How AI Will Impact Your Business This Year

BlogHow AI Will Impact Your Business This Year

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Describing 2023 as transformative for AI would be an understatement. We saw constant innovation, astonishing breakthroughs, and a flood of new AI products, making it challenging to keep up. Two months into 2024, it’s worth considering what lies ahead for AI.

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While the rapid pace of AI development in 2023 has shown us that predicting the future of AI is close to impossible, we can begin by examining the top seven trends that are likely to continue into 2024:

1. Augmented Working

According to a recent study, 87% of surveyed executives believe that generative AI is more likely to augment employees rather than replace them. This year, we expect to see a surge in adopting AI-driven platforms that enhance productivity and efficiency across various industries. Whether automating data analysis or optimizing supply chain management, AI will empower employees to focus on high-value tasks while machines handle the mundane ones.

2. Everyone Becomes a Creator

Creativity is the ultimate bet for AI. Already, AI has helped write pop songs, mimicked the styles of great painters and actors, and a lot more. With AI-driven tools becoming more accessible and user-friendly, everyone will have the opportunity to become a creator. From content generation to architectural design, AI-powered platforms are transforming the creative process. This year, businesses will witness an increase in user-generated content fueled by AI-driven tools throughout all the platforms, revolutionizing how content is created and shared.

3. Multi-modal Models

Traditionally, AI models have been trained on single modalities such as text or images. However, recent advancements in AI research have led to the development of multi-modal models that simultaneously process and understand information from multiple sources. This year, we can expect to see a rise in the adoption of these multi-modal models across various applications, from natural language processing to computer vision. By harnessing the power of multiple modalities, businesses will be able to extract richer insights and provide more immersive experiences to their customers.

4. Personalized Customer Interactions

In an era of hyper-personalization, AI is driving a paradigm shift in customer interactions. A study by McKinsey & Company indicates that using AI for customer service can boost customer interaction, leading to more chances for cross-selling and upselling and lowering the cost of serving customers. This year, businesses are expected to leverage AI-powered algorithms to deliver highly personalized experiences to their customers. Whether it’s recommending products based on past purchase history or tailoring marketing messages to individual preferences, AI will enable businesses to forge deeper connections with their audience.

5. Enhanced Decision-Making

A recent article from the World Economic Forum talks about how over 40% of CEOs rely on generative AI to help with decision-making. We expect to see a proliferation of AI-driven analytics platforms that empower businesses to make informed decisions in real time. Whether it’s predicting market trends or optimizing operational processes, AI will enable businesses to stay ahead of the competition by leveraging data-driven insights. By harnessing the power of AI, businesses can mitigate risks, identify opportunities, and drive growth with confidence.

6. Software Development

AI is reshaping the software development landscape by automating various aspects of the development lifecycle. Software developers can now finish coding tasks up to twice as quickly with the help of generative AI. Businesses will increasingly rely on AI-powered tools to streamline the process of building, testing, and deploying software applications. Whether it’s generating code snippets or identifying bugs, AI will augment the capabilities of software developers and accelerate the pace of innovation.

7. Ethical and Regulatory Focus

As AI becomes more integrated into business operations, ethical and regulatory considerations will become increasingly important. Businesses will sooner or later need to navigate complex ethical dilemmas surrounding AI, such as bias in algorithms and data privacy concerns. Additionally, regulators are expected to introduce new frameworks and guidelines to govern the use of AI in various industries. By prioritizing ethical and responsible AI practices, businesses can build trust with their customers and ensure compliance with regulatory requirements.

The Future of AI

It’s hard to say what the future holds for AI — but we know that AI will only become more prevalent. Forbes lists AI as a top trend for managed service providers in 2024, and Synoptek is a leader in this field.

Discover how Synoptek’s Artificial Intelligence Services can empower your organization to navigate the complex AI landscape with confidence. Whether it’s leveraging advanced algorithms, optimizing workflows, or unlocking actionable insights from data, Synoptek is committed to helping you harness the full potential of AI technology. Partner with us today to unlock new opportunities and drive success in the age of AI.


Contributor’s Bio

Anish Purohit

Anish Purohit

Data Science Manager

Anish Purohit is a certified Azure Data Science Associate with over 11 years of industry experience. With a strong analytical mindset, Anish excels in architecting, designing, and deploying data products using a combination of statistics and technologies. He is proficient in AL/ML/DL and has extensive knowledge of automation, having built and deployed solutions on Microsoft Azure and AWS and led and mentored teams of data engineers and scientists.

What are the Benefits of Managed IT Services and is it Worth it?

BlogWhat are the Benefits of Managed IT Services and is it Worth it?

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The pace of digital transformation has encouraged many organizations to turn to managed IT services providers so they can focus on making technology an enabler for their business and have a strong technology foundation to steer it to success. As per a report by Markets and Markets, the managed services market will be worth $372.6 billion by 2028, growing at an annual compound growth rate of 6.2%.

