4 digital trends we will be looking at during 2022!

With the experiences of the past years having turned our attention to digital transformation, to tools that enable us to perform virtually and to the importance of agility in digital architecture, we look towards trends that are likely to be very popular in 2022. 

1. Composable architecture

Composable architecture has ignited interesting discussions during 2021. Flexibility and adaptability are elements coveted by businesses, especially given that the past months have highlighted their importance for optimal business performance and future proofing operations. At the same time, technological innovation has created new capabilities for real-time responses and increased resilience in the face of change, with anything from video conferencing making its way into our professional lives, to cloud solutions reducing the geographical limitations of operations.  Composability in digital has introduced several new approaches to tech architecture, novel uses of existing resources and innovative solutions paving the way for a more agile future. 

Composable architecture ushers a new era of “building-blocks”. It encourages modularity, autonomy and orchestration that can better serve a business’ unique needs. Presented and advocated for by the MACH Alliance, this ecosystem encompasses flexible tech like headless, an API first approach, cloud-based solutions, and the pros of a microservices ecosystem. The benefits are multiple, ranging from independence from upgrades, to empowering transformation and resilience at the core of a business’ technical capabilities. There is a strong case for looking towards composable architecture in 2022.

Our work has been increasingly focused on composability and modularity throughout 2021. Towards the end of last year Quba was awarded BigCommerce Agency Partner status, with our team turning their sights towards headless ecommerce. We are eager to bring new know-how to the service of our clients’ digital transformation during 2022, leveraging modern ideas and innovative technologies. 

2. Sustainable computing

Sustainability is by no means a recent discussion, but as the discussion evolves, it brings to the surface new practises and outlooks on daily habits.  Computing could not be left out of this pivotal conversation. Reflecting on what sustainability means for the digital world, it becomes evident that it’s a complex field to navigate.

One side of sustainability refers to the “the quality of being able to continue over a period of time”. With digital tools evolving rapidly, sustainability of digital solutions requires novel approaches; this is where discussions such as the one we had earlier, on composable architecture, come in. Solutions that enable agility and real-time responses to new market requirements are likely to take the spotlight in 2022. 

The other element of sustainability is intertwined with ambitious climate goals. There is potential to reduce energy consumption and pollution, bring to the forefront green companies that foster innovation and even map changes we have yet to think of. The European Digital SME Alliance discusses greener technologies in correlation with a circular economy, bridging the digital capabilities with their physical elements.

Validating how likely sustainable computing is to conquer discussions in 2022 was the release of Microsoft’s Emissions Impact Dashboard in mid-2021. The tool allows businesses to quantify their cloud footprint, empowering them to reduce their carbon emissions. In addition, it was recently the company presented Microsoft Cloud for Sustainability, which enables companies to collect actionable insights on their carbon emissions. 

Sustainable computing is top of mind for the Quba team, currently digging into ways to bring sustainability to the core of future projects. Leveraging the opportunities available to us for offsetting our carbon emissions, or making the most out of tools that are less polluting, we are committed to making strides towards sustainability throughout 2022 and further into the future. 

3. Data… everything and anything!

While the title may be too vague, finding new ways to structure, access and manage data has been working its way to the top of Quba’s list of trends to look out for in 2022. The integration of siloed data has also been listed as one of the possible tech trends of 2022 in this Forbes article. With data fabrics, data lakes and the concept of a data mesh bringing new ideas, design paradigms and data driven approaches to the mix, the potential for businesses looking to take their data infrastructure a step further is great.

A data mesh brings to the forefront the question of scalability, proposing an agile alternative that addresses key issues of the more rigid, monolithic structures. The data mesh design pattern, introduced by Zhamak Dehghani, looks towards a decentralised architecture of dedicated teams that manage subsystems, suggesting a forward thinking solution that facilitates interoperability. While a data mesh leans more towards a design structure as opposed to a technology, a data fabric leans towards a different direction. According to Forrester analyst Noel Yuhanna, the definition of a data fabric is:

“Conceptually, a big data fabric is essentially a metadata-driven way of connecting a disparate collection of data tools that address key pain points in big data projects in a cohesive and self-service manner.”

Reflecting on data sets, pools and ways to structure them with the aim of harnessing their full potential in ways that serve a company’s business goals is one of the tech trends that is going to be at the top of Quba’s 2022 list! 

4. NFTs

Non-fungible tokens, or NFTs as they are commonly referred to, have introduced an innovative way of looking at digital ownership. They are presented as unique assets, their uniqueness deriving from the metadata linked to their digital token – metadata that can’t be replicated or replaced. NFTs are on the blockchain and offer a new way of selling digital assets. Although they have come into prominence due to the pop culture assets that have dominated news with their price tags – the Nyan Cat gif being a prime example – there are creative new ways of using NFTs arising. This has been especially true for the gaming industry, with examples of plots of land sold as NFTs for upcoming game releases, or unique perks that augment the video game experience also sold as NFTs. 

The NFTs trend has brought about a new outlook on digital asset ownership, and it looks like it might introduce novel ways of enhancing digital experiences!

What do you think of Quba’s predictions for digital trends that we will be looking at during 2022? We would love to hear your thoughts on our socials.