Though it only just started, 2024 is already shaping up to be an active year marked by a number of dynamic tech trends that will have powerful impacts both today and in the future. With this in mind, it’s crucial to stay informed, be proactive, and invest in your own development to ensure that you’re able to bring the most current thinking and best engineering practices to your workplace and overall career.
Following are several top tech trends of 2024 (as shared by some of the industry’s most renowned experts), along with targeted and convenient course programs from IEEE to support your continuing education journey. Stay on top of the industry’s most prominent developments and let IEEE help you prepare for a productive 2024!
Data Privacy
According to a 2023 Pew Research Center study, 67% of those surveyed had “little to no understanding of what companies do with the data they collect about them”, and 81% reported being “concerned” about how that data is used. With personal data being regularly bought and sold by companies behind the scenes, the increasing collection and use of personal data by/through social media and artificial intelligence (AI), the growing threat of data breaches by hackers, and the current lack of standardized regulatory parameters around the collection and use of personal data, mechanisms to protect and secure data privacy continue to be of growing importance.
IEEE Resource: Protecting Privacy in the Digital Age (Four-Course Program)
Brought to you by IEEE Educational Activities in collaboration with IEEE Digital Privacy, this four-course program provides a framework on how to operationalize privacy in an organizational context, how to make it usable for end users, and how to address emerging technical challenges to protecting digital privacy. Learn More>>
Internet of Things (IoT) Security
As digital footprints continue to expand in today’s highly-connected society, the evolving landscape of internet-enabled devices, including connected lighting fixtures, voice-activated virtual assistants, doorbell cameras, and smart watches, cars, and refrigerators, “all serve as data-transferring endpoints in a system known as the Internet of Things,” said Brooke Becher of Built In. With 15 billion devices now connected to the Internet of Things worldwide and forecasted to double to 30 billion by 2030, the need to protect cloud-based, internet-connected hardware, and associated networks through IoT Security techniques has never been greater.
IEEE Resource: All About IoT Security (Six-Course Program)
Developed by IEEE Educational Activities with support from IEEE Internet of Things Technical Community, this six-course program is designed to provide learners with a broad overview of IoT security. It starts with challenges such as malware and botnets followed by vulnerabilities, network monitoring, setting up of testbeds, and application of blockchain in IoT security. Learn More>>
Energy Efficiency/Sustainability
Experts agree that the continued development of sustainable electricity sources will not only contribute to energy efficiency goals but ensure greater accessibility to energy worldwide. According to Liz Centoni, EVP, Chief Strategy Officer and General Manager, Applications at Cisco, “the fast-emerging category of energy networking, which combines the capabilities of software-defined networking and an electric power system made up of direct-current microgrids, will contribute to energy efficiency [and optimize] power usage, distribution, transmission, and storage.”
Microgrids (local, self-sufficient energy systems designed to support a defined community of users), as well as minigrids (smaller-scale microgrids designed to distribute electricity generated by such renewable sources as solar panels, wind turbines, battery storage, hydropower, and diesel generators), will be especially critical for the estimated 750-800 million people worldwide who currently have no access to electricity. Two-thirds of this number live in sub-Saharan Africa.
IEEE Resource: Minigrids in Africa (Four-Course Program)
In this training, learners will explore the context and roles for minigrids in Africa, as well as appropriate technologies, maintenance, sustainability, operational considerations for connecting to national grids, and regulatory and policy considerations. Learn More>>
High-Performance Computing
Though high-performance computing has been used for decades in academic and government settings, the recent proliferation in the quantity of data that’s become available and shared across an increasingly expanding number of hardware and software touchpoints is driving the demand for greater computing power. Thanks to the broad range of mission-critical applications for high-performance computing— including weather forecasting, healthcare/drug development, quantum mechanics, climate research, and more— experts confirm that there will be an ongoing need for data to be processed at incredibly high speeds of quadrillions of calculations per second and even faster.
IEEE Resource: High Performance Computing Technologies, Solutions to Exascale Systems, and Beyond (Five-Course Program)
This course program, developed in partnership with IEEE Future Directions, focuses on high-performance computing, how to address challenges and solutions in the Exascale era, the leading edge of HPC research, and more. Learn More>>
High-Efficiency Wi-Fi
According to telecom expert Shaun Carlson of Arvig, “the sixth generation of Wi-Fi networks— dubbed Wi-Fi 6 and technically known as [IEEE Standard] 802.11ax— promises major improvements in the capacity and capability of wireless networks” relative to the previous generation. Benefits of Wi-Fi 6 include up to 40% faster connectivity/speed for supported devices, increased network capacity through the use of multi-user, multiple-input, multiple-output (MU-MIMO) technology, and greater efficiency that conserves battery power. “As more Wi-Fi 6-certified devices hit the market – from routers to laptops and more,” said Carlson, “it’s a good time for businesses to consider how their networks can accommodate Wi-Fi 6.”
