Future Challenges in Computer Science

Computer Science: Facing Challenges and Improving the World

Computer science is faced with many challenges as the digital universe expands. From mobile and cloud computing to data security, addressing these issues can require large, structural changes, but an examination of these problems can lead to organizational solutions and improvements in the world.

Challenges in Computer Science 

More employees and customers are using mobile technology.

A switch to cloud services and an emphasis on mobile platforms are essential.

The Internet’s infrastructure will need to be updated to match the “New Internet.”

In 2020, 100-billion uniquely identifiable objects will be connected to the Internet.

80% of security professionals rated data leaks and exposure of sensitive information as the highest concern.

Changing the architecture of organizational networks can seem daunting. Below are suggested steps.

Steps Toward Solution

• Identify and remove bottlenecks, improve routing patterns, and utilize better servers.

• Use software-defined networking to allocate resources and increase data efficiency.

• Change 10GB fiber optic cables to 100GB. As organizations improve networking and infrastructure, an explosion of data will lead to more problems with rewarding solutions.

Big Data and the Digital Universe

• By 2020, the digital universe will grow from 130 to 40,000 Exabytes.

• The data that requires protection will grow by 40%.

• Data will become more complicated and harder to secure, store, and analyze.

While the problems facing computer science and Big Data are paramount, these issues can lead to opportunities within bioinformatics and health care to improve the world.

Changing the World

• Improved experiments and advances in data visualization and health technology are leading to insight into cancer and rare diseases.

• Genomics is helping researchers understand genetic diseases and could result in profound improvements in treatment. 

The Intersection of Healthcare and IT

This infographic takes a look at the field of health informatics, explaining the relation between healthcare and technology.

The Growth of Distance Learning

Distance learning used to be a cumbersome and uncertain alternative to the traditional classroom experience. However, Internet technology has made digital learning more interactive, and drastically improved the quality of these programs. There has been a significant jump in distance learning enrollment among undergraduate students recently. How popular have these programs become, and what might these trends hold for the future?

Li-Fi affords Internet through light bulb

Li-Fi enables data transmission through illumination by taking the fiber out of fiber optics by sending data through a LED light bulb. Li-Fi is visible electromagnetic spectrum and has higher bandwidth than Wi-fi but has Line of sight limitation. Li-Fi promises to be cheaper and more energy-efficient than the existing wireless radio systems given the ubiquity of LED bulbs and the fact that lighting infrastructure is already in place.

Li-Fi was coined by Professor Harald Haas from the University of Edinburgh in the UK and pure VLC’s CSO, and refers to a type of VLC technology that delivers a networked, mobile, high-speed communication solution in a similar manner as Wi-Fi. Developed exclusively in France by Oledcomm the startup of the System Engineering Laboratory of the University of Versailles, it was presented for the first time in the “connected home” of France Television at the LeWeb 12 forum, as the revolution of tomorrow! Visible light is part of the electromagnetic spectrum and 10,000 times bigger than the radio spectrum, affording potentially unlimited capacity.

Advantages of Li-Fi:

A frequencies band completely free and unlicensed worldwide

Every Li-Fi light unit can convey up to 10 times more information than a Wi-Fi Hot-Spot

Adapted to buildings or infrastructures where GSM and Wi-Fi are forbidden or cannot pass

No interference with radio waves and electromagnetic fields

Geolocation information :

You can target information to relay accurately depending on the lighting device

Exchange your files safely :

As light does not cross walls, you have an increased security of your wireless

Combined to LED lighting you can save energy up to 80% compared to a traditional lighting

Omnipresence of LEDs in domestic lighting, industrial, displays and urban signage

Ability of multi-user communication

And the drawbacks are that if you block the light and the signal will be blocked.

Somehow, Li-Fi also a potential advantage from a security point of view. Light cannot penetrate walls as radio signals can, so drive-by hacking of wireless internet signals would be far more difficult, if not impossible. Even though the technology is still infancy, it needs further developments in microchip design and optical communication controls before it could go mass market.