2017 is finally upon us. Each new year brings lucrative trends, expectations and changes. Here are some changes we predict will take place sometime this year!

 

Google’s Change to HTTPS

 

Google has expressed their interest in what they believe will be an eventual conversion to SSL for all webpages, and will begin to hand out warnings to sites that collect password or other personal information through a non-SSL connection. We will likely see Google implementing benefits for SSL users such as ranking, while penalizing those with non-SSL connections, although we do not know exactly what those implications are. Either way, it would be wise to change your webpage to SSL if you have not already!

 

The Rise in Website App Development

 

Progressive Web Apps (PWA) have become a popular trend, where users are able to use apps without downloading it onto their phone. Instead, they are embedded and integrated into the webpage. It functions the same way an app would, without the hassle of downloading the app only to use it once before it sits somewhere in the shadow of your phone. With Google’s aggressive push to advocate PWA, it will be no surprise if they explode onto the market this year. Whether or not it actually does remains in question, but nevertheless something to keep an eye on as the year goes on.

 

Privacy Infringements

 

Being in the great area, privacy is among the hottest topics when it comes to technology. It’s a constant battle between the rights of the people and the government. What we are likely to see is the government putting out subpoenas on companies such as Amazon and Google to hand over voice data in order to solve crimes like murder. These digital devices are always on and provide law enforcement the ability to take data on possible locations and actions taken by those around the device. This is a huge plus for law enforcement, but privacy issues may come into fruition as more and more of these cases occur. Whether it’s the Google Echo or Amazon’s Alexa, 2017 could be one hell of a year for technology and privacy implications!

 

The Acquisition of Twitter

 

Surprise, surprise. After being passed down by companies like Google, Disney and Saleforce, Twitter is expected to be purchased in 2017. Although its stock might reach a new record low in January, it could be valuable in that Trump and professional athletes frequent the social media platform and sparks interaction. The most likely candidate for their purchase is Google. Honestly, it comes as no surprise that Google is the prime candidate; it could gain valuable data on Twitter’s 300 million users, integrate that information into YouTube, and create an even better user experience.

These are just some of the changes that could potentially happen, with many more to come. With a Trump presidency, much can change in the past year. While you keep on your toes and do your research, we’ll do our best to inform you with the latest and most valuable news that helps you run your business with less stress!

What tech trends are you expecting to see, or looking forward to, in 2017?