Although managed services offer numerous cost and efficiency benefits, when it comes to getting approval of the C-Suite, it’s all about ROI: what will they get in return when they partner with a managed services provider?

Read on to get a better understanding of the benefits of managed IT services and learn about its true ROI.

What are Managed IT Services?

Managed IT Services is the practice of fully or partially outsourcing the development, implementation, migration, maintenance, and upgrade of different parts of IT infrastructure or applications to a skilled and experienced third-party vendor. These vendors or managed services providers (MSPs) are typically located remotely or operate from a near-shore or offshore location. They also offer robust IT infrastructure management and 24/7 helpdesk support services.

Why Partner with a Managed Services Provider (MSP)?

As organizations strive to stay competitive and relevant, the complexity of managing technology infrastructure and the constant emergence of new trends poses significant challenges. The top 3 reasons why organizations partner with an MSP are:

  • Lack of in-house technical skills.
  • The pressure to adapt to the latest technology trends at the speed of now.
  • The need to ensure regulatory compliance and optimum cyber security.

Embracing managed IT services ensures your company benefits from consistent pricing and the flexibility to focus on essential business challenges rather than the intricacies of IT management.

What are the Benefits of Managed IT Services?

Lack of strategic advice, inadequate standards and procedures, vulnerable cybersecurity, substandard customer service, and a shortage of available IT talent make it hard for companies to run their businesses efficiently and securely.

In recent years, forward-thinking companies have embraced IT outsourcing to save costs in non-critical business areas and entrust MSPs with back-office and core business processes. Such collaborations are built on business outcomes rather than cost-effectiveness.

And it’s not just simple database management or application development that is being contracted. Today, contracting the C-suite is becoming a global phenomenon, clearly stating that you can outsource any service or department, to enhance results and returns.

Let’s look at the tangible benefits of partnering with an MSP:

1. Achieve True Optimization

When you collaborate with an MSP, you can be sure that the right and most advanced set of technologies is being implemented to satisfy both employee and customer requirements. A qualified managed IT services partner can ensure that you can easily adopt the latest and most modern technologies and solutions to meet your business needs. A partner can also help provide necessary IT support services across upgrading, updating, modernizing, and managing your IT systems and driving true optimization.

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2. Get a Better Grip on Security Risks

Companies, regardless of their size or industry, are susceptible to cyberattacks. By partnering with managed services providers, organizations have the required security controls, tools, and frameworks to minimize the probability and impact of a security breach. They can better track their data and systems and proactively identify attempts to steal, misuse, or share unauthorized information. At the same time, they can also have the necessary policies and resources in place to recover from a breach while also preventing similar attacks from happening in the future.

3. Better Manage and Optimize Costs

Yes, cost-effectiveness is still one of the main reasons why companies opt for managed IT services. Today, most managed services are offered via the pay-per-use model, allowing organizations to pay only for the services they use – while eliminating capital expenditure on expensive servers, systems, and other on-premises infrastructure.

Also, it relieves the pressure to hire and train resources, enabling companies to access all the expertise and skill sets they need when needed. This allows them to lower their operational costs while focusing on growing their business.

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4. Improve User Productivity

With managed services, organizations also gain the advantage of boosting user productivity. A trusted partner can ensure the right tools and systems are implemented, empowering employees to carry out their tasks optimally.

Automated workflows, modern user interfaces, and seamless integration enhance overall efficiency and contribute to achieving business objectives more rapidly. Simultaneously, a managed IT services partner is committed to ensuring all systems operate at their peak performance, consistently addressing issues for maximum operational excellence and user satisfaction.

What are the Different Types of Managed Services?

Managed services can be applied to support and manage various technology or service areas. However, the key service domains include:

1. IT Infrastructure Management Services

IT Infrastructure Management Services facilitate the continuous monitoring and support of IT systems, applications, and infrastructure around the clock. This allows organizations to concentrate on advancing their business without the burden of day-to-day technology management.

2. Application Management Services

Modern applications demand ongoing management throughout their lifecycle. Application Management Services help maintain and optimize the performance and functionality of these applications. From incident resolution to addressing user requests with specialized product knowledge, these services enhance application uptime, scalability, and security.

3. Data Managed Services

As the accumulation of vast amounts of data becomes a global challenge, Data Managed Services help organizations efficiently manage organizational data, addressing data growth, cleansing, storage, analysis for insights, and supporting evidence-based decision-making.

4. Cloud Management Services

Cloud forms the bedrock for digital transformation initiatives, but managing migration, resources, and ensuring availability while optimizing costs can be complex. Cloud Management Services provide comprehensive expert services to streamline day-to-day cloud management, ensuring functionality, addressing security and privacy concerns, and maximizing cloud ROI.

5. Workforce Productivity Managed Services

With the workforce becoming increasingly hybrid, managing, and empowering geographically dispersed employees is a significant challenge. Workforce Productivity Managed Services establish an interconnected and interoperable workplace by implementing and managing modern productivity tools, fostering collaboration between cross-functional teams while maintaining high levels of security and functionality.

