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A PRACTICAL APPROACH TO EMERGING TECH FOR SMBSAI, Blockchain, Cryptocurrencies, IoT, and AR/VRby Mimi An HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs2IntroductionArtificial Intelligence: What is Artificial IntelligenceWhy Artificial Intelligence MattersHow SMBs Should Use AIThe Biggest AI Opportunity for SMBs: ChatbotsBlockchain: What is BlockchainWhy Blockchain MattersHow SMBs Should Use BlockchainCryptocurrency: What is CryptocurrencyWhy Cryptocurrency MattersHow SMBs Should Use CryptocurrencyInternet of Things (IoT): What is IoTWhy IoT MattersHow SMBs Should Use IoTTake note: Security is the Biggest Flaw the IoT EcosystemVirtual and Augmented Reality: What is V R and ARWhy VR and AR MattersHow SMBs Should Prioritize VR and ARTable of ContentsClick Chapter Titles to Go Directly to the Page HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs301 /TL:DR: This report breaks down the impact artificial intelligence, blockchain, cryptocurrency, internet of things, and augmented and virtual reality will have on small and medium size businesses. Todays small business owners represent the most technologically savvy cohort of SMBs that has ever existed. From email infrastructure to search engine optimization, CRMs to automated customer support SMBs today have access to unprecedented technological power, and use it every day to grow better.But the development of new technology never stops. In recent years, the rate of emerging technology seems to have reached a fever pitch as headlines announce the arrival of artificial intelligence and cryptocurrency prices threaten the arrival of a new bubble (and ensuing burst).Should SMBs be paying attention to all the noise? Do these emerging technologies represent imminent disruption? Whats hype and what represents real opportunity for business growth?This report is designed to break down the big five emerging technologies: artificial intelligence (AI), Blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Augmented Reality/Virtual Reality, and the Internet of Things (IoT). Well walk through the practical implications of each technology, highlighting the aspects that SMBs should be paying attention to, and what can be deprioritized (for now).INTRODUCTION HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs4Emerging Technologies - The HubSpot Guide HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs5What is Artificial IntelligenceWhen we hear the term “artificial intelligence,” we often think of a human-like robot or machine that is able to think, act and feel just like us. Although we have time until artificial intelligence (AI) can do things like write New York Times Best-Sellers and perform all human tasks, many forms of AI have already arrived.In fact, most of us interact with AI every day, whether we realize it or not. We do things like interact with Alexa and Siri, talk to chatbots online, tag photos on Facebook, and listen to Discover Weekly on Spotify. The work of speech recognition, visual perception, and data processing no longer requires human intelligence, AI is capable of managing these tasks with ease.All of these technologies are considered Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI) as opposed to Artificial General Intelligence (AGI). ANI is AI focused on a completing a single task (like talking or facial recognition), rather than all human tasks. AGI is the human-like AI we imagine - like Rosey the Robot who cleans and cooks for the Jetsons. As the chart below shows, experts dont expect AGI for another 45 - 50 years.02 /ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs6Why Artificial Intelligence MattersAndrew Ng, Co-founder of Coursera recently called AI, the “new electricity.” He said, “just as electricity transformed almost everything 100 years ago, today I actually have a hard time thinking of an industry that I dont think AI will transform in the next several years.” Out of all the emerging technologies discussed in this report, artificial intelligence is the tech category that will have the biggest impact on society, individual consumers, and businesses. The reason AI will be so impactful is that it promises one thing we just cant get enough of these days: convenience. HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs7As we grow accustomed to machines that magically seem to understand us, were already beginning to expect personalized and convenient interactions with all businesses regardless of their size. This is why even small and growing businesses need to be watching the evolution of AI technology very closely.How SMBs Should Use AIUnless youre a small business or startup building AI technology, it is unlikely that you will hire someone to “do AI.” What is far more likely is that you will start to notice AI capabilities show up in the software you are purchasing and already using. The landscape of existing AI technology for businesses is already remarkable: HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs8Its not realistic for any business to invest in all of