Ask any investor about how they go about choosing where to place their money and they’ll say that they look at sectors that are emerging or enjoying a boom. The good news is that today there are more investment opportunities than ever thanks to emerging industries and ones that simply wouldn’t have existed even a few decades ago.
A prime example of this is in the field of software. We’ve already seen what a fortune it has made for Microsoft, arguably the original large-scale software creator, and there are many more businesses poised to enjoy great success.
The secret will be to identify which particular sectors that are due to enjoy continued growth. However, there are certain trends and industries that do seem to have very bright futures and may well provide a more than decent return on investment.
Virtual Reality
It seems to have been a long time coming, but this could be the turning point when virtual reality starts to have its moment in the spotlight. For many years it was the lack of affordable hardware that was the main obstacle to VR becoming accessible, but now all that has changed. Admittedly, there has been something of a lag between headsets becoming available and software companies being ready to exploit the new opportunities. But that is beginning to change with an increasing number of software companies starting to dedicate significant resources to develop products.
Because VR promises to transform so many other sectors, ranging from entertainment to education and medicine to architecture, the potential is huge. So it’s well worth researching a little about the businesses that are starting to make waves in the field.
Casino software
One of the huge success stories of recent times has been the rise and rise of online casinos. For over twenty years now, these have been steadily gaining in popularity, often at the expense of their land-based rivals. So it stands to reason that the companies that create the software behind them have also been enjoying something of a boom.
The insatiable demand for new technology, as well as new games, means that there is an ever-growing number of companies producing the best casino and gambling software and you can find a fairly definitive list of them at online-casinos.com. These range from big names like Microgaming and Netent to smaller, more niche software providers like Net Game and Red Tiger. It can be a good idea to invest in a newer entrant to the market as, if they really take off, your investment will too.
Artificial Intelligence
Gradually, the world is starting to wean itself off the idea, and fear, that artificial intelligence will be the first step towards the machines taking over. Rather, it’s increasingly being seen as an essential addition to the business world which offers countless money-saving benefits.
It’s already being used in many ways across a wide range of industries to revolutionise everything from how they answer customers’ queries to handling their own logistics. Some AI software developers have even branched out into areas in which some people thought would be impossible to manage without human intervention. A good example of this is Grammarly. It styles itself as a digital writing assistant and can provide all-too-human feedback on the quality and style of a piece of writing. While some AI software companies have fairly narrow areas of operation and potential customers, the scope and potential for ones like this are far wider.
E-commerce
It’s a widely-publicised phenomenon that the traditional retail environment is in a state of flux. One of the reasons for this is undoubtedly the rise of online shopping – in the US it’s estimated that well over 50% of purchases are made online today. As more and more people turn to the convenience of online shopping we can expect to see the sector start to boom, along with the software companies like Shopify that power e-commerce.
And, with increasing numbers of people deciding that working for themselves is the way forward, the demand for this kind of software is certain to follow suit. It’s just a question of choosing which of the many producers will bring you the greatest return.
Cybersecurity
Unfortunately, for all the benefits that the internet has brought, it’s also introduced cybercrime. It’s estimated that this will be costing business over $11 million a minute by 2021 in terms of lost revenue, reputational damage and other expenses incurred.
But the good news for would-be investors is that it has also led to a booming cybersecurity industry in which software experts strive to stay at least one step ahead of the hackers. With the threats still likely to increase, and the need for effective software solutions to be developed to meet them, all companies in this sector are looking at a very bright future indeed. For anyone looking for a fairly secure investment, in more ways than one, this could well be the answer.
So, now it’s time to take a deep dive into researching the leading names in these five areas –and you could soon be onto a winning investment strategy.