IEEE Resource: IEEE 802.11ax: An Overview of High-Efficiency Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6) (Two-Course Program)
In this training, learners will gain an overview of the features and optimizations introduced by IEEE 802.11ax to the Physical (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers, which led to these improvements. Learn More>>
Configuration Management
The growing threat of cyber attacks involving ransomware, malware, computer worms, and other nefarious forms of software continues to rise to the point where an attack now occurs every 39 seconds at a cost of US$6 billion globally (and potentially over US$10 billion by 2025). Experts report that 95% of cyber security breaches are a result of human error and the action of users who unknowingly view or interact with bad actors/sites and expose their system(s) to malicious code. As a result, configuration management— an IT process that establishes configuration standards for each asset in a company’s network, automatically alerting business leaders of any issues that require updates, reconfiguration, or patches and promoting consistency across the network— is becoming an increasingly standard approach that companies are employing to reduce their vulnerability to cyber threats.
IEEE Resource: Software & Hardware Configuration Management in Systems Engineering (Five-Course Program)
Developed with the IEEE Computer Society, this course program teaches essential configuration management (CM) core concepts for both hardware and software starting with requirements specified in IEEE Standard 828. Learn More>>
Time-Sensitive Networking
Housed within the family of IEEE 802 Standards, time-sensitive networking enables data traffic of time-critical applications to be carried over a network shared by various kinds of applications. It is increasingly delivering the benefits of speed, accuracy, and reliability to a broad range of industries, from industrial automation and manufacturing to automotive and aerospace, telecommunications, entertainment, and more.
IEEE Resource: New Course on Time-Sensitive Networking!
Virtual Local Area Network Bridging with TSN Enhancements introduces the components of network architecture that play a vital role in time-sensitive networking (TSN), and which provide the tools needed by network architects to properly architect networks to support the delivery of data for time-sensitive applications. Learn More>>
Resources
Law, Marcus. (20 December 2023). Top 10: Technology Trends for 2024. Technology.
(8 January 2024). 20 Tech Experts on The Tools And Trends That Will Dominate 2024. Forbes.
Cozzi, Laura, Wetzel, Daniel, Tonolo, Gianluca, and Hyppolite II, Jacob. (3 November 2022). For the First Time in Decades, the Number of People Without Access to Electricity is Set to Increase in 2022. International Energy Agency.
Mcclain, Colleen, Faverio, Michelle, Anderson, Monica, and Park, Eugenie. (18 October 2023). How Americans View Data Privacy. Pew Research Center.
Vailshery, Lionel Sujay. (27 July 2023). Number of Internet of Things (IoT) Connected Devices Worldwide from 2019 To 2023, With Forecasts from 2022 to 2030. Statista.
Becher, Brooke. (5 October 2023). IoT Security: What It Is and Why It’s Important. Built In.
Carlson, Shaun/Arvig. (26 April 2022). Wi-Fi 6 is Here: The 3 Biggest Advantages of Upgrading Your Business Network. Minneapolis/St. Paul Business Journal.
Boskamp, Elie. (15 June 2023). 30 Crucial Cybersecurity Statistics [2023]: Data, Trends and More. Zippia.
(1 August 2022). What Is Configuration Management and Why Is It Important? UpGuard.
Most connected users worldwide have at some point experienced the agony and frustration of a slow wireless network. However, speeds are increasing thanks to IEEE Standard 802.11ax and its impact on business and society as we know it.
Officially certified in 2020, IEEE 802.11ax, also known as “Wi-Fi 6,” delivers throughput per user via wireless LAN (WLAN) technology that’s four times faster than the preceding Wi-Fi standard. (IEEE 802.11ac, known as “Wi-Fi 5”, was introduced in 2013.) Offering increased bandwidth, more efficient use of channels and router technology, the ability to conserve power through a proactive “Target Wake Time” feature, and updated data encryption capabilities, IEEE Standard 802.11ax is poised to significantly enhance the speed and reliability of wireless networks.
Over the last several years, wireless connections have especially suffered in high-density environments where large numbers of devices are connected to a network. The increased adoption of internet-connected devices worldwide contributes to the growth of such environments. Furthermore, advances in technology have driven more companies to modernize their wireless networks. Those trends are only expected to continue, with research firm Markets and Market Data projecting the global Wi-Fi market to rise from US$12.3 billion to US$31.3 billion in value by 2027.
