What is X-Tech? Background of popularization and industries in which it is used
Developing new services for each industry with X-Tech! In recent years, many industries have been paying attention to the word X-Tech (cross-tech). X-Tech is recognized as an IT term, but it is a term that spreads across all industries. An increasing number of industries are moving forward by creating new value through X-Tech, which utilizes technology.
How is X-Tech progressing now that DX (Digital Transformation) is progressing? We will introduce the background of the spread of X-Tech and the industries and technologies currently being used.
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Contents of this article
What is X-Tech?
X-Tech (cross-tech) is a term that refers to the value and structure created by fusing the technologies of a certain industry. By combining cutting-edge IT technology with existing services and technologies, we create new services and businesses.
X-Tech has hidden potential in every field, and the combinations are endless depending on your ideas. Therefore, it is expected that the industry will continue to grow in the future.
A generic term for "○○Tech"
X-Tech is a coined word that can be read as "cross-tech" or "x-tech" and has the meaning of crossing technology. X-Tech itself is a general term that indicates the fusion of technology and industry.
Even now, many industries have created "○○ Tech" that combines technology, and the name has been heard more and more in the media.
Achievement of high functionality and high quality
X-Tech can transform existing services and businesses into high functionality and high quality using cutting-edge technology. Many IT technologies that have evolved so far are used there.
The main IT technologies that are used to improve functionality and quality by X-Tech are IoT (Internet of Things), cloud computing, AI (artificial intelligence), big data, and VR.
For example, IoT has succeeded in widening the range of operation methods and management methods by giving things such as home appliances the ability to communicate with the Internet. The work has come to be utilized regardless of location, such as homes, factories, and companies.
Vitality not limited to the IT industry
X-Tech makes full use of cutting-edge IT technology, and its technology has led to a vitality in all industries other than the IT industry. rice field. Initially, it was mainly used by companies with strengths in IT technology and digital fields, but now it is accepted in various fields regardless of industry.
Incorporating what was analog into digital, the work that was done by human hands and eyes into AI, incorporating technology that is necessary and usable for each field, and utilizing it for better services and more efficient business development I'm here.
Background to Activation of X-Tech
There were various factors behind the activation of X-Tech. Several things are related to the activation of X-Tech, such as the evolution of IT technology and changes in consumer behavior.
Introducing the factors behind the birth and evolution of X-Tech, which can be said to be a child of the times.
Development of trends in the use of digital technology and ICT
The activation of X-Tech is related to the development of trends in the use of digital technology and ICT. An increasing number of industries are promoting the digitization of things that were previously used in paper or analog, and this has naturally permeated consumers.
Consumers positively accept the changes initiated by companies, and a virtuous cycle is occurring in which they realize greater convenience than existing systems and services. For example, the proportion of electronic money payments is steadily increasing year by year, and there is also a trend in the advertising industry to gradually shift from conventional advertising media to Internet advertising.
Cost Reduction in IT Implementation
X-Tech's activation is driven not only by the convenience of digital technology, but also by the attractiveness of cost reduction. The introduction of IT to industry can be expected to significantly reduce labor costs. Separating work that is more efficient for machines from work that must be done by humans will also lead to improved labor efficiency.
In addition, the advancement of technology has succeeded in reducing IT introduction costs. For example, cloud computing is one of the technologies that has made it possible to introduce IT at the lowest possible cost. By using the cloud, you can use the system without owning your own equipment and reduce capital investment.
The spread of smartphones has made it easier for companies and customers to connect
X-Tech's breakthrough in various fields is also related to the rapid spread of smartphones. The increase in smartphone users has shortened the distance between consumers and the Internet, making it easier for companies to approach them via the Internet.
According to the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications' "2018 Communications Usage Trend Survey," about 80% of households own smartphones. At the same time, the utilization rate of social work services is also increasing.
The penetration of consumers such as smartphones and SNS has made it easier for companies to approach, and along with that, the need to introduce X-Tech has also arisen. The use of X-Tech makes it easier to promote businesses targeting smartphone users, not only in advertising but also in providing services through the Internet.
Advancement of AI
Advancement of AI is also one of the factors for the growth of X-Tech. By entrusting data collection and analysis to computers, humans can spend more time creating ideas, and as a result, various X-Techs have been born.
AI-powered machine learning and deep learning have had a major impact on how we analyze data. By accumulating data learning, it becomes possible to analyze and predict from data that has not been learned, and computers can collect, store, and analyze large amounts of data. The division of labor with computers has contributed to the progress of X-Tech by allowing humans and machines to take advantage of their respective strengths and complement each other's weaknesses.