these AI tools at once - stay practical and assess your top business needs, the greatest potential impact a tool may have, and then, most importantly, try it. Here are some guidelines to keep in mind as you evaluate AIs potential for your business: HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs9The Biggest AI Opportunity for SMBs: ChatbotsChatbots fall under the “Agents” section of the current AI landscape, where you see household names like Amazon Alexa, Cortana, and Siri. These are bots that can do everything from answer your questions, play music, or place orders for you.But chatbots are rapidly moving out of the personal and into the business world. According to the Facebook Messaging Survey conducted by Nielsen, 67% of people say they will message with businesses more over the next two years, and 53% say they are more likely to shop with a business they can contact via chat. To manage this massive interest in communicating with businesses via messaging apps, business will need chatbots.“Now that tech behemoths have enabled businesses to use their messaging channels, were starting to see valuable use cases emerge. Already, Facebook Messenger is playing host to 65 million businesses.” - Dylan Sellberg, Product Manager at HubSpotIts likely youve already interacted with a business chatbot. Think of the last few websites youve visited - has a little chat window opened up while you were browsing, asking if you needed help?When HubSpots marketing team added onsite messaging in 2017 it resulted in 20% more qualified opportunities. HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs10Many of these interfaces today are simply human-to-human on-site chat - super convenient for the customer, but not particularly sophisticated technologically. Over the coming months, watch for this sophistication to increase rapidly.Today, messaging is how customers and prospects want to communicate with businesses, and chatbots are how businesses make these conversations scale. Automating messaging using chatbots is the most impactful artificial intelligence use case today, having the potential to deliver better results across all departmentsmarketing, sales, and customer support.Where there is a messaging app, there will be a chatbot. And these chatbots will enable businesses of any size to have scalable, convenient, 1-to-1 conversations whenever and wherever the customer prefers. HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs11What is BlockchainAccording to our research, blockchain is one of the most confusing emerging technologies for SMBs to understand.03 /BLOCKCHAIN HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs12So lets try and clear this up. In its essence, a blockchain is an electronic ledger with some nifty security features: Its a record-keeping technology that is nearly impossible to tamper with. Thats because a blockchains records, or “ledger”, is hosted by everyone in the network and openly available to everyone in the network, like a public spreadsheet that they add to, but can never edit or delete.Heres the simplified process: When someone wants to add new record, or block, to the ledger, they need to first solve what is essentially a math problem. This is where the term mining comes into play - to solve the encryption math problem, computers use their computing power to mine for the answer. When they get the answer, it is vetted by all the others in the network, and the new block is allowed to be added to the ledger if the answer is correct. A token, or coin, is generated when this occurs almost like a receipt to prove it happened.Source: marketoonist HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs13Why Blockchain MattersBlockchain has two incredibly valuable elements:1. It records the transfer of digital assets, like files or bitcoin, which can be used to prove transactions or ownership.2. Its ledger technology can never be overwritten or tampered with due to the way it stores data and its distributed architecture.Because this ledger is distributed across everyone who is part of the blockchain network, if someone manages to mess with their ledger for nefarious reasons, there will be a million other instances of the correct ledger that exist. And whats more, the technology itself can reject the fake ledger by recognizing that it does not match the millions of other records out there.Additionally, blockchain is set up to leverage the computing power of everyone involved in the ledger, so that means theres no central database that could be vulnerable to attack or change. This decentralization and distribution of the official system of record makes blockchain virtually tamperproof. Whats interesting is that Blockchains total transparency makes it secure - a counterintuitive idea to be sure.