What are the new trends in the interconnected world? According to David Cearley, vice president and Gartner Fellow, shared three categories for this year’s trends: the digital mesh, smart machines, and the new IT reality.  He was speaking at the Gartner’s Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends at Gartner Symposium ITxpo 2015 in Orlando (US).

On 3D printing, which has progressed in the printing of skin and organs, politicians and the public don’t have a full understanding of the implications. He spoke of continued advances in 3D printing with a wide range of materials, including advanced nickel alloys, carbon fiber, glass, conductive ink, electronics, pharmaceuticals and biological materials for practical applications expanding into aerospace, medical, automotive, energy and the military.

Recent advances make it possible to mix multiple materials together with traditional 3D printing in one build. This could be useful for field operations or repairs when a specific tool is required and printed on demand.

Touching the subject of learning machines, he spoke of advanced machine learning is what makes smart machines appear “intelligent” by enabling them to both understand concepts in the environment, and also to learn.

Through machine learning a smart machine can change its future behavior. For example, by analyzing vast databases of medical case histories, “learning” machines can reveal previously unknown insights in treatment effectiveness. This area is evolving quickly, and organizations must assess how they can apply these technologies to gain competitive advantage.

Details: http://www.gartner.com/smarterwithgartner/top-ten-technology-trends-signal-the-digital-mesh/