Various X-Tech
X-Tech is already active, and more and more companies are taking on the challenge of X-Tech in various fields. Each industry requires different technologies and the scope of their use, and there are a myriad of ideas.
In order to learn more about X-Tech, it is important to see successful examples of effective use in each field. Here are some representative examples of X-Tech introduced in recent years.
FinTech: Finance
Fintech is a representative example of X-Tech in recent years. The combination of "Finance" and Technology has launched new functions and new services related to our money.
The main new functions and services are shopping payment functions, remittance functions, asset management, etc. Until now, services that were mainly handled over the counter or over the phone can now be done with a single smartphone. Penetration progresses speedily and has already become familiar among people.
This article about fintech can also be used in entrepreneurship! Summary of the Latest Fintech ToolsHealthTech: Health
HealthTech is a word that combines "Health" and technology. It is sometimes called Healthcare Tech. Literally, it refers to a new initiative that integrates healthcare-centered services and technology. The purpose is to extend people's healthy life expectancy by using digital technology to solve nursing care, prevention, and QOL issues.
Main examples of HealthTech include health management using wearable devices and real-time testing and analysis using healthcare systems. Also known as smart healthcare, it provides testing and health management rather than treatment. In the nursing care field, HealthTech includes services such as managing the physical condition of caregivers with sensors and notifying the timing of taking medication.
MedTech, which will be described later, is similar to HealthTech. Healthtech mainly focuses on healthcare such as health promotion and preventive medicine, while MedTech targets the medical field.
Click here for an interview article on health tech>Neurospace Takanori Kobayashi｜"Entrepreneur, sleep" 10 sleeping techniques to improve productivity and happiness ・Sleeptech's neurospaceClean Tech: Environment
Clean Tech is the structure of business processes and services, including environmentally friendly energy and electricity. The focus is on reducing the use of non-renewable resources and on the use and development of renewable energy. Coupled with the promotion of SDGs in recent years, Clean Tech is a field that is attracting attention. Clean Tech is also called "Green Tech".
The main content is in the electric power field, but in addition to that, clean tech efforts have begun in the fields of transportation, logistics, and agriculture.
Click here for an interview article on clean tech>REMARE Masasuke Mase | Challenge the reuse of marine debris, which has become a global problem.HR Tech: Human Resources
HR Tech is a coined word that combines "Human Resource" and technology. Literally, it aims at simplification, efficiency, cost reduction, etc. by technology in operations from recruitment to management of human resources.
Main contents include simplification of personnel affairs and attendance management by utilizing accounting software and attendance software, data management of application status and precedence status in recruitment work. HR-related tasks are particularly large in large-scale companies, and it is a task that tends to increase the burden on some staff within limited resources. Simplifying it will also lead to efficient use of human resources.
See also this article on HR-Tech > Hiroki Sakaki, Labor and Social Security Attorney | Are you still managing in Excel? We will teach you the selection criteria for cloud attendance management tools! [Sakaki's serialization 1]FoodTech: Food
FoodTech is a word that combines "food" and technology. We use technology to analyze and develop food products. The purpose is to solve food-related issues such as food safety and food culture.
FoodTech can be used to support agriculture and fisheries, where the number of producers is decreasing, as well as food loss and hunger. It is also used for food development for vegans and vegetarians in order to respond to diverse food cultures.
Click here for an interview article about food tech>What is the “alternative meat” that is starting to spread overseas? Reasons for increased demand and the latest overseas situationAutoTech: Cars
AutoTech is a word that combines "automation" and technology. Efforts introduced in the mobility field, mainly referring to automated driving. Because it is in the automotive field, it is sometimes called "CarTech".
The purpose of AutoTech is to enable safe and convenient transportation through the fusion of automobile technology and IT technology. There are high expectations for automated driving, but accidents due to automated driving have occurred, and future issues remain. In addition to automatic driving, automatic braking is also AutoTech.
Click here for an interview article on Autotech>Seibii Yu Sagawa｜Creating a comfortable customer experience in the automotive aftermarketAgriTech: Agriculture
What is AgriTech? A term used to describe the convergence of technology in the field of agriculture. By combining IT technology with agriculture, we will reduce human burdens and costs, and promote more efficient and analytical agriculture. In addition to IoT and big data, drones have also been introduced.
