2018 internet trends report: 5 things business pros need to know

1. Internet is impacting, disrupting jobs

Technology disruption is nothing new in the workplace, but the pace at which it is happening is accelerating, as noted on slide 142 of the report. The rapid adoption of the internet coupled with massive growth in storage and compute power is rapidly shifting day-to-day work in every industry.
Technology also makes it easier for freelance workers to find jobs, and freelance work at Grand-Essays is growing at a faster pace than traditional work. On-demand workers are in high demand, and are growing in number. Immigration is also essential for creating new tech jobs, as 56% of the highest-valued tech firms were founded by first or second generation Americans, as noted on slide 289.

2. Consumers keep moving to mobile

While this may sound like a broken record, customers keep moving to mobile, and they don't seem to be slowing down. Mobile shopping and mobile payment apps are providing better online and in-store experiences, and many services—including mobile app-based ones— are shifting from one-time purchases to subscription models. Mobile shopping apps alone have experience 6% year-over-year growth, the report noted. The next generation of retail includes mobile technology and in-store retail, furthering the omnichannel ideal some companies are striving for.

3. AI everywhere

Artificial intelligence (AI) platforms are growing in prominence, brought to light by cloud leaders such as Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Google Cloud Platform (GCP). This includes hardware tools for GPU acceleration, and APIs for features such as natural language processing and computer vision.

AI isn't an enormous priority for increased spend, but it is "rapidly rising." AI is one of the most important things that humanity is working on. The US and China are the two biggest players in AI right now.

4. The privacy paradox

One of the most poignant points is the rise of the "privacy paradox," wherein internet giants are using personal data to make services better and cheaper, increasing both user engagement and regulatory scrutiny.
Following the Cambridge Analytica controversy at Facebook and the advent of GDPR, companies have to walk a fine line between personalizing their products and services and remaining in good favor with consumers, watchdog groups, and regulators. Companies must understand the unintended consequences of their products, and regulators must understand the unintended consequences of regulations.

5. Enterprise messaging improves productivity, collaboration

Consumerization has reshaped what enterprises expect from their tech tools, with Dropbox and Slack being two of the best examples.
One particular aspect of consumer products that is also exploding in the enterprise is messaging threads. These threads help organize information and the teams that need it, while also providing context and history. Tools like Slack can shorten the onboarding process, eliminate many email conversations, and help development teams get to market faster than before.