NTT forecasts key tech developments for the year ahead

NTT Ltd, a leading global IT infrastructure and services company, has forecasted key tech developments for the year ahead, as enterprises adjust to the impact of Generative AI. "AI adoption is growing exponentially and with AGI and technological singularity still in the distant future, humans will be a critical part of AI story," explained Nathan Vandenberg, Vice President, Technology Solutions, NTT.

The company anticipates 'Dark NOC' will become a standard phrase in the networking world over the next twelve months. With the rapid progression of AIOps, the concept of an entirely automated, lights out Network Operations Centre is becoming increasingly viable. Nevertheless, human skills will remain crucial to the successful integration of this advancement.

Pressing sustainability concerns are also predicted to inspire more investment into groundbreaking energy solutions for data centre infrastructure. As AI triggers a surge in rack density, more enterprises are forecasted to collaborate with energy providers to explore viable alternatives that align with their net zero goals.

Sustainability will also form an integral part of all new tech solutions. Strict regulations are prompting a shift in IT teams' purchasing decisions, with environmental credentials becoming a key factor in the procurement process. Particularly as these rules evolve and tighten further, achieving sustainability targets will become increasingly important.

Optical networking is anticipated to see greater adoption in 2024, with proof of potential shown in recent trials that achieved 1.2Tbps transmission rates. As more organisations combine their efforts to circumvent the limitations of current infrastructure, optical technologies are predicted to become mainstream.

The union of IoT, Private 5G, and edge computing is also expected to offer organisations valuable real-time insight and data to inform better decision-making. Organisations' dependency on third-party edge services is set to increase as the need for 5G-enabled devices becomes more prevalent across sectors.

Human skills will remain crucial to the effective uptake of AI. This will prompt organisations to concentrate on closing skill gaps, with emphasis on AI and big data analytics becoming baseline qualifications across industries. New hirings will not solely fulfill this requirement, with potential for profitability through investment in reskilling and upskilling exercises.

Finally, 2024 will witness the rise of vertical specific clouds. These packages combine software, PaaS, and IaaS layers to deliver industry-specific use cases centred on business outcomes. This approach can offer increased business focus rather than technological focus, and is predicted to garner increasing interest.