Forrester published its series of 2018 predictions last week — the research covers a wide range of topics, which you can review here. In addition, Forrester has also released an overall predictions guide that provides more insights on the dynamics that will shape 2018.

Below is a quick recap of everything released for technology management professionals. Please contact us if you’d like a copy of any of these reports.

Predictions 2018: A Year Of Reckoning (also see blog post)

The fate of individual companies has never been more uncertain, and the window of opportunity is closing for many. 2018 will force decisive action for firms looking to digitally transform, revitalize customer experiences, and take control of their destiny. Forrester’s 2018 predictions guide identifies the major dynamics that will shape the year ahead — dynamics that favor those taking aggressive action and create existential risks for those still holding on to old ways of doing business.

CIO: CIOs Make The Chief Digital Officer Obsolete (also see blog post)

The CIO’s agenda for the new year will focus on fully embracing digital transformation, cultivating talent, and implementing (not just testing) new technologies. Forrester predicts that artificial intelligence (AI) and the internet of things (IoT) will remain hot, blockchain will simmer, and quantum will gather steam. In addition, digital business platforms are a wave, and companies will either build them or deliver through them.

Cloud: Cloud Computing Accelerates Enterprise Transformation Everywhere (also see blog post)

Public cloud adoption will reach a 50% adoption rate in 2018, which is a significant milestone for enterprises. Looking at the factors shaping the cloud computing landscape next year, Forrester also predicts that the market should expect further consolidation through 2020. Enterprises will shift 10% of their traffic from carrier backbones to other providers, and telecom providers will feel the effects.

Cybersecurity: Businesses Will Face Even More Challenges In 2018

Rising tensions in international relations, ubiquitous connectivity, digital transformation initiatives, and the data economy will have a large impact on cybersecurity. Forrester has six predictions for cybersecurity in 2018, including: Governments will no longer be the sole providers of reliable, verified identities; more IoT attacks will be motivated by financial gain than chaos; and blockchain will overtake AI in venture capital funding and security vendor road maps.

Employee Experience: EX Powers The Future Of Work

An engaged workforce boosts customer experience and revenue performance. While Forrester predicts that employee engagement won’t improve in 2018, technology leaders must stay on top of micro trends like collaboration and employee technology, as well as macro issues like how automation is reshaping labor, as they are thrust into the forefront to help create the conditions for a positive employee experience.

Artificial Intelligence: The Honeymoon For AI Is Over (see blog post); Blended AI Will Disrupt Your Customer Service And Sales Strategy (also see blog post)

CIOs will move away from the lift-and-shift approach to AI tech implementations, and firms will increasingly use new applications of blended AI to improve customer service and sales processes in the new year. In addition, Forrester predicts that AI will make decisions and provide real-time instructions at 20% of firms and will increasingly be used for visual experience.

Automation: Automation Alters The Global Workforce (also see blog post)

Forrester predicts that the market for automation will accelerate faster in the new year as enterprises aim to enhance performance and garner insights from commodity tasks. Other predictions include: Automation will eliminate 9% of US jobs but create 2% more; a political automation backlash will briefly impede progress — and lose; and bots — backed by AI — will alter traditional information management.

Blockchain: Be Ready To Face The Realities Behind The Blockchain Hype (see blog post)

2018 will be the year CIOs will exploit the potential of blockchain technology. While there will be steady improvement and a few breakthroughs, don’t expect a major leap in technology maturity in 2018. In addition, CIOs and CISOs will pay greater attention to blockchain security, and blockchain will start to transform fraud management and identity verification. Banking processes will also see heterogeneous blockchain adoption in 2018.

Internet Of Things: IoT Moves From Experimentation To Business Scale

IoT technologies will dictate how companies deliver high-value experiences for their customers next year. Increased consumer adoption and advances in AI are fueling the improvement of connected devices, and the quality of voice services will boost adoption of IoT devices. In addition, IoT will be at the center of broader and more damaging cyberattacks as hackers seek to compromise systems to extract sensitive data.

Developers: New Technologies Propel Software Development (see blog post)

Every company is in the software business. Fast, iterative delivery of high-quality software means better customer engagement and higher satisfaction, so an effective development organization is more important than ever. Forrester predicts that in 2018, developers won’t just build AI, they’ll deploy it in development. The next generation of platform programming models of APIs, microservices, containers, and low-code architectures comes into sharper focus, and we’ll start to see increasing demand for developers who know how to build experiences based on augmented reality and natural language processing.

Healthcare: Digital Will Disrupt Siloed Healthcare Ecosystems

In 2018, the US healthcare industry will continue to face regulatory uncertainty and increasing consumer demands. CIOs will divert funds from enterprise health records (EHRs) and other systems that aren’t delivering on their promises into enterprise health clouds and robots. Forrester also predicts that consumers will want more digital options, while chatbots will gain popularity in the healthcare industry. In addition, enterprise health clouds will become the systems of insight for healthcare organizations.