HAMPSHIRE, England – As 2015 draws to a close, Juniper Research has drawn up a list of predictions for the coming year, all neatly wrapped up as the top trends in technology for 2016.

Juniper has identified 2016 as the watershed year for virtual-reality headsets, in terms of both product launches and consumer rollouts. Oculus, Sony and HTC are amongst the leading players expected to launch key VR products over the next 12 months. The recent attention to and investment in virtual reality is helping to revitalise the industry. With major-brand commercial launches imminent, there is huge potential for rapid market expansion.

As a result, Juniper expects significant VR uptake over the next five years as consumers benefit from a combination of improved VR technology allied to immersive applications, as well as reduced prices. Consequently, the technology is now poised to transform the entertainment industry, including gaming and video, over coming years whilst offering the potential to expand quickly into other markets such as industrial and healthcare.

Juniper’s top 10 tech predictions for 2016 are:

1. The year will be a watershed for virtual reality.
2. Consumer robotics will become reality.
3. Wearables will become popular in the workplace.
4. 5G will become a primary pursuit.
5. Consumer devices will continue to merge across platforms.
6. Financial institutions will embrace blockchain technology.
7. In gaming, hybrid consoles and the cloud will gain in adoption speed.
8. eSports will deliver significant revenues for the games market.
9. New security models will emerge.
10. Crowdfunding will emerge as a dominant model for start-up capital.

Details are available in the free report “Top Ten Tech Predictions for 2016,” which is available as a free download on the Juniper Research website.