Deloitte focused on three new technologies in an annual report that highlights on the latest trends that experts described as creating a climate of disruption and uncertainty.

The report titled, “Tech Trends 2019: Beyond the digital frontier,” explored how the convergence of new technologies with powerful forces is driving disruption across industries. According to a recap shared on Wednesday, those new technologies include advanced networking, serverless computing and intelligent interfaces as well as technological forces encompassing digital experiences, cognitive and cloud.

Back 10 years ago, when smartphones and mobile apps were gaining traction, and technologies like cloud and the Internet of Things were emerging on the scene, Deloitte released its first Tech Trends report. The organization has watched this evolution unfold as the digital imperative and the changing role of technology redefine the enterprise, yet adoption of these trends continues to vary widely.

Experts noted that some companies are only beginning to explore trends Deloitte wrote about in 2010, while others have advanced rapidly along the maturity curve.

“Make no mistake: Technology is not just an enabling function. Tech is the universal language of business today,” said Bill Briggs, global and U.S. chief technology officer for Deloitte Consulting.

“As the pace of change quickens, technology now leads business strategy. And technology trends has evolved from a CIO (chief information officer) and CTO (chief technology officer) concern into something driving CEO, management team, boardroom agendas — to redefine what enterprises can accomplish,” Briggs continued.

Authors recapped that “Tech Trends 2019: Beyond the digital frontier,” begins with a reflection on a decade of disruptive change driven by nine macro forces: digital experience, analytics, cloud, core modernization, cyber, business of information technology, cognitive, blockchain, and digital reality. The report further explores where these forces are headed.

Next, six trends that are giving rise to new operating models, redefining the nature of work and dramatically changing IT’s relationship with the business are detailed, including:

— AI-fueled organizations: Leading companies are systematically deploying rapidly maturing technologies — machine learning, natural language processing, robotic process automation (RPA) and cognitive — not just to every core business process, but into products, services and the future of industries. Deloitte believes organizations’ use of artificial intelligence is moving from “Why?” to “Why not?”

— NoOps in a serverless world: Experts asserted we’ve reached the next stage in the evolution of cloud computing with technical resources completely abstracted and management tasks increasingly automated. Freed from mundane responsibilities, the report noted IT talent can focus on activities that more directly support business outcomes.

— Connectivity of tomorrow: At both macro and micro levels, Deloitte explained technologies like 5G, mesh networks and edge computing are expanding business’ reach to both the far corners of the world — and the smallest spaces in warehouses, retail stores and other places with utmost precision. Experts contend that advanced networking is the “unsung hero,” driving development of new products and services and is transforming how work gets done.

—Intelligent interfaces: Today, Deloitte pointed out that people interact with technology through ever more intelligent interfaces that combine the latest in human-centered design techniques with leading-edge technologies such as computer vision, conversational voice, auditory analytics, augmented reality and virtual reality. Working in concert, experts see these technologies and techniques are transforming the way we engage with machines, data and each other.

— Beyond marketing with a reimagined experience: To deliver the highly personalized, contextualized experiences that today’s customers expect, Deloitte mentioned that some chief marketing officers are trading long-standing, traditional agency relationships for closer partnerships with their own CIOs. Enabled by a new generation of marketing tools and techniques focused on personalized, contextual and dynamic experiences, experts indicated that CIOs and CMOs can illuminate and engage customer needs and desires most effectively.

— DevSecOps and the cyber imperative: Deloitte explained that DevSecOps fundamentally can transform cyber, security, privacy and risk management from being compliance-based activities — typically undertaken late in the development lifecycle — into essential framing mindsets across the product journey.

The report closes by exploring how modern businesses can navigate digital transformation — building a roadmap that incorporates the right technologies, techniques, talent and executive support.

“While we take a pragmatic view, we also aspire to understand fully how forces like serverless technology, connectivity capabilities, and intelligent interfaces are reshaping industries,” said Scott Buchholz, managing director and government and public services chief technology officer at Deloitte Consulting.

“The report details how organizational leadership can shape ambitions and instill a culture to sense and make sense of what tomorrow may bring. And – importantly – a path to get there from the realities of today,” Buchholz went on to say.

The entire report can be downloaded here.