6. Cybersecurity Managed Services

It is a time of heightened cyber-related threats, which means the need for strong cybersecurity measures. Cybersecurity Managed Services assist organizations in establishing effective cybersecurity controls and policies across networks, servers, applications, users, and secondary devices. Through continuous monitoring, such services enhance enterprise security, helping organizations keep pace with the evolving threat landscape.

Engage with a Top Managed Services Provider

If achieving the desired ROI from your information technology investments has been challenging, it may be attributed to the difficulty of fully leveraging modern technology. Limited expertise and the rapid pace of change hinder the efficient management of complex IT systems. This is why many organizations are increasingly turning to managed service providers for their IT needs.

As a top managed services provider in Boise, Synoptek offers Innovation as a Service. We provide seamless access to expert resources, tools, and processes, creating a tailored and comprehensive managed services model for your business. The aim is to address your unique requirements and priorities while ensuring optimal utilization of modern technology.

Need more information? Download this white paper or talk to our managed services experts in Boise today!

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Continuous Experience Optimization

Thought LeadershipContinuous Experience Optimization: The What, Why, and How

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According to a survey by our partner Quantum Metric less than 25% of customer service escalations lead to an improvement in business performance, with the rest resulting in marginal improvements at best. This translates into the digital team spending TWO months a year on items that have a negligible impact on the business. TWO MONTHS!

The Struggles of Customer Experience

Every company wants to keep their customers happy and engaged. Yet, customer experience continues to be a major challenge for most businesses. According to Forrester’s 2023 Customer Service Index, despite more than 80% of business leaders indicating that improving CX is a high priority, just 6% of brands saw a significant increase in 2023, compared to 10% the year prior.

Customer experience issues start innocently enough; an executive forwards an email to the digital team about how a user had difficulty using the company website.

The Struggles of Customer Experience

Maybe they find something, but more than likely they don’t. If they do find something, what can they do about it? Is it something that can fixed by the latest release? Was the issue temporal and no longer happening? Or did it occur due to a specific set of circumstances? Is the fix simple or complex, is it a change to the UI, technology, or even the business rule?

Regardless of the issue (and the associated diagnosis), the product manager must decide how to respond to the executive and what they will do about it. This may seem like a small thing, but imagine if the escalations occur once a week, and it takes the team a day to diagnose the root cause, understand if it is something they can fix, implement a fix, and explain this back to the executive. This scenario is one of the biggest time wasters for digital teams and interrupts the priorities other teams have for the week.

Now, also imagine the same team is spending time working on other false positives reported from other sources, such as the call center, marketing, etc. And spending time trying to react to the issues that these other areas are reporting. This adds up to the digital team spending a lot of time every month stuck in a find-and-fix cycle with no real guarantee of return and not working on the major roadmap issues that will help improve product capabilities, the user experience, or business outcomes.

Turn Inefficiency Around with Continuous Experience Optimization

For most IT, CX, and product management teams, this is a grim reality! But what if you could turn this inefficiency around? A 25% improvement in mean time to resolution (MTTR) could save organizations up to $100K/month! And a 75% improvement mean time to resolution could save up to $1M/month!

What if someone could help you diagnose, scale, prioritize, and make recommendations on how to fix the issue and deploy it for you, freeing up your digital team to focus on the product roadmap and get those new capabilities and their associated business benefits to market faster?

Engaging with a skilled customer experience partner can help you exploit the capabilities of an ultramodern journey analytics platform, years of UX and UI design skills, and a deep technical bench to manage your experience optimization needs. Not only will it save your company money, but also allow you to drive your business forward and capture the market share it needs.

We call this XO (eXperience Optimization). It is the ongoing process of understanding what your customers need and providing the best possible experience for them across all touchpoints. It allows businesses to sustain customer experience levels despite the rapid expansion of devices and marketing channels, the evolution of customer expectations, and changes in business practices.

Reimagine Customer Experience with Macquarium XO

As organizations struggle to stand out in a competitive market, continuous experience optimization can truly make a difference. It can empower organizations to embrace a cultural shift and make incremental changes and improvements to the overall customer experience, which can eventually lead to significant results. At Macquarium, a Synoptek company, we have been helping organizations reimagine the customer experience. By establishing competencies and best practices for your CX program, we strengthen the very foundation of customer experience design, enabling improvements and innovation along the way.

Norfolk Southern Railways used our XO offering to greatly improve the experience of their customer portal. The company was able to understand, quantify, and prioritize the experience problems, bring elegant design solutions to those problems with the greatest returns, and help development focus on the items that matter most. Norfolk Southern saw reductions in inbound service calls, better adoption of new capabilities, and large improvements in time to resolution. It also allowed their teams to focus on their product roadmap and increased the speed of releasing new capabilities to the market.

The Struggles of Customer Experience

We believe the XO is the service you never knew you needed. Reach out to us to learn more about how this service can benefit your company.

Original Article posted on Macquarium, Inc.