Monitoring Tech Trends to Watch in 2017
Although it hasn’t been long since monitoring apps went mainstream, the tech has already won itself immense support from parents and employers alike. This is hardly surprising as information is power, and power is precisely what is required to safeguard one’s most important interests which, in the case of parents and employers respectively, are kids and business!
2016, as well as the years preceding it, has been spent spreading awareness about the many challenges created by the growing prevalence of web-connected devices among kids and digitalization of workplaces, as well as describing monitoring tech as the most viable solution to these challenges.
The year 2017 may inherit a few existing trends, but is also expected to feature a new set of trends.
Advancement in Monitoring Tech to Continue
One of the most interesting things about monitoring tech is that it’s still in an evolutionary stage, which means that it hasn’t hit its full potential yet.
If you take the example of Mobistealth text spy app for instance, it started off real thin on features, hardly offering text monitoring and a few other goodies. However, rather than settling for the identity of text monitoring app, it kept evolving and exists today as a ridiculously powerful tool that is capable of keeping tabs on everything from text messages and calls to chat apps, browsing history, location tracking, and what not. Intriguingly, it’s still evolving.
In order to keep pace with dynamic mobility, communication, and internet trends, monitoring tech will continue advancing to incorporate new features into its arsenal. The demands are not going to get any easier going forward, nor will the potential customer become any less unforgiving, thus making it imperative for those in the business of developing monitoring apps to keep doing their homework and focus on innovation.
Privacy Advocates to Receive Some Joy
Despite the many benefits of monitoring apps, they’re known to pose a severe threat to the very concept of privacy. Both young internet users and employees are not too pleased about having their digital communications and activities monitored by those in an authoritative position. Although they’ve been objecting to the growing acceptance of monitoring apps, their complaints have mostly been ignored.
This, however, is likely to change real soon. As the use of monitoring tech grows, so would the resistance to it. Neither parents nor employers would be ready to compromise on the safety of their interests, which is why they’re likely to take the challenge thrown to them by privacy advocates head on. The heated battle may eventually hit the courtroom, where it may be decided that efforts should be taken to assure people of their privacy. Monitoring app vendors, who’re largely free from the responsibility of ensuring their product’s legal and responsible use, may be required to either pull out a few features from their products, or comply with stricter laws enacted solely for the purpose of ensuring that monitoring tech is not abused.
The most common users of monitoring apps, i.e. parents and employers, are also likely to find their liberal use of electronic surveillance tools challenged and eventually changed to strictly conditional use.
Monitoring Tech to Penetrate New Markets
Until now, monitoring app vendors have largely focused on wooing parents and employers through their marketing campaigns. Of course, individuals suffering from insecurity or jealousy have also been turning to the tech to find some much-needed answers irrespective of the ethical, moral, and legal implications of using the tech in such a way.
The market for monitoring apps is highly likely to expand during 2017. With the kind of features that it’s generally composed of, it has a potential to not just serve domestic and business concerns, but also to play a massive role in other areas as well, security being on top of the list.
Yes, the law enforcement agencies have been using surveillance tech long before it went mainstream, but the smaller security companies have largely restricted their definition of security measures to security cameras and infra-red sensors. They have been reluctant to incorporate monitoring apps into their security protocols due to the negative connotations that’s carried by such apps. Those fears will most likely subside after clearer laws policing the use of surveillance technologies are enacted, easing the concerns of those conscious and concerned about their privacy, and those who’re keen on taking advantage of monitoring tech.
Of course, there are other potential markets as well, which monitoring apps may be penetrating, e.g. research, sports, travelling, etc.
‘Big Brother is watching you …’
