1. Computing Everywhere
As smart-phone
technology advances, smart-phones will be used in new contexts and
environments. Along with wearables, smart-phones will offer connected screens
in the workplace and in public. User experience will be key.
2. The Internet of Things (IoT)
The Internet of
Things is big and it will continue to grow along with user-oriented computing.
Prediction: The Internet of Things will be the focus of digital business
products and processes in industrial and operational contexts. Expect
technology to be embedded everywhere.
3. 3D Printing
3D printing is about
to get cheaper, and its market will grow over the next three years. The
expansion will be biggest in industrial, biomedical, and consumer applications
helping companies reduce costs.
4. Advanced, Pervasive, Invisible Analytics
Analytics will
continue to grow propelled by the Internet of Things, creating large pools of
data. Every app will need to be an analytic app. But big data isn’t the most
important thing: instead we’ll need big questions and big answers.
5. Context-Rich Systems
Thanks to embedded
intelligence and analytics, systems will become alert and responsive to their
surroundings. Expect context-aware security as well as other trends.
6. Smart Machines
Analytics and
context will pave the way for smart machines that can learn for themselves and
act accordingly. These machine helpers will continue to evolve. Prediction: The
smart machines era will be the most disruptive in the history of IT.
7. Cloud/Client Architecture
As mobile computing
meets cloud computing, centrally coordinated applications that can be delivered
to any device will continue to grow. Apps that can use intelligence and storage
effectively will see lower bandwidth costs. Expect to be able to use
applications simultaneously on multiple devices.
8. Software-Defined Infrastructure and Applications
Software defined
networking, storage, data centers and security are maturing. Cloud service
software is configurable thanks to rich APIs. Computing will have to move away
from static models to deal with the changing demands of digital business.
9. Web-Scale IT
More and more
companies will begin thinking like Amazon, Google and Facebook. As
cloud-optimized and software-defined methods become mainstream, we’ll see a
move towards web-scale IT, starting with DevOps.
10. Risk-Based Security and Self-Protection
While 100% security
solutions aren’t feasible, advanced risk assessment and mitigation will come
into play in the next few years. Security will move away from perimeter defense
to multi-faceted approaches. Expect security aware application design, dynamic
and static application security testing, and runtime application
self-protection.
