At its annual IT conference in Orlando this week, Gartner included robotic process automation as part of its top strategic technology trend for 2020.
The Stamford, Conn.-based consultancy defined the trends that appear on this list as ones “with substantial disruptive potential that is beginning to break out of an emerging state into broader impact and use, or which is rapidly growing with a high degree of volatility reaching tipping points over the next five years.”
According to Gartner, hyperautomation, which topped the list this year, is how companies combine multiple tools and machine learning to automate work along with a deep understanding of all the steps surrounding automation. The report noted that RPA is the technology that gave birth to hyperautomation, which will be integral to building smart spaces within companies.
“A smart space is a physical environment in which people and technology-enabled systems interact in increasingly open, connected, coordinated and intelligent ecosystems,” said David Cearley, vice president and Gartner Fellow. “Multiple elements—including people, processes, services and things—come together in a smart space to create a more immersive, interactive and automated experience.”