The Five Hottest Trends
Coming Out Of SXSW 2015
Companies like Twitter, Foursquare and Waze debuted at SXSW, making the massive interactive technology conference in Austin an event the world watches to see what’s next in tech. Here is a glimpse of what tech thought leaders and the hottest startups say will be trending at SXSW 2015:
Ever-Increasing Personalization: Users are moving towards a personalized experience that offers both privacy and anonymity, according to Dave Vronay, founder and CEO of Heard. Social media is trending toward credible, verified information and platforms where users can share their views and insider information without exposing their identity. Users also want more streamlined information based on what they are interested in at that moment, rather than what they viewed last week.
More gamification: Gamification is the way to communicate effectively with a chronically distracted generation, says Bill Trost, co-creator of EverQuest and designer of Koi Pond and now creator of Graphiti. Trost believes more apps will exemplify the engaging elements of games by offering users limitless ways to engage with content and be rewarded for that engagement.
Location is the new cookie: Brent Schafer, CEO and founder of Vuevent, predicts that the recent explosion of geo-location in apps will continue to expand as apps leverage users’ locations in unprecedented ways, including discovery of local social events with tracking of how many people are attending certain events, in real time.
Computing everywhere: With SXSW, users will be increasingly immersed in a digital universe where everyone and everything is seamlessly connected. Kevin Yu, CEO and founder of SideChef, believes this integration is the first step to a more connected home, especially connected kitchens, where apps and smart devices will integrate everything to be even more synchronized.
Internet of Everything: As technology further embeds itself into every facet of life, Richard Hollis, CEO and founder of Holonis, sees new platforms opening digital marketing capabilities previously unavailable to businesses with modest marketing budgets. Such platforms will enable businesses to integrate the “Internet of Everything,” by taking facets of digital commerce, such as social media, data, analytics, and reviews, and merging them into a central, simple-to-use hub.
