By DeVry University
4 min read
Not long ago, people could legitimately claim that technology was not part of their every day jobs. Today, workers ranging from shop clerks to doctors to computer engineers must have not only a firm grasp on technology but also a willingness to adapt as it inevitably changes over time.
The examples are boundless yet often overlooked. A hospital employee uses a tablet to admit emergency room patients. A mechanic downloads a repair manual for a self-driving car. A law firm employs security protocols to keep its files safe from prying cybercriminals. From healthcare and law to engineering and mechanics, new technologies are the norm for businesses nationwide.
This trend stands to change the modern world. Some, including the World Economic Forum, are calling it the Fourth Industrial Revolution.
“There are three reasons why today’s transformations represent not merely a prolongation of the Third Industrial Revolution but rather the arrival of a Fourth and distinct one: velocity, scope, and systems impact,” according to a Foreign Affairs article penned by Klaus Schwab, founder and executive chairman of the World Economic Forum. “The speed of current breakthroughs has no historical precedent…it is disrupting almost every industry in every country. And the breadth and depth of these changes herald the transformation of entire systems of production, management, and governance.”
Here are some of the ways technology is supporting and driving business in a number of industries: