The Top Technology Trends for Service Businesses in 2018

  • September 21, 2018
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Service businesses come in all kinds of shapes and sizes. The one thing all these service companies have in common? The need to adapt to trends in technology in order to grow and increase profits.

Technology is moving at an ever-increasing pace. More service businesses are finding these new developments accessible and useful. Some present new opportunities to speed up productivity and benefit from cost-efficiencies.

2018 Technology Trends for Service Businesses

Here at Vonigo, we offer the tailored solutions needed to make service businesses work better and more effectively. That’s the reason we’ve put together this useful list. Here are some of the top technology trends likely to prove helpful in driving the growth of service businesses through 2018 and beyond.

Voice Recognition

Voice recognition is becoming increasingly popular for business, with the growth of virtual assistants like Siri and Alexa and greater use of voice within internet searches.

This means that service businesses with an eye for increased profits should be creating web content that capitalizes on voice recognition. Most voice searches will be locally based, so it’s important to ensure your address and phone number are included with your search results.

Another way in which voice recognition is taking off is in the office environment.

Using voice recognition programmes like Alexa for Business is one way to take advantage of efficiencies in the workplace. Digital assistants can make organization in the office a lot easier, offering schedule management, reminders, tracking of planned activities and more.

Interactive Displays

The use of interactive displays will become increasingly popular with modern service businesses.

This will be particularly true of mobile service businesses and workplaces employing remote workers and home-based workers. Interactive displays make it easy to communicate and collaborate within workplaces and with remote colleagues.

Interactive displays utilize cloud-based video collaboration programs to provide an inclusive working environment and also have memory capacity, so they are extremely effective for group work.

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Unification of Communications

By the year 2020 around 70% of workers are anticipated to be working remotely. This makes the unification of communications extremely important. This type of flexible working pattern will require the use of business landlines that are integrated with mobile phones, desktop computers, and tablets, alongside the interactive displays noted above.

Not Just In Europe: The Impact of GDPR

The impact of GDPR has meant that every business has to take greater responsibility for the data it collects and processes.

Even the largest corporations are targeted for hacking and data breaching, as evidenced by the recent British Airways hack which resulted in the theft of the personal data of almost 400,000 customers.

In the light of GDPR requirements, service businesses in Europe need to be far more careful about the data processed by their business and the sort of information that’s required for marketing purposes.

In North America, businesses should operate with these same best practices. That way, they can future-proof their operations from similar changes to regulations that could occur in the near term.

Artificial Intelligence

There’s an increased use of artificial intelligence (AI) in business. Chatbots are particularly popular for 2018.

More and more service businesses are waking up to the benefits of incorporating chatbots in websites. It’s possible for potential customers to make contact with the business 24/7 and the machine learning featured within the bots means they are constantly evolving to fit the needs of the business better.

Talk to us today to find out more about the ways in which AI can be used to benefit your service business, with increased automation available for a number of critical areas of the organization.

Use of the Cloud

Cloud applications and services continue to play a major part in businesses of any size for 2018.

Forward-thinking operators manage their businesses with software like Vonigo, and other popular services like Dropbox and Google Drive. They offer ways for even smaller, local service businesses to enhance communications with clients, consumers, and workers.

One of the major advantages of cloud-based software is that users don’t have any responsibility for updates to the software. You can expect to be using the most up-to-date versions. Cloud solutions are extremely beneficial for mobile service businesses, as they are accessible from anywhere.

Cloud computing is an affordable option for smaller businesses. There is very little need to invest in additional hardware or upgrades. Digital transformation is a technology game-changer for many businesses through 2018 and moving over to cloud solutions will be a central feature for many companies.

Driverless Vehicles, Drones, and Smart Homes

Some of these have yet to make a major impact on the mobile service business economy. Still, service companies should be watching them with interest.

Driverless car technology looks set to revolutionize the driving sector of industry in the coming years. It is already being tested and introduced in some of the major cities now. Delivery robots are launching in a number of take-out food chains. Moving and cleaning companies should be watching these developments as they become more popular.

In the courier sector, drones are starting to make waves. Providers like Amazon are testing them for deliveries, and service businesses are seeing a far greater use of remote access control by homeowners.

It’s highly likely that this revolution in driverless vehicle technology and increased automation within domestic premises and the workplace will lead to exciting developments through 2018 and into the future.

Other Trends to Watch

Some additional 2018 tech trends making waves in business:

  • Computer vision
  • Deep learning for predictive analytics and computer modeling
  • Blockchain technology
  • Edge computing for optimization of business outcomes

One thing’s for sure, technology in business is a growth area for 2018 and beyond. Service businesses wanting to make the most impact now and in the future need to consider the use of modern technology. Keeping pace can ensure sustainable growth, increased levels of productivity and enhanced profitability.

Software for Mobile Service Businesses

Want to learn more about how the right software can help you grow your business and earn more profits? Book a free, private demo of Vonigo.