When COVID-19 hit, organizations using traditional analytics techniques that rely heavily on large amounts of historical data realized one important thing: Many of these models are no longer relevant. Essentially, the pandemic changed everything, rendering a lot of data useless. In turn, forward-looking data and analytics teams are pivoting from traditional AI techniques relying on "big" data to a class of analytics that requires less, or "small" and more varied. Transitioning from big data to small and wide data is one of the Gartner top data and analytics trends for 2021. These trends represent business, market and technology dynamics that data and analytics leaders cannot afford to ignore.

Human augmentation conjures up visions of futuristic cyborgs, but humans have been augmenting parts of the body for hundreds of years. Glasses, hearing aids and prosthetics evolved into cochlear implants and wearables. Even laser eye surgery has become commonplace. But what if scientists could augment the brain to increase memory storage, or implant a chip to decode neural patterns? What if exoskeletons became a standard uniform for autoworkers, enabling them to lift superhuman weights?

In response to the COVID-19 emergency, over 500 clinical trials of potential COVID-19 treatments and interventions began worldwide. The trials use a living database that compiles and curates data from trial registries and other sources. This helps medical and public health experts predict disease spread, find new treatments and plan for clinical management of the pandemic. Data and analytics combined with artificial intelligence (AI) technologies will be paramount in the effort to predict, prepare and respond in a proactive and accelerated manner to a global crisis and its aftermath. "To innovate their way beyond the post-COVID-19 world, data and analytics leaders require an ever-increasing velocity and scale of analysis in terms of processing and access to succeed in the face of unprecedented market shifts," says Rita Sallam, Distinguished VP Analyst, Gartner. Here are the top 10 technology trends that data and analytics leaders should focus on as they look to make essential investments to prepare for a reset.

Traditionally, banks targeted older customers for wealth management services, assuming that this age group would be the most interested. Using augmented analytics, banks found that younger clients (aged 20 to 35) are actually more likely to transition into wealth management -- a clear example of how relying on business users to find patterns, and on data scientists to build models manually, may result in bias and incorrect conclusions. Augmented analytics is just one of the top 10 technologies Gartner has identified with the potential to address these and other major data and analytics challenges in the next three to five years. Digital transformation has put data at the center of every organization. Businesses are awash with data.

During the Gartner IT Symposium or Xpo, analysts in the technology sphere presented their findings. Now Gartner is highlighting the top strategic IT trends that companies will need to sample out in 2020. Gartner gives a definition of what a "strategic technology trend" is by saying that it's one that has substantial potential to disrupt the existing technologies and is now moving away from being called an emerging technology into joining the pool of the technologies that are said to have a broader impact as well as use. It's a technology that is rapidly growing and expected to reach its tipping points within the next few years owing to its high degree of volatility. As a blockchain development team, you need to be aware of these technologies and how they will impact the app development processes.

Human augmentation conjures up visions of futuristic cyborgs, but humans have been augmenting parts of the body for hundreds of years. Glasses, hearing aids and prosthetics evolved into cochlear implants and wearables. Even laser eye surgery has become commonplace. But what if scientists could augment the brain to increase memory storage, or implant a chip to decode neural patterns? What if exoskeletons became a standard uniform for autoworkers, enabling them to lift superhuman weights?

Although science fiction may depict AI robots as the bad guys, some tech giants now employ them for security. Companies like Microsoft and Uber use Knightscope K5 robots to patrol parking lots and large outdoor areas to predict and prevent crime. The robots can read license plates, report suspicious activity and collect data to report to their owners. These AI-driven robots are just one example of "autonomous things," one of the Gartner Top 10 strategic technologies for 2019 with the potential to drive significant disruption and deliver opportunity over the next five years. "The future will be characterized by smart devices delivering increasingly insightful digital services everywhere," said David Cearley, Gartner Distinguished Vice President Analyst, at Gartner 2018 Symposium/ITxpo in Orlando, Florida.

This Hype Cycle highlights tech that will deliver high levels of competitiveness over the next decade. Gartner Top 10 Security Projects for 2018 This top 10 list explores projects for security leaders that reduce risk and have a large business impact. Projects include privileged account management, active anti-phishing, and microsegmentation and flow visibility. Gartner Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2019 Blockchain, quantum computing, augmented analytics and artificial intelligence are four of the 10 technologies that will drive disruption and new business models over the next five years. The Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends is always one of the most popular Smarter With Gartner articles and a crowded session at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo Gartner Top 8 Supply Chain Technology Trends for 2018 Big trends in supply chain for the year included artificial intelligence, blockchain, immersive technologies and conversational systems.

This Hype Cycle highlights tech that will deliver high levels of competitiveness over the next decade. Gartner Top 10 Security Projects for 2018 This top 10 list explores projects for security leaders that reduce risk and have a large business impact. Projects include privileged account management, active anti-phishing, and microsegmentation and flow visibility. Gartner Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2019 Blockchain, quantum computing, augmented analytics and artificial intelligence are four of the 10 technologies that will drive disruption and new business models over the next five years. The Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends is always one of the most popular Smarter With Gartner articles and a crowded session at Gartner Symposium/ITxpo Gartner Top 8 Supply Chain Technology Trends for 2018 Big trends in supply chain for the year included artificial intelligence, blockchain, immersive technologies and conversational systems.

Although science fiction may depict AI robots as the bad guys, some tech giants now employ them for security. Companies like Microsoft and Uber use Knightscope K5 robots to patrol parking lots and large outdoor areas to predict and prevent crime. The robots can read license plates, report suspicious activity and collect data to report to their owners. These AI-driven robots are just one example of "autonomous things," one of the Gartner Top 10 strategic technologies for 2019 with the potential to drive significant disruption and deliver opportunity over the next five years. "The future will be characterized by smart devices delivering increasingly insightful digital services everywhere," said David Cearley, Gartner vice president and Fellow, at Gartner 2018 Symposium/ITxpo in Orlando, Florida.