In the world of programming, software development and business technology, knowing what the next big thing is can provide a valuable advantage to tech professionals.

But what is the next big thing?

No one can predict exactly what the future will hold, but by looking at the emerging trends and employment data we can get a fairly good idea of which areas will be rapidly growing next year and beyond. It is unlikely that we are going to see the major platforms in ERP, CRM or web technologies change drastically, or a singular super-hot technology emerge. Instead we believe we will see a growing dependence on professionals who can make technologies work together, and make sense of the growing amounts of data being produced. Here are our top picks for the in-demand areas for tech professionals in 2020.

1. Analytics

Data Architects, Hadoop Pros, and Integration Experts

Organisations are going to require much more resource in analytics, partly driven by the sheer volume of the data being collected these days, but also by the increasing number of applications that are fuelled by analytical output.

According to Barry Brunsman, the principal of KPMG’s CIO Advisory Management Data Architects, there will be a rise in demand particularly for data engineers (who ensure the analytics and data solutions are integrated), planning analysts (who analyse and aggregate data), Hadoop developers (software developers for big data) and enterprise data architects (who integrate fragmented data and streamline data architecture).

2. APIs

Programmers who can securely connect new software through an API

Software vendors have been providing API for years, but now more and more organisations are making their own APIs public so other developers can design applications that interact with their original software. APIs are also the quickest way to integrate existing software with emerging technologies, so needless to say the API world is expanding rapidly.

Companies will need experts to develop and actively manage APIs across a variety of different software platforms—particularly given the emergence of the internet of things.  Experience with API platforms (here are the top 27) will be a must.

3. Robotics

Tech experts to lay the enterprise AI / robotics groundwork

AI (artificial intelligence) and robotics have already become a day-to-day part of many organisations’ IT. And according to a Pew Research Center Report in 2014, these will permeate the daily lives of most people by 2025. With enormous implications for a wide range industries—including transportation, logistics, healthcare, home maintenance and customer service—it comes as no surprise that skilled technologists in this area will be in high demand.

4. Cyber Security

One of the most in-demand areas of tech

Cyber security jobs are quickly becoming some of the most desirable in the tech sector. With a demand for almost 5000 cyber security professionals in the UK right now, there are plenty of opportunities for those wishing to future-proof their careers within this field. According to IBM, the global average cost of a data breach was £3 million. As such, employers are willing to pay employees top salaries to protect their data. With emerging fields such as the Internet of Things, Artificial Intelligence and Ethical Hacking, this is only going to increase the demand for expert cyber security professionals.

Conclusion

The demand for tech professionals is growing, and will only continue to grow.  This will mean higher compensation and better benefits, as a wider range of organisations vie for the best technical experts. Thinking about what is next and preparing yourself (as a candidate), or your organisation (as a competitor) could mean that you are a step ahead of everyone else. 

Which is a good place to be.

About Oliver Parks

Oliver Parks Consulting offers search-based recruitment solutions to the technology sector, specialising in the ERP, CRM, CMS, ECM, BI and Open Source Technology spaces. The firm’s multilingual consultants operate in narrowly-defined niche market segments, enabling them to gain extensive knowledge of the people and companies operating in each technology.  Oliver Parks has a proven track-record with more than 100,000 candidates worldwide and more than 300 clients globally.