Technology continues to show up in every part of our lives.

From virtual reality to hyper loops, we’ve heard about some incredible advancements that impact everything from how cities operate to how games are played. Digital futures, smart cities, and artificial intelligence have dominated headlines. It’s incredible how far we’ve come–and how far we can go.

We’re working every day to solve challenges through technology at Passport. From using PayPal in your parking payment app to tracking a bus in real-time, 2016 witnessed real advancements for the overall transportation ecosystem.

As we look for more ways to make life easier to move in and around cities, we’re also looking to the future and some trends you can expect to see in the broader technology landscape:

Machine learning will continue to grow as more data is collected. The Internet of Things (IoT) will connect more devices that produce more data. With more data comes more analysis. With more analysis comes more predictive and intelligent systems. This has major implications for many sectors, including medicine, transportation, and government.

Brad Powers, Chief Technology Officer

We will see more cross-functional partnerships that improve the overall customer experience. For example, taking an Uber to Starbucks and getting a discount on your coffee or receiving promotional cash in your VISA Checkout wallet when you use it for online purchases.

David Singletary, VP Sales

2017 will be the Rise of the (Chat)bot. Marketers have seen these features for some time in functions like autoresponder messages for Facebook. With rapid advancements in machine learning, we’ve seen the evolution and potential chatbots have. Starbucks recently released a chatbot that fully completes complicated coffee orders — for when a simple tall Pike’s Place isn’t enough. Maybe a broader category would be intelligent apps that learn with you, but chatbots have real potential to reduce overall customer effort.

Daniel Bliley, Marketing

Diagnostic technology will play an important role in 2017. Drivers can plug devices into their vehicles to collect information and improve performance. Smart homes will be able to identify temperatures–even while on vacation–and adjust to prevent catastrophic events like pipe bursts. In the unfortunate circumstance that happens, the tech could even alert a plumber to address the issue while you’re away.

Sara Wasserboehr, Graphic Designer

Another big trend you can expect next year is virtual or augmented reality. This was a consensus among many team members at Passport. From military training exercises to pilot education, virtual technology is ripe with possibilities. It also has great potential for the video game market and you should expect it to show up on many holiday wish lists.

Technology is moving at a rapid pace. From traditional online and mobile use to revolutionizing grocery concepts, it’s changing the way we live. The key to keeping up is staying familiar with what’s ahead.