Technology for New Generation

Enterprise applications of messaging bots seem poised to have a tangible impact on the software space, as more companies invest in developing their own consumer-facing bots. Chatbots, at the most simplistic level, are front-end interfaces for companies to communicate with their customers. More advanced bots leverage artificial intelligence to provide enriching and interactive user experiences. Companies can embed these bots on their home pages, or they can rely on native platforms like Facebook and Slack for distribution. Expect to see companies across all industries, including hospitality, dining and travel, create bots for customer support, sales and marketing services.

Is 2018 the long-awaited year that  virtual reality  goes mainstream? While the technology is still evolving, and while players like  Oculus  and  HTC  continue to iterate on their consoles, things look promising for the industry as VR platforms begin to appeal to the masses. One of the biggest obstacles to virtual reality achieving true scale is the creation of enough content to attract a wide swath of consumers. As the industry has learned, onboarding hard-core gamers will not be enough to sustain a long-term effort. Beyond gaming, there a number of virtual-reality startups that are building high-value-add services specifically for enterprises.