High Efficiency, Reliable Wi-Fi is Critical to Industries Across the Board
In our current global Wi-Fi landscape that continues to both expand rapidly and advance technologically, the need for speed and high efficiency is more imperative than ever to industries of all kinds. Check out these examples.
According to a recent study by The International Association of Conference Centres (IACC), nearly 60% of meeting planners surveyed claimed that they wouldn’t prioritize a venue unless they had a guarantee of internet performance.
Thanks to the adoption of Wi-Fi 6, airports will no longer struggle to reconfigure their networks when travelers download content, check emails, and otherwise overload the building’s wireless network just prior to boarding their flight.
In the automotive industry, Wi-Fi 6 will more quickly and comprehensively generate telematic data on engine performance, breaking and steering systems, real-time traffic conditions, and the use of such features as surround-view cameras and roadside assistance. This will allow car manufacturers to enhance safety features and tailor service packages for drivers. Additionally, car repairs can get underway faster. Wi-Fi 6 will enable car dealers and repair shops to connect wirelessly to a vehicle’s on-board diagnostics, identify problems remotely, and prepare a repair estimate even before a customer comes into the shop. Wi-Fi 6 will also be a boon for in-car ‘infotainment,’ as it will support the real-time speed required for streaming content.
In the healthcare arena, the use of telemedicine rose precipitously during the pandemic. Many medical practitioners and patients continue to use it. At the same time, more medical devices (such as x-ray and MRI machines) are going wireless, which will place additional data demands on wireless networks. With Wi-Fi 6, healthcare facilities operating such equipment remotely will be able to transmit data with greater speed and reliability, place mission-critical equipment on a different band, and better optimize their wireless capabilities.
Manufacturing and logistics companies with Wi-Fi 6 capabilities can run diagnostics and maintenance on equipment remotely and reduce costly downtime in the manufacturing, supply chain, quality control, and distribution functions.
Additional uses are areas such as the educational and the defense industries. In both these sectors, training in “real-life” situations is often conducted in simulated settings for safety and/or cost reasons, Wi-Fi 6 can enable greater access to in-depth, real-world simulations for training purposes.
Wi-Fi 6 Expectations
The bottom line?
In an economy where the speed and quality of network connections can drive the user experience and ultimately dictate a company’s success, Wi-Fi 6 holds promise in a variety of fields. Global consultant Deloitte states that W-Fi 6 will be “indispensable to the future of enterprise connectivity” across all connected industries.
Are You Up to Speed on Wi-Fi 6?
The course program, IEEE 802.11ax: An Overview of High-Efficiency Wi-Fi (Wi-Fi 6), takes learners on the latest step in a journey of continuous innovation in wireless local area networks (LAN) standards. In it, expert instructors discuss IEEE Standard 802.11ax, the underlying technology of the latest Wi-Fi 6 products.
Unlike previous amendments (e.g., IEEE Standard 802.11ac and IEEE Standard 802.11n), which were focused mainly on increasing the peak throughput, 802.11ax focuses on achieving Higher Efficiency (HE) and improving metrics that reflect user experience, such as average throughput per station. This was achieved by better physical layer efficiency and spectrum utilization, flexible multi-access and scheduled transmission schemes, increasing the spatial reuse, and improving interference management between neighboring networks, particularly in dense environments.
This training provides an overview of the features and optimizations introduced by IEEE 802.11ax to the Physical (PHY) and Medium Access Control (MAC) layers. The first part of the program focuses on the PHY layer, and the second part focuses on the MAC layer.
Resources:
What Is 802.11ac? Cisco.
Badman, Lee. What’s the difference between 802.11ac vs. 802.11ax? Tech Target.
Serrano, Jesus. (4 January 2023). 6 WiFi Trends to Watch Out For in 2023. Galgus.
Kerravala, Zeus. (11 October 2021). Why Businesses Need to Upgrade And Modernize Their Wi-Fi Networks. Forbes.
Wi-Fi 6 Industry Impact Report. Qualcomm.
Tang, Kevin. (16 February 2022). Wi-Fi is Essential for Driving Automotive Transformation. Wi-Fi Alliance.
(29 September 2022.) Telehealth in the Pandemic—How Has It Changed Health Care Delivery in Medicaid and Medicare? U.S. Government Accountability Office.
Dohnalek, Mark. (18 June 2021). Wi-Fi 6: What it Means and Why it Matters for New Product Development. Supply Chain Management Review.
Hupfer, Susanne. Bucaille, Ariane. Mazumder, Sayantani. Westcott, Kevin. (1 December 2021). Wi-Fi 6: Unsung, Underexposed—and Indispensable to the Future of Enterprise Connectivity. Deloitte Insights.