If you have been in the high tech industry then you know what a search for the next killer app is like. Most of us in the software industry have done it – and a few of us (me included) quite a few times.

“Effectively, change is almost impossible without industry-wide collaboration, cooperation, and consensus." – Simon Mainwaring

A common question I’ve heard asked over the past few weeks is, “Where did 2018 go?”. I genuinely can’t believe it myself as I sit here typing this blog. Traditionally a time for reflection and review, the end of the calendar year is also a time for thinking about aspirations and goals for 2019.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is an extremely hot topic these days, but just stating that a solution or application has “AI” in it has become a bit too popular. The key questions or topics should be “What exactly is AI? How is it being used in your system now and what are your future plans?”.

Internet searches on “AI” deliver a multitude of results on the topic to help you learn and understand the latest state of AI, the ongoing research, as well as many interesting use cases. This blog will discuss some of the use cases where AI can make an impact for CPSs, as well as end users utilizing next-generation applications and services.

We now live in a time where most of us have heard of smart speakers and quite a few of us have one (or two or more). According to our friends at Gartner, Ovum, and Voicebot.ai who specialize in smart speaker research, the world has adopted these tiny devices into their homes at an incredible rate. Living rooms and kitchens are the most popular locations to place them, and Amazon has over 70% of the market. Looking at recent reports, 1 in 5 U.S. adults have a smart speaker, for a total of over 48M in the U.S. alone.

Surviving in a forever evolving digital revolution can be challenging in any industry, from healthcare to banking, retail to insurance, e-commerce to even telecommunications, and the message is clear – if you’re not transforming, innovating, optimizing, and evolving then you’re dissolving.

There is currently a lot of momentum behind IoT (Internet of Things) and IIoT (Industrial Internet of Things).  We’ve looked at the consumer IoT situation in a previous installment of this blog series, now let’s have a peak at the non-consumer side of the fence – the IIoT acronym adopted by the industry.

Access to the internet has never been easier. Your phone has wifi data while at home and wireless data while on the go. Your favorite café and store offer wifi to guests. Your work files can be accessed remotely from across the world. While we can access whatever we want from wherever we want, there needs to be restrictions set in place to regulate who and what is being accessed. Controls, whether it be parental, employer, or business, are becoming increasingly important.

One of the latest technologies we’ve seen making its way to the market is the connected car. This technology provides consumers with increased comfort, vehicle analytics, and most importantly, enhanced safety features. While these features in and of themselves are impressive, the potential to do more is huge. By connecting solutions like the connected car with consumers’ smart phones and smart homes, for example, we can add tremendous value and improve overall user experience. This is where DialogicONE steps in.

The challenge from our communication service provider customers is very clear – we need new applications and services to protect and grow ARPU.  We need differentiated new offerings that go beyond connectivity and security of our networks.  We need to launch new solutions much faster than before.  We need to compete on more than just price.  And my favorite ask – we need access to the latest digital technologies, so that our solutions include an exceptional user experience.