Rock-based tech giant Dell Technologies has been working on aimed at things ranging from the future of hybrid work connectivity to innovative ways to game online, Rakesh Apte, the company’s director of product management and innovation strategy, laid out the emerging trends driving the future of innovation in the technology space that companies big and small should have their eyes on.

“Thinking about the hybrid future and the hybrid life, we want to make sure that, especially people that are in remote settings or are permanently remote, have the same access to technology,” Apte said at a Dallas Startup Week event.

Check out what Apte said are some of the most pressing trends and his thoughts on each below.

Emerging Tech Trends

Digital Transformation

Over the last couple of years, we’re starting to see this economic environment from a macroeconomic perspective where we’re starting to get into an environment in which we’ll start to see focus on cost reduction. That’s where we’ll see the acceleration of digital transformation that’s already started. We saw waves of that happening over the last few years. We’re going to continue to see that as industries stay on the forefront of technology and are also thinking about ways that can help them to reduce costs.

Automation/Artificial Intelligence

No longer is automation just focused on a few industries. Now we’re seeing automation feed across every industry, from manufacturing to retail to healthcare to agricultural services. We really see this as part of the great transformation that’s happening\. We know that AI will be a key component in terms of helping to boost productivity—by some metrics, upwards of 30%. We see advancements in terms of technology, automation, and worker productivity, so we really want to think about how we can use AI as an assistive partner for our customers and end users.

Metaverse

XR (extended reality), AR (artificial reality), and VR (virtual reality) technologies have been around for some time, and we’re probably on the second or third wave of some of those technologies. But now, we’re starting to see a deep interest from both end users and customers in adopting some of these technologies. The actual experiences around these technologies are getting better, but some of the challenges still remain around privacy, user experience, and how people react to those environments. The industry needs to get right in order for this to be successful.

Sustainability

We’ve got lots of interest from our customers and end users around how they can do more around their sustainability, their carbon footprint, and broader impact that they want to have. We’re going to start to see a lot more focus on sustainability within the environment. We’re starting to think about solutions and concepts that can help end users and help businesses think about their sustainability footprint.

This interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.

Dallas Startup Week 2022

Dallas Startup Week is the DEC Network’s annual flagship event—now in its eighth year—that features more than 100 events and more than 200 speakers focused on driving entrepreneurial success, economic impact, and innovation. The event runs online and in-person at SMU’s Cox School of Business through August 11, bringing together innovative leaders across sectors to support the growth and success of the startup community, creating the potential for partnerships and new opportunities, event directors say.

Get on the list.
Dallas Innovates, every day.

Sign up to keep your eye on what’s new and next in Dallas-Fort Worth, every day.