In many ways, 2017 was a year in which emerging technologies began to creep toward the mainstream. Consumer augmented reality solutions ran into barriers, but AR has gained considerable momentum in the enterprise sector, particularly for use in manufacturing and supply chain settings. Cloud computing continued to mature. The mobile and desktop worlds have blended even closer to one another. The internet of things started to emerge as a practical option in more situations. All told, 2017 was a tipping point. As a result, 2018 is looking like it will feature major advances as organizations work to respond to these seismic technological shifts.
Apple is at the center of many of these changes, and organizations using Apple devices in the enterprise have a lot to think about in 2018. Many of the company's efforts boil down to a couple of major trends.
Apple emphasizing device integration
To a great extent, Apple has revolutionized how people work through powerful, intuitive mobile devices. The iPhone ushered in the enterprise apps era we are confronting today and have unchained countless individuals from their desks. The problem is that there are plenty of times when a desktop device is still advantageous, and having workers hop between mobile and desktop apps can become a chore. Apple has announced plans to bridge this gap in 2018.
"Apple has revolutionized how people work through powerful, intuitive mobile devices."
The tech giant is working on an innovative project aimed at allowing developers to take the functionality of iOS apps and extend it to desktop PCs, Bloomberg reported. A user could go from accessing an app at a cafe using a touchscreen to sitting down at the office and picking right up with a keyboard and mouse. All of this is handled in such a way that devs only need to create one app. This type of integration connects devices without requiring hardware-level changes, simplifying the process of getting users the information and resources they need in an efficient way.
With more technologies gaining a powerful role in today's businesses, organizations increasingly need to find a way to simplify the user experience. Apple's efforts at allowing devs to create one app for use across devices achieves that goal.
Preparing for disruptive, emerging tech
Apple has been getting attention for its AR development tools and similar solutions aimed at giving organizations the technology they need to work with advanced solutions ranging from AR/VR systems to supercomputers. The new iMac Pro represents the epitome of this move toward ultra-powerful machines. While the device was technically released in late 2017, it got on store shelves so late in the year that most companies are probably looking at a 2018 deployment. MacWorld reported that the iMac Pro offers extremely high specs that make it a natural choice for companies creating solutions designed for such applications as 3D design and VR.
With Apple at the center of so much technological change, businesses could feel like they're scrambling to catch up. If you're in such a situation, reach out to MC Services. We offer Apple training and support as well as consulting and custom development to help clients keep pace in a rapidly shifting technology world.
