As technology advances, so do our needs. Before we knew it, we had created new types of technologies for different people, businesses and industries.
Newly engineered systems, new technologies and more are starting to solve complex problems for us, saving hours and hours in terms of human resources and financial resources.
Below, we discuss some of the ways that technology has resolved some of our complex needs.
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Infrastructure Monitoring
The primary reason to monitor infrastructure is to diagnose issues and performances so that action can be taken before a critical problem arises.
This includes monitoring everything that contributes to the infrastructure such as the devices, hardware, network, environment, applications, and the storage.
Because infrastructure monitoring covers many complicated components that impact and interact with each other, without the appropriate IT tools, monitoring is challenging, if not impossible.
This is why automation is necessary for rapid response. It does not rely on human beings sitting at a desk, can manage problems at any time, and reduce mistakes due to human error.
Properly automated infrastructure monitoring results in less time, money, and labor spent on achieving optimal performance with minimal human intervention.
Advanced technology enables companies to monitor critical infrastructure in their business.
Rather than hiring and sending staff to walk along the rails and inspect every train and railway track, railroad companies can utilize a combination of machine learning, automation and 3D imaging.
They can then automatically scan and alert the stations to track anomalies, worn-down parts of trains passing by and many more.
Machine learning has made it quick and easy to detect possible problems in your infrastructure so that you can further inspect and resolve the issue in its early stages. This would usually warrant lower repair costs and shorter downtime for repair.
Follow the infrastructure monitoring best practices below to boost the success of your strategy:
- Prioritize in descending order a list of what is most important to minor issues.
- Set up alerts for fast and efficient resolution.
- Ensure that you are monitoring each data center location from more than one location.
- Use a combination of cloud-based and on-premises monitoring tools
- If needed, utilize the support offered by your vendor.
- Even in the absence of alerts, periodically check to make sure there are no problems with your settings and that the monitoring is working as it should.
- Regularly review the metrics and threshold settings to ensure maximum effectiveness.
- Run tests to assess the effectiveness of your system before a critical issue arises.
You might want to consider purchasing IT monitoring tools rather than building your own to better deal with modern-day complex IT systems.
2. Big Data Processing and Analytics
Nothing speaks technology more than programs and software engineered to process a large volume of data and analyze it for patterns.
Regardless of your industry, you are likely to have data processing needs to improve your work. Big data analytics examines data to uncover valuable information such as correlations, market trends, and customer preferences.
Data analytic techniques and technologies enable businesses to analyze sets of data, gather relevant information, and make more informed business operations and performance decisions.
Big data technologies use software that incorporates data sharing, storage, mining, and visualization.
It also includes the techniques and tools used to investigate and transform collected data, usually in conjunction with other technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML), and the Internet of things (IoT).
Big data analytics is used to make predictions on future behavior based on previously collected data of past behavior.
Through the use of machine learning technologies, statistical modeling, and data mining, it is used as a predictive tool to forecast future events.
3. Efficient Farming
Science and technology have allowed for in-depth research, analysis, and experiments to produce new farming methods.
Now, crops can be grown with lower costs and higher yield, making food more readily accessible and affordable worldwide.
While we are still facing issues with getting the public to understand genetic engineering in farming, this technology is one of the hopeful types that would eradicate world hunger.
4. Accessible Education
Barely a century ago, education was still a privilege for those who could afford to go for it. Many factors led to our grandparents not studying, including lack of funds, having the school a little too far away, and not understanding the importance of education.
Today, students can find and enrol in courses available online and learn everything they need remotely. There are also many apps that efficiently support student learning. Whatever students may need: a study time tracker, a flashcard app or a note-taking system, they can easily find it on their smartphones.
The pandemic accelerated technology adaptation in the academic field, allowing teachers and students to utilize video calls, drawing tablets and various other forms of technology to get their points across to each other.
This improved accessibility to education is a significant benefit to students with learning disabilities or difficulties.
AI technology uses virtual feedback to enable students to learn outside of the classroom. The result is a more engaging and tailored curriculum for each learner.
Even though nothing can replace the importance of teachers, AI can enhance a teacher’s job and the educational process by:
- Streamlining and personalizing administrative tasks to give teachers more freedom and time for adapting and understanding students’ individual needs.
- Providing learning, testing, and feedback from pre-K to college-level students to differentiate and identify knowledge gaps and suggest individualized learning paths.
- Making global classrooms available to everyone including those with hearing or visual impairments.
- Removing the language barrier with tools such as Microsoft’s Translator for Education.
- Supporting students with test preparations, homework, or classes they are struggling with via studying and tutoring programs.
AI applications for education will continue to improve with ongoing developments to improve the learning process and solve the needs of students, teachers, and administrators.
5. Increased productivity
Since software has started to be widely used across the globe, productivity has increased at least tenfold, making it easier for people to avoid repetitive tasks and focus on more challenging aspects of their work that actually require their attention.
In the design world, apps like Photoshop or Illustrator made it easier for designers and editors to create graphics that would otherwise be created with traditional methods.
And that was 2 decades ago. Also for service businesses, there are apps like Amelia or Trafft that help them and their clients book appointments easier. This might not come as such a big change, but it is a quick and easy to use alternative to having someone receive phone calls and book a client manually for a certain appointment.
This means that someone responsible for appointments doesn’t have to actually take phone calls anymore but just supervise the calendar, making time for working on other more important tasks.
6. Cheaper Utilities
Non-renewable energy sources such as petroleum and natural gas will not sustain the planet for long with the rate that Earth’s population is growing.
However, scientists developed renewable energy sources several decades ago, and their usage is slowly increasing around the globe.
Researchers are still finding new ways to utilize renewable energy and increase their adaptation to be able to access electricity at lower costs someday, hopefully soon.
When renewable energy is more widely available, this would be an addition which is more environmentally friendly, helping us to fight more significant issues such as climate change and depletion of the ozone layer.
7. Improved Healthcare
Monitoring data collected for patient care and services is an efficient business strategy to increase profitability and improve patient care.
Thanks to technology, immense amounts of data can now be processed faster than ever. This allows researchers, healthcare workers, and various other people to focus on other aspects of their job.
Think about all the positive changes to healthcare in the last year alone. Because of the pandemic, medical facilities were still able to deliver treatment to patients with the increased usage of telemedicine.
Healthcare technological breakthroughs such as wearables and apps enable patients to monitor their pulse and blood sugar levels and report the data to their doctor remotely.
This way both physicians and patients can keep tabs on and more closely monitor medical conditions.
From monitoring infrastructure, processing and analyzing big data, improving farming efficiency, making education more accessible, increasing productivity, reducing the cost of utilities, and improving healthcare, using technology involves transforming and redefining how we live, work, and learn.
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