Technology makes our lives easier. The ease and convenience of technology affects everything we do—in work and in play. An explosion of technology available to us in the last decade or so has drastically changed the landscape of business. Below are five trends that are transforming business now.

1. You Can Work From Home—Or Anywhere

A wireless connection makes it possible to stay connected to anyone at any time. Today, every mobile device has wireless capabilities, even your printer. Increased use of cloud networking means that not only can you get work done, but also you can access any database you would have had access to at work. You can work anywhere.

Work-from-home opportunities were previously met with skepticism. But now, plenty of legitimate companies, such as Xerox and the U.S. Department of Transportation, are looking to hire remote workers. The opportunities offer more flexibility and put people in a better place to freelance or start their own consulting business.

2. More Data Is Available, Faster

Sending a massive report to a colleague no longer involves reams of paper and a courier. Instead, data is available faster and in larger amounts than we have ever seen. Due to Wi-Fi and cloud computing, it's easy to share important information.

3. Technology Continues to Replace Certain Jobs

The rise of the machines is not just a myth. Experts predict that automated workers may take over as much as 47 percent of current jobs—in less than 20 years. Travel agents, receptionists, bank tellers, and cashiers are among the professions that may no longer be manned by humans. In addition, email has adversely affected job security for postal workers, newspaper reporters, and typists. Jobs that need creativity and critical thinking are the ones that will still belong to humans, researchers say.

4. Companies Are Learning to Engage Customers More

Big-name brands have Facebook pages, LinkedIn profiles, and Twitter accounts. These companies would quickly become annoying spam if all they only tried to make a sale. Instead, companies must find creative ways to engage people with their brand. One study says two-thirds of consumer goods companies need to do more to use digital technology to market to customers. Those numbers mean that companies have to offer customers more useful information like blogs, tips, and to a lesser extent, coupons and sales, in order to inspire loyalty.

5. More Social Media Marketing People Are Being Hired

While some jobs are fading away, technology has spurred the need for others. It's not enough to just have a website, businesses also need social media pages.. Some businesses are even starting to market via text. With all of these tools, businesses must have consistent branding and messaging weaved seamlessly through all aspects of online media. More companies are hiring social media specialists to produce and monitor this online content.

Technology and all of its far-reaching effects are here to stay. Workers and employers must respond to the demand technology has placed on their industries.