Technology Advancements Fuel Changes
One small creative spark can turn a new idea into something that dramatically changes how we all do business. For small businesses in New Jersey, the last few years have been full of developments that have dramatically altered how each of them uses technology.
The Cloud Lit Up the Business World
Remember when working from anywhere was rare? Then came cloud applications, Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, and other cloud tools—and suddenly remote work lit up the business world in an instant. Collaboration ignited, making teamwork easier and more affordable than ever.
Zero Became the Safest Word in IT
IT Security has long been built on putting up walls and strictures that impede access. That strategy worked well for decades. Only recently, though, did that get flipped on its head and the idea of Zero Trust emerged. With Zero Trust, every user must prove that they and their device are safe—every single time. It’s like keeping that bucket of water near the fire just in case, because you cannot trust the fire will not spread.
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What might be the most important innovation in IT for small businesses over the next few years? The answer is clearly the further growth and expansion of AI.
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Aye Aye for AI
Just over the last two years, AI went from an isolated flicker to a blazing bonfire. Only recently have small businesses begun to adopt AI in various forms and use it for customer service, marketing, and automation. It is reducing workloads and downtime, facilitating response times, and sparking innovative ideas. Imagine how the cave dwellers felt when they first saw fire. That is how AI feels to most of us in business today. And the flames of AI are growing!
Generative AI: Generative AI is what most of us are familiar with at this point. It creates content including images, code, and video. It will continue to add new features and benefits—entirely new things unknown to us. It does this by learning and leveraging patterns it learns over time.
Agentic AI: Agentic AI is unfamiliar to most of us, but it takes AI a step further than the current. It doesn’t just generate content, it acts autonomously to achieve goals. These systems can make decisions, complete tasks, and even coordinate workflows without constant human input. Think of it as fire that not only burns but moves on its own, reshaping the terrain as it goes. This autonomy means businesses must plan carefully for governance, security, and ethical use. AI will power cybersecurity well beyond its current capabilities. Like wilderness fire management, the successful growth of AI will have to be well regulated and tightly controlled.
Ready to enjoy the heat and avoid the flames? Contact IT Radix today and let’s help you keep your business burning bright—not burning out.
First published in our March 2026 IT Radix Resource newsletter