HorizonWatching

IDC: Security Trends and Predictions for 2012

Yesterday I attended IDC’s conference call on 2012 predictions for the IT security industry.  The IDC Security Research team did a great job of laying out the important trends for IT security.

Security is an area that just keeps on becoming more and more important.  Unfortunately, the bad guys out there just keep finding ways to attack and disrupt.  The big trends today of social, mobile, cloud, and analytics are all putting more pressure on IT security professionals today to provide an infrastructure that can withstand almost any type of attack. 

The speakers on the 45 minute conference call were

• Christian A. Christiansen, Program Vice President, Security Products and Services, IDC
• John Grady, Senior Research Analyst, Security Products and Services, IDC
• Phil Hochmuth, Program Manager, Security Products, IDC
• Sally Hudson, Research Director, Security Products and Services, IDC
• Charles J. Kolodgy, Research Vice President, Security Products, IDC
• Chris Liebert, Senior Analyst, Security Services, IDC

Below you will find the IDC Security Predictions for 2012 in bold text along with my notes from the call:

1. Customer Expectations & Frustration Will Grow.  IDC has been hearing that IT leaders are having a hard time defining the risks, let alone trying to solve them.  This leads to miscommunication and misunderstanding between IT leaders, the execs, and the employees.  As a result of this miscommunication and misunderstanding, frustrations over expectations will increase.
2. Cloud Will Slowly Incorporate Identity, Privilege & Access.  IDC says many large enterprises are looking to implement hybrid and private clouds and these large enterprises are slowly building into their implementations identity, privilege & access.
3. Mobile Security Merges Mobile Device Management, SaaS, & Policy.  Security vendors are realizing that the combination of threats and risks associated with mobile is different and complex.  Correlating user to device, application, and data is becoming increasingly important. IDC also says the integration of standards will become increasingly important.
4. Social Networking Becomes More Hellish and Complicated.  IDC says social computing continues to change and evolve.  Focus on control and privacy aspects of social will increase.  As enterprises invest more and more to integrate social throughout all business processes their needs to be better tools to ensure that social not only increases employee productivity, but manages enterprise risk effectively.  IDC says watch for greater restrictions on employees tweeting and posting on behalf of the enterprise.
5. Big Data Comes to Security as Threat Intelligence Security Services.  IDC says Big Data combined with advanced analytics will be used to help enterprises reduce risks via predictive analytics.
6. Professional Services Drive Managed Security and SaaS.  IDC expects firms to roll out an increased number of professional services in order to drive   IDC says professional services engagements are leading to increased opportunities for managed security services and SaaS.   
7. Threat Ecosystem Changes from Channel to Direct Model.  IDC says bad guys are moving more towards a direct model of organization where they do everything themselves vs. relying on third parties to do their dirty work.
8. Freemium Changes Endpoint Markets for Consumer/SMB in China.  IDC says the freemium model, where businesses offer products and services for free and then try to lure customers into buying premium versions, has implications for security and risk management.
9. Weaponized Malware Takes Threats to a New Level.  Increasingly, the bad guys are using malware to do some really awful things.  IDC says this could be a new and very vicious trend that is not on the radar of many enterprises yet.
10. New “Normal” is Constant Attacks and Breaches.  IDC says enterprises of all sizes must brace themselves for constant flood of attacks from all types of sources.  These attacks are searching for vulnerabilities that might be exploited later.

To catch a replay of the conference call, go to Security Predictions 2012: Big Data, Social, Mobile, and Cloud Embolden the Security Community.  You’ll need to register first.  You can access more IDC related security content at IDC Security Research

IDC Retail Insights: Predictions for 2012 for the Retail Industry

IDC has released its IDC Retail Insights' Predictions for 2012 via it’s annual predictions conference call.  This was a global predictions call and was focused broadly on all types of financial services.  There are also other calls coming up that focus on regional predictions in both Europe and Asia as well as calls specific to sub-industries within Financial Services.   

Leading this conference call was Bob Parker Group Vice President.  Other IDC Retail Insights team members on the call were

• Christine Bardwell   Research Manager
• Greg Girard   Program Director
• Leslie Hand   Research Director
• Ivano Ortis   Head – International, IDC Retail Insights

Summary

According to IDC Retail Insights, the economic indicators are strong going into 2012.  IDC believes that year to year spending growths for Retail Industry segments will range from a low of 3.9% for for Home Furnishing to a high of 5.6% for Drug Stores.  Spending will grow the fastest in the software at 5.8% year to year, while services growth will be lowest at 3.5%.  Asia Pacific is poised to grow the fastest at 4.8% while Western Europe will only row at 3.6%.

The IDC Retail Insights team also confirmed four major IT trends that are reshaping the industry:  Cloud Computing, Social Computing, Mobile Computing, and Analytics.

The Ten Predictions

The 2012 predictions list below was sourced from the conference call slides.

1. Growth Strategy. “Consumers, not products or channels, create the basis for growth strategies.”
2. New Retail IT Model. “The Omni-Channel Consumer directs a new Retail IT model for the industry – O3.” 
3. Innovative & Efficient. “Retailers will race to innovate and will operate more efficiently.”
4. Synchronicity. “Retailers will synchronize the supply chain with the clock speed of their customers.”
5. Brand Experiences. “Retailers will create great brand experiences by enabling engaged employee experiences.”
6. Customer Engagement. “Planning paradigms will begin to evolve to support genuine customer brand engagement strategies.”
7. Assortment Planning. “Continuous assortment planning (AP) orchestrated for space becomes the planning hub.”
8. Store Evolution. “The store evolves – welcome to the Omnichannel Store.”
9. Social Conversations. “Customer experience improvements that boost online conversion will go beyond the web store.”
10. Delivery Models. “eCommerce delivery models will fragment.” 

For More Information

• The full report will be posted at the IDC website sometime in the next month.
• Conference Call Replay (registration required): IDC Retail Insights Predictions 2012: Retail. Other webinars targeting EMEA and AP are also available at the IDC website
• Press Release:  IDC Retail Insights To Present Top 10 Predictions for 2012
• Community:  The IDC Retail Insights Community has blogs, videos, forums, resource library, events etc.
• IDC Retail Insights Newsletter: www.idc-ri.com/newsletter
• The IDC Retail Insights main page is at http://www.idc-ri.com
• The IDC 2012 Predictions portal is at http://www.idc.com/research/Predictions12/Main/index.jsp.  This page is being updated daily as new reports come out, webinars announced, etc.

IDC Financial Insights: Predictions for 2012 for Financial Services

IