Here we are at the end of another year – and what a year it has been! From big events in the political sphere to the passing of many notable stars has left a noticeable impact on all of our lives. But while it’s been a rough year in the public sphere, the world of tech has made some amazingly huge advancements. Artificial Intelligence, Virtual/Augmented/Mixed Realities, Smart Homes: all three of these new tech tools will forever alter how humans interact with their environment – digital or otherwise. And as a tech development company, we’ve tried to keep you as up to date as possible with these changes. But sometimes things fall through the cracks, especially when it’s not as sexy as a Home AI. So we thought we would cover one of those less sexy things today – programming languages! Don’t click away just yet – changes in programming languages are a big deal to any company using advanced technological tools. The code is the very foundation upon which all of this new tech is built and it behooves the savvy businessman to be aware! Docker and Containers Programming containers are essentially self-contained blocks that allow programmers to store code in such a way as to follow rules specific to that container. It’s basically a way for developers to manage contained objects so you the programmer don’t have to initiate the task. Docker is a type of container, built on top of a Linux Container. It contains all the rules needed to create standard applications. What this means as a practical measure for entrepreneurs and business owners is that an app built within Docker can be developed, tested, and launched with mind-blowing speed. Plus, it’s open source (free to use) and (as all containers are) a step above standard security encryption. Want to learn more about Docker? Contact our developers now! Bots You may have heard of Messenger Bots; from Facebook to Allo, Bots are cropping up all over the place. And they’re only going to become more common, likely replacing the standard User Interface and Experience. It’s likely that by 2020, most websites and apps will utilize Bots to one extent or another, for a whole variety of things. Heck, Mark Zuckerberg just built a whole interface for his Home AI system with his Facebook Messenger Bot Dev Kit. Bots are basically tiny mobile apps that use limited Artificial Intelligence to automate routine tasks – like greeting new website visitors or guiding new users through the signup process. Bots can even be used to help grow business, as both Google’s Allo and Facebook Messengers have shown us. The Evolution of Responsive Development Responsive Web Development (RWD) was all the rage a few years ago and for good reason. It essentially opened up the door to a new internet market using new devices (SmartPhones). But now, programmers need to code for many different devices. So Responsive Design means that coders need to consider all the ways users will access your website or app. This means coding for phones, tablets, Smart Speakers, even wearables. At SDI, we require our programmers to know how to code for all major devices and we strive to stay ahead of the curve. There have been plenty of advancements in this field in the last year, from the Apple Watch Series 2 to the soon to be released and highly anticipated Dr. Watson. This AI dev kit allows expert coders to turn any wearable into a functional health sensor. Real Time Analytics Data analytics are the single most important tool for sustainable, smart growth. SDI’s training process for our programmers is specifically geared towards this because of that very reason. But Big Data has been around for a while, what’s new in the last year is twofold: 1. Better code and advancements in programming capabilities mean real-time data reporting. This means that Business owners can learn about their organization as it happens – not a month down the line. 2. Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning give our coders the tools to provide clients with predictive analysis (the ability to see where your organization is headed, not just where it’s at) and better metrics. Real-time Data Analytic Reporting was an amazing business tool before these new advancements. With improvement to Machine Learning algorithms and better real-time analytics in the last year, it is indispensable to the smooth operation of any business. So those are some of the biggest changes in Programming, if you want to get your business ready, give us a call at 408.805.0495/408.621.8481 – or click to contact us!