Dell Releases 2019 Outlook Based on Technological Changes
Rapid spread of IoT due to the full-scale opening of the 5G era
Data center and cloud development to accelerate
Dell Technologies has released its 2019 outlook on changing technology trends. This announcement by Dell Technologies covers key IT technologies that will change the corporate business environment and personal lives in 2019, including 5G networks, machine intelligence, immersive computing, AR/VR, and multi-cloud.


Outlook 1, 5G commercialization, IoT-SDN-edge computing development accelerated
On December 1, 2018, the world's first 5G commercial service was launched in Korea. Starting from this, 5G services will be fully launched in 2019. The industry expects that 5G services will completely overturn the data market in terms of speed and accessibility. In addition, as devices that match this are expected to be released in the market one after another, the utilization of 5G services is expected to increase significantly.

5G networks, featuring low latency and high bandwidth, are expected to accelerate the construction of smart cities and digital infrastructure along with the spread of IoT. Micro hubs (mini data centers) will be deployed throughout the city to gain real-time insights from data. In particular, in the manufacturing and medical fields, 5G is expected to have a significant impact because data must be processed and analyzed in real time on-site instead of being exchanged with the cloud. Furthermore, related content such as AR (augmented reality), VR (virtual reality), games, and mobile applications utilizing the powerful network performance of 5G and IoT technology are also expected to increase significantly.

The development of 5G is expected to accelerate the development of software-defined networks and new edge computing or distributed computing models. IoT utilizing 5G requires high speed and high scalability while managing, analyzing, storing and protecting massive data, making software-defined data centers essential. It is important to be able to easily apply new software codes and APIs (application programming interfaces) as needed, and to have automation and intelligence capabilities. At this time, scalable NVMe (non-volatile memory express) fabric and SD-WAN (software-defined wide area network) technology can be added to maximize the advantages of 5G infrastructure.


Outlook 2: Machine Intelligence Drives Cloud Development
Virtual assistants, including AI speakers, are already widely used in consumer technologies such as smart homes, IoT, and connected cars. In 2019, machine intelligence technology that learns users’ preferences and proactively provides content and information based on past activities is expected to combine with AR or VR to provide more advanced immersive experiences.

Virtual chefs are expected to become more deeply ingrained in our lives and work environments, with virtual chefs helping us cook and health tracking devices analyzing our HRV (heart rate variability) and sleep patterns to help us manage our health. PCs and devices will continuously learn users' work habits and run appropriate apps and services at the right time to improve work efficiency.

Immersive experiences will change not only our personal lives, but also across industries. As AR and VR technologies continue to innovate and enable real-time access to edge data, they will eliminate the skill gap between workers in the field and enable free collaboration between physically separated team members. As immersive experiences evolve and AR and VR demand high-speed, large-volume data processing, the development of data centers and cloud infrastructure is also expected to accelerate.

In the future, AR and VR will be perceived not as independent domains, but as presentation interfaces for modern data centers that can converge AI-based insights or various data protocols.


Outlook 3: Multi-cloud is now the trend
As data generation at the edge proliferates and powerful computing power to support AI and machine learning workloads in real time becomes more necessary, data centers are becoming more distributed. A multi-layered, multi-cloud IT model is now spreading across multiple layers, from large-scale public data centers to dedicated enterprise data centers, real-time edge clouds, and intelligent devices.

In its 2018 outlook, Dell Technologies predicted the rise of the “mega cloud” approach, which utilizes various clouds as a consistent and integrated system, and this trend will remain valid in 2019. There is already a growing awareness that data needs to be effectively managed according to its type and purpose, and some companies are moving from public clouds to private clouds.

This breaks away from the existing public vs. private confrontation structure and leads to a multi-cloud that mixes and matches the company’s situation. In particular, the multi-cloud environment is evaluated as suitable for accelerating automation, AI, and machine learning processing. While the continued growth of the public cloud is expected, the need for on-premise data centers to meet new regulations and privacy laws will further strengthen the diversity of the cloud.


Outlook 4: Gold Rush Continues for Data Mining
By 2020, the amount of data being created is expected to reach 44 trillion gigabytes, or 44 zettabytes. As such, there will be greater investment in gaining insights from massive data for new innovations and business growth.

Startup creation and solution development in the AI and machine learning fields that solve complex problems of humans and technology based on data and improve user experience are expected to boom. Gartner predicted that in 2021, the increased use of AI will create business value of about 3,250 trillion won and improve employee productivity, reducing work hours by 6.2 billion hours.


Outlook 5: Blockchain is being fully incorporated into business
Blockchain is recognized for its outstanding value in terms of security, reliability, and business process innovation across supply chains and financial transactions. As the issues of data reliability and immutability become more prominent, distributed data management through blockchain will receive more attention.

2019 will be the first year in which companies will realistically implement these blockchains and incorporate them into their businesses. In particular, the emergence of related applications that will accelerate the spread of blockchain technology is expected.


Outlook 6: The advent of the collaborative era and the employment of Generation Z will change corporate culture
Technological advancements are enabling unprecedented collaboration and innovation in productivity by quickly connecting with colleagues around the world and sharing information in real time, freeing us from physical distances. In 2019, the proliferation of web-based collaboration tools and the advancement of connectivity and computing power are expected to further enhance the efficiency of work performance.

As Generation Z, born after 1995, enters the job market, changes in corporate culture are expected. Generation Z, with its outstanding IT skills such as the latest IT technology knowledge and coding, will become the core workforce for digital transformation in companies. From the perspective of companies, it is time to embrace the new Generation Z and come up with a new strategy to overcome the differences in technology level and awareness with the previous generation.

Meanwhile, Dell Technologies also emphasized the importance of sustainable management along with the above major outlook. Dell, which is leading the development and implementation of recycling and circular recycling programs such as collecting and recycling waste plastics discarded in the ocean, is also putting a lot of effort into coexistence with the supply chain, partners, and local communities.