The main content is a monitoring system using IoT. Sensors are installed on farmland to measure temperature and humidity, and alerts are issued when there is a significant change. Compared to conventional human monitoring, the burden is reduced and stricter management is possible. The data acquired by the sensor can also be used for automatic control of moisture and amount of sunlight.
In addition, various ideas are being promoted, such as using AI to manage the growth of crops and spraying chemicals with drones.
Click here for an interview article on agritech > Shigeki Kuroyanagi, Blueberry Farm Okazaki | Annual income of 20 million yen just for 60 days of operation.EdTech: Education
EdTech is a combination of “education” and technology. Used for educational support. The system for students includes learning support, and the support for teachers includes class support.
In addition to schools, qualification schools and training gyms are also within the scope of EdTech. By using learning programs and educational programs in specific genres such as English conversation and programming, education will be efficient and fulfilling.
Also, the use of SNS, AI, VR, etc. is being promoted. SNS makes it possible to streamline and share learning management, and AI makes it possible to manage training progress and student status.
By using VR, it is possible to reproduce contents that are difficult to experience in the real world and increase learning opportunities. In human resource development, it can also be used for preliminary experience such as danger lectures and complaint handling.
Click here for an interview article on edtech > Yohei Uematsu, Tech IS | "To be honest, I didn't like going online." Achieved the target number of paid self-study room members in half a year! A Former Teacher's Struggle to Launch Study Grace Yoshihito KawaiPoliTech: Politics
PoliTech is a combination of "Politics" and technology. We aim to use technology to transform politics. It has been popular in the United States, but in Japan as well, the ban on election campaigns on the Internet has been lifted, and PoliTech is now being adopted.
The main contents include election campaigns and signature campaigns on the Internet and SNS, and sending and collecting information about politics. In the United States, Internet advertising and Facebook are actively used.
MedTech: Medical
MedTech is a combination of "Medical" and technology, referring to the medical and medical fields. Efforts to go paperless and reduce labor costs, such as electronic medical records and online appointments for medical examinations, are major. In addition, there are efforts such as analyzing human body data in the development of new drugs.
MedTech has also made it possible to receive medical services at home, such as telemedicine and online consultations. It is an initiative that is expected as a measure against villages without doctors, as a medical treatment for elderly people who have difficulty moving, and as a countermeasure against the recent novel coronavirus.
In addition to that, AI-based image diagnosis and the introduction of surgery support robots are also being promoted. Image diagnosis using AI is expected to prevent human errors such as oversight, and the introduction of robots can be expected to reduce the amount of bleeding.
Click here for an interview article on Medtech>Doctor Mate Naoki Aoyagi｜"The key is the collaboration between nursing care and medical care" "Doctor Mate" The challenges and future of the nursing care industry as seen by an active doctorMarTech: Marketing
MarTech is a combination of marketing and technology. Using marketing automation tools, we were able to visualize customer needs and produce high quality products that meet their needs.
Home Tech: Home
Home Tech is a combination of "home" and technology. We will introduce IT technology into the house and create a comfortable environment.
It is also possible to manage air conditioning, lock management, pet physical condition management and observation with the app. In addition, the amount of power generated by solar power generation is being managed.
Ad Tech: Advertising
AdTech is an initiative in the "Advertisement" space. It mainly refers to technology related to Internet advertising. Unlike conventional advertisements aimed at an unspecified number of people, it has become easier to deliver advertisements to the target audience and facilitate analysis.
RE Tech: Real Estate
"RE Tech" is a coined word using the acronym "RE" of "Real Estate". Literally refers to new technology in the real estate field.
"RE Tech" is an initiative that aims to create a service that will revolutionize the traditional real estate industry. This includes online viewings and property search services.
Click here for an interview article about Retech > Monooku Yuichi Abe |GovTech: Government
Some combine "Government" with technology. A major example is the introduction of the My Number Card. With the introduction of the My Number Card, it is expected that procedures at public institutions will become smoother and labor costs will be reduced.
Summary
X-Tech brings many benefits to business, such as improving efficiency and convenience, and reducing labor costs by combining conventional services with IT technology.
Although some fields are still under development, they will continue to be used in various ways, and people's lives will become more convenient and comfortable. I want to keep up with the X-Tech wave by always keeping track of trends and learning about social trends.
The booklet version of the start-up notebook (free) contains information necessary after starting a business, such as business tools. Please use it for support during the period immediately after starting a business. Related article What is agritech, which combines agriculture and technology? Explanation of its mechanism and examples What is TCFD? Commentary on the content and importance of information disclosure on climate change risks(Edited by Founding Techo Editorial Department)
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