3 Tech Sectors About To Get Big in 2016

It’s no secret that technology is constantly changing. New hardware, software, and platforms ultimately mean the release of new and exciting products and services. 2016 will be no exception, with a number of trends promising big tech industry growth. Here is our list of the three sectors in tech that will dominate 2016.

Number One: Virtual Reality

If you’ve been following the tech news over the past year, one of the biggest stories has been the recent progress of virtual reality technologies. With companies like Facebook’s Oculus Rift, Samsung, and HTC Corp all set to release their first consumer versions of their virtual reality headsets, most would argue we are the cusp of what might be a digital revolution in how we consume digital content.

Early reports about the effects of virtual reality are staggering. A recent report from Gartner Projects estimate that over 25 million head-mounted VR headsets will be sold by 2018, with the majority of sales coming from the United States and Europe. If these numbers hold up, there is a good chance in a couple years you might be virtually watching us report this story rather than reading it.

Number Two: E-Sports

When most people think of emerging technologies they don’t think of electronic sports. Regardless, they should. The phenomena of e-sports competition had a huge year, and it’s about to have an even bigger one.

In 2014, 18 million viewers tuned in to the NBA Finals, 21.2 million saw the NCAA men’s basketball championship, and 23.5 million watched the World Series. Impressive numbers, but are all smaller than the 27 million mostly millennial viewers who watched League of Legends Season 3 World Championship. That number is even more impressive when you consider that League of Legends is just one out of a number of extremely popular video games that invite viewers to follow and tune in to competitions.

According to SuperData Research, in one recent tournament 71 million people around the world watched teams of gamers compete for a 25 million dollar grand prize. In the United States alone, over 30 million viewers regularly watch e-sports. With audiences predominantly made up of young male millennial’s, it’s clear that these numbers are going nowhere but up.

Number Three: The Internet of Things

The internet of things isn’t necessarily new. The ability for all kinds of devices and objects to store and share data has been a growing trend for a number of years. What is new however is the pace in which IOT is accelerating.

The internet of things is about to go from big to huge. The slow trickle of smart objects for your home, and tech savvy city services like credit card accepting parking meters, is about to become a firing hose over the coming year. Companies like Amazon, Google, and Microsoft are all releasing a slew of new smart gadgets, automating everything from door locks, purchasing new detergent, and ordering you groceries when your refrigerator knows you’re out. Others like Facebook have made big announcements about releasing and expanding new software development kits for programmers interested in creating more web-connected devices to make homes smarter. Who knows, it could be very soon that your refrigerator is doing your grocery shopping for you.