HONG KONG SAR -
Media OutReach - 10 January 2022 -
The past year was a
time of transition – but which of the new approaches will take hold in Asia
Pacific markets? For 2022 and beyond, Lenovo is offering a range of predictions
that incorporate what has been learned in the past year, to improve future
products and services.
Intensely
hybrid working models, a focus on carbon neutrality and the environment, and a
need for more comfortable, intuitive ways to operate our technology all set the
tone for the following emerging trends.
1. Work-from-anywhere technology,
now broadly available, will expose a growing divide.
Just
as the use of video conference software accelerated during the past year's
work-from-home, successful companies in Asia Pacific will accelerate the
adoption of improved infrastructure and services that enable smarter, more
flexible work.
Important
innovations that will make this happen include upgrades in artificial
intelligence, which is getting better at removing the daily background noise of
an Asian city, improving privacy, and connecting seamlessly. Augmented reality will
also have a role to play, by concentrating information intelligently and
conveniently for the user. Remote desktop solutions,
especially those that unite employees under cloud-like services with
enterprise-level security, enable employees' work while providing them
necessary IT support wherever they are.
Other
companies, held back by legacy systems, will resist these changes in the hope
of going back to "the way it was" – and will find it more and more difficult to
foster an engaged employee workplace – especially given Asia's younger, more
diverse workforce.
2. Sustainability will become
a leading factor in tech innovation and design.
2021
was the year that Asia Pacific got serious about sustainability. In 2021
October, Hong Kong Government announced Hong Kong's Climate Action Plan 2050, outlining
the strategies and targets for combating climate change and achieving carbon neutrality
in 2050[1].
In the past, sustainability was a second-tier consideration in design and
innovation for technology products, if it was considered at all; now, it will
play a leading role.
Sustainable
materials will experience a jump in popularity in manufacturing locations
around the region, and become more available for product development. The
products that find success in the future will incorporate recycled plastics,
fibers and metals; self-decomposing materials like bioplastics; and renewable
sources like bamboo – where Asia has an obvious advantage.
At
the same time, societal considerations will grow in importance, including the
accessibility and suitability of technology for a broad range of users.
3. Security will finally
start to move away from over-reliance on passwords.
AI
and improved sensor technology will move to the forefront, as passwords take a
backseat. Near-term, public key infrastructure (PKI) – what we use today to
access our mobile banking applications – and multifactor authentication (MFA)
will alleviate our reliance on passwords.
The
sensors that power biometrics – fingerprint, facial, iris and voice
authentication – will start to take on greater responsibility for our security
online and with our devices during the coming year. This will play an
additional role in making technology more accessible and with multiple levels
of literacy.
4. Computers will
quietly, and steadily, become more human.
Humans
are not designed for long hours sitting in front of screens and typing on
keyboards – but today, many people spend the majority of their waking hours
interacting with technology. New designs will help slowly transition that
relationship towards designs that work with – not against – human physiology.
In
2022 and beyond, instead of a focus on keyboards and touchpads, expect to see more
flexible display options, ergonomic mice, haptic feedback, voice-to-text (and
vice versa), and more intuitive forms of input involving artificial
intelligence.
The
past year has signaled a major shift in the way that we use technology in our
daily lives. While we can look forward to these changes in the coming year, we
can also see them as the beginning of a more gradual shift that will take place
beyond 2022. Where will the following year take us?
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