As technology continues to evolve at a very rapid pace so do the opportunities that businesses - and people in general - have to make use of it to manage their homes and workplaces more efficiently, to help streamline everyday processes and tasks, improve security, reduce costs and much more. The media tends to refer to it as 'smart tech' because the fact is that technology really is becoming more intelligent and intuitive than ever before.
The fact is that there are lots of high tech devices - and systems - coming to the market right now that utilize smart tech that can have a significant impact on your personal and business 'lives', But how can you make the best use of investments in these emerging tech offerings? Let's take a look at just some of the best ways to do so.
Save Tons of Time on Routine Tasks
One of the biggest ways new tech can help people on an everyday basis is by automating tasks and actions that suck both time and energy, For example, how many hours a day do you spend checking your email, both at work and at home? If you are like many people anywhere between an hour and three hours. AI programs and softwares are helping to change that though.
For example, if you use Windows 10 you already have access to Microsoft's AI assistant Cortana. She can, at your request, automatically scan your email inboxes and sort them by priority (which she will learn how to do based on preset settings you give her) and can even send basic replies for you. If you run a Mac instead Siri can do the same.
Then there are AI chatbots, interfaces that can be programmed rather easily to handle a growing number of basic customer service queries for businesses. And let's not forget AI hardware like Amazon's Alexa and Google Home, that allow both individual consumers and businesses the ability to do all kinds of things - including make purchases - literally without lifting a finger or to have colleagues join a meeting from anywhere without the need for special software.
Improve Security With Ease
For both business and homeowners security is always a major concern. The good news is that smart tech is making it easier and more affordable to effectively secure physical property and digital assets as well. Smart locks, biometrics controlled keyless entry systems, fingerprint protected digital file storage and more are all smart tech innovations that are helping to make feeling more secure a lot easier (and in many cases more affordable as well.)
Facilitate Accessibility
When you combine mobile devices and the many apps they can use with the versatility of the Internet of Things (IoT) and the scope of the cloud all kinds of things have become far more accessible thanks to smart tech.
For example, it's now rather easy for a business' employees to complete their work away from the office - often at home - and yet still remain connected to their co-workers and every bit as productive as they would be if they were sitting at their desk.
And for those who do go out to an office to work every day and worry about what's going on at home while they are away, smart tech is making a big impact there too. Want your home to be the perfect temperature when you get there? A smart thermostat, which can be controlled from a smartphone, allows you to do that and save money on energy bills.
And have you seen those smart pet cameras yet? The ones that allow you to keep an eye on your furry friends, communicate with them and feed them treats remotely? Just another example of some amazing smart tech at work!
Provide a Better Customer Experience
Thanks to the power of the Internet of Things and its connected devices, businesses can now provide a better and more targeted customer experience. The IoT can collect a wealth of customers data, allowing them greater insight into what they are considering buying, what they are searching for or what they need. Chatbots can answer basic queries outside regular business hours, offer directions to physical businesses and even be programmed to send out a series of helpful tips and messages to those who opt in.