The web is not short of ideas and strategies all designed to help businesses plan for 2013. The technology sector is no different, so we thought we would throw out some ideas about what we are seeing with regards to trends to help your business in 2013.
According to CIO.com magazine’s John Brandon “The more you know about the future, the better off you are.” This is very true, having a plan for all aspects of your business is essential, including your Information Technology.
In Brandon’s article he talks about seven trends he sees that will impact business this year.
The first is the move in hospitals towards what we in the industry call BYOD. BYOD stands for “Bring Your Own Device”. Companies, governments and businesses of all shapes and sizes are now allowing employees to use their own devices including smartphones and tablets in the workplace. This includes connecting to guest networks. BYOD includes visitors connecting to your network, allowing for access to certain resources while securing, in the hospital environment, patient information.
The second trend is 3D printing. The lower costs of 3D printers are driving adoption of this once cost-prohibitive technology. What once cost $20,000 can be purchased for under $3,000. 3D Printing kits are available and exist for many industries.
John Brandon predicts that in 2013 passwords will start to fade into oblivion. Biometric security has been around for the past decade or even longer, but it has never really taken off, yet when a hacker steals your passwords, they often gain access to all your secure portals. Biometrics uses the iris of your eye, your voice or your fingerprint as a security precaution. As more and more password hacking occurs businesses will move towards biometrics to secure their networks.
The fourth is something many of us watch each and every day. The TV, according to Brandon, will go apptastic. In 2013, televisions will become more app ready. This trend has been developing over the years, as many TV viewers only watch TV online via Netflix and other services using their Smart TV or XBOX360. Watch for a Pinterest-like TV service in 2013.
When it comes to the classroom, the fifth trend talks about how the classroom will go online. University of Phoenix has been known for creating disruption in the education market over the years and watch for them to move more classes online and upset the traditional brick and mortar institutions.
These six trends involve the user interface you use on your computer. Over the past few years companies such as Microsoft and Apple have tried to outclass each other with sharper designs. This year, going back to simple designs that allow a user to easily get the information or applications they want will become the new trend. Windows 8 is paving the way for this to occur.
The last new trend involves the Internet. Web outages will cause more damage than in the previous years. Brandon compares this to the flu, because more and more sites are connected to each other. The easiest example to come up with is the Facebook LIKE button. When Facebook has a problem with their code it is capable of causing problems with thousands of other sites.
Knowing these trends, it is very important for your business to have a technology plan. We can help you have the right IT plan in place that allows you to take advantage of all the upcoming trends and help mitigate your risks.
Call us today to book a no obligation discussion of all your Information Technology. We can help you no matter how large or small your business is, call us today.