“Blockchain technology is going to change consumer behavior around ownership and security. Now, we feel much safer having a business own and manage our sensitive information rather than bearing the burden ourselves. The rise of decentralization and the ability to have more control over your own personal assets will change that mindset. More and more businesses will be pressured to shift data ownership back to their customers. Those that resist may get left behind.” -Matt Howells-Barby, Global Director of Acquisition, HubSpotSource: Autonomous Research via Business Insider HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs14The promise of blockchain is that our most important records - whether its for a cryptocurrency, a car, medical information, or even a deed to a house - would be tamper proof and safe from fraud on a blockchain.Lets use an example of a shipment of bananas to clarify:As the shipment of bananas makes its way from Warehouse A to Delivery Truck B to Grocery Store C, its movement is captured and stored on the electronic blockchain ledger thats accessible on the internet. All three institutions (and anyone else on the ledger) have access to that information online.Lets say Delivery Truck B gets into some trouble, loses the bananas, and decides to be less than honest. They tell Grocery Store C that they delivered the bananas, when in fact they didnt. They may even mess with their version of ledger to prove that there was a delivery. But because Warehouse A and Grocery Store C has a record of the bananas movement on their ledger, they can inspect their records to see if the delivery actually happened. Even if Delivery Truck B managed to tamper with their own ledger (which is very difficult to do), there are systems in place that prevents them from pushing out their false changes to the rest of the ledgers on the network. HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs15How SMBs Should Use BlockchainBlockchains unchangeable ledger and its potential security strengths make it an exciting new technology for any business that holds or transmits sensitive information. Unchangeable ledgers can reassure consumers and businesses that important transactions will not be hacked or rerouted. But while blockchain has an enormous potential, its use cases are still niche and appeal primarily to enterprises. Blockchain is unlikely to have a meaningful impact on SMBs for at least another 3-5 years. There are three exceptions to this prediction: 1. Supply chain management: For example, a small jeweler could leverage blockchain technologies to assure their customers the stones they sell are sourced from a sustainable or humanely run mine. An SMB concerned with tracking the movement of goods through a supply chain will want to pay closer attention to improvements in blockchain technology.2. Standards in data storage: One of biggest potential use cases for blockchain is to change how we store data - making ledger-based storage superior to (sometimes questionably) secure databases. Start-up R3 promises to do just this, and has more than 60 firms using its blockchain platform, including Microsoft and Intel. But it is mostly blue chip companies exploring this blockchain use case currently, and it is unlikely to impact SMBs without significant improvements in cost & usability.3. Password protocols: Currently, there are two top contenders for disrupting the painful system of passwords: bio recognition, and blockchain. If blockchain technology delivers in solving this problem, SMBs will certainly want to take note. HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs16What is CryptocurrencyThe last few months have seen interest in cryptocurrency explode as the value of these currencies rises. Voices in finance, business, and regulatory world have weighed in for and against cryptocurrencies. But amid all the hype, cryptocurrencies still promise one undeniable benefit: easy, cheap, international payments.04 /CRYPTOCURRENCYSource: Coinbase HubSpot | Emerging Tech for SMBs17Cryptocurrency and blockchain are often tied together in news stories and explainer guides. This is because the blockchain system was built as a way to enable the exchange of cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies, such as Bitcoin, leverage blockchain technology to allow users to directly send digital assets (like a coin) to one another in a secure, traceable, and tamper-proof way. Proponents argue that cryptocurrencies offer these benefits:l They are a decentralized, borderless currency. Cryptocurrencies are tracked and stored in a decentralized system, with no single point of failure, which makes it a robust and relatively secure form of wealth transfer.They are tamper-proof and trackable. The ledgers that record transactions from owner to owner sits on a blockchain, which we know are immutable and more secure than conventional data storage constructs. Users can then be comforted knowing their records will always be correct.l They are a secure way of directly sending and storing wealth. By virtue of recording transactions on the blockchain, users have a higher level of trust and security as they exchange cryptocurrencies or other assets. Now, no system is completely impervious to attacks, but many believe cryptocurrencies offer a superior level of security.l They offer anonymity. Wh
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