Appendix D Emerging trends and technologies

trend analysis

A trend is examined to identify its nature, causes, speed of development, and potential impacts.

trend monitoring

Trends viewed as particularly important in a specific community, industry, or sector are carefully monitored, watched, and reported to key decision makers.

trend projection

When numerical data are available, a trend can be plotted to display changes through time and into the future.

computer simulation

Complex systems, such as the U.S. economy, can be modeled by means of mathematical equations, and different scenarios can be run against the model to conduct “what-if” analysis.

historical analysis

Historical events are studied to anticipate the outcome of current developments.

Expected population decreases in developed and industrialized nations

virtual reality

A computer-simulated environment that can be a simulation of the real world or an imaginary world.

augmented reality

View of the physical world with computer-generated layers of information added to it.

ambient digital experience

A blend of the physical, virtual, and electronic environments creating a real-time ambient environment that changes as the user moves from one place to another.

3D printing (additive manufacturing)

A process that builds—layer by layer in an additive process—a three-dimensional solid object from a digital model.

biological 3D printing

Includes the printing of skin and organs and is progressing from theory to reality; however, politicians and the public do not have a full understanding of the implications.

Internet of Things (IoT)

A world in which interconnected, Internet-enabled devices or things can collect and share data without human intervention.

Information of Everything (IoE)

A concept that extends the Internet of Things (IoT) emphasis on machine-to-machine communications to describe a more complex system that also encompasses people and processes.

machine learning

A type of artificial intelligence that enables computers to both understand concepts in the environment and also learn.

virtual assistant (VA)

A small program stored on a PC or portable device that monitors emails, faxes, messages, and phone calls.

autonomous agent

Software that carries out some set of operations on behalf of a user or another program with some degree of independence or autonomy and employs some knowledge or representation of the user’s goals or desires.

real-time adaptive security

The network security model necessary to accommodate the emergence of multiple perimeters and moving parts on the network, and increasingly advanced threats targeting enterprises.

autonomic computing

A self-managing computing model named after, and patterned on, the human body’s autonomic nervous system.