• by Jack Loechner , Staff Writer @mp_research, January 1, 2019

Here are some predictions from Jupiter Research for tech developments in 2019 that will impact upon, and be driven by, both players across the value chain and the consumers themselves.

1. Adversarial Machine Learning Becomes Key for Security & Fraud Prevention

Much investment, time and focus by organizations has been dedicated to programming and training machine learning algorithms to fulfill these functions. However, if these algorithms become compromised, they will be prone to attacks from threats and viruses.

2. AI to Enhance EDGE Computing Power in IoT Systems

Over the past 12 to 18 months, the concept of EDGE computing to power the Internet of Things (IoT) applications, devices, and systems have become a significant trend in the digital industry.

3. Banking-as-a-Service Economy Emerges

Juniper expects the emergence of banking-as-a-service to be a key driving force in the world of finance in 2019. With PSD2 applicable as of January 2018, 2019 is expected to be the year that products based on the regulation’s open API requirements Most particularly, this will enable new types of banking services to be offered by new players.

4. RCS Messaging to Contest Chatbots & OTT Business Platforms

Support of RCS will continue to grow over 2019 among both operators and handset vendors. At present, there are over 60 operators supporting the service globally, with more operators expected to announce their support in 2019.

5. Robotic Process Automation Ramps Up

RPA has, for many years, been used to automate very simple, repetitive business tasks. However, owing to advances in machine learning algorithm modeling, RPA software systems can be trained to automate a wider set of tasks than ever before.

6. Voice Assistants Become a Service-Led Market

The key opportunity here is for voice assistant providers and their partners to use the platforms to deliver a range of digital services. This will provide a firmer basis for monetization of a rapidly growing platform. Juniper expects 93 million smart speakers to be in use by the end of 2019, providing a large base for the use of these products. The study anticipates these to be used in 9% of households worldwide by the end of 2019, reaching over 40% in some developed markets.

7. Automotive OEMs to Disrupt Established Business Models

Telematics services is fast becoming ubiquitous within all new models of vehicles, owing to both automotive OEM efforts in inclusion, and in some regions, legislation mandating the technology’s inclusion. As the development of autonomous systems progresses, 2019 will be the year in which automotive OEMs begin to explore monetization models beyond the initial sale of the vehicle.

8. Blockchain Moves into the Food Chain

Blockchain provides a tamper-proof way of tracking the source of foods. The indelible nature of the blockchain record, linked to technologies like RFID for automated tracking, means that foods can be tracked and linked easily from place to place.

9. Loot Boxes to be Banned Across Europe & North America

Found in video games, loot boxes are in-game packs often gifted to players as a result of completing in-game tasks and achievements. Increasingly, these are made available to purchase with real-world currency.

10. Chatbots to Play Central Role in Insurance Claims Process

Chatbots aid insurance firms, and the finance industry, to offer personalized answers, give greater automation during claims processing and reduce response times. AI and machine learning enable the insurance industry to deliver high quality levels of customer satisfaction and engagement, as well as sell better tailored products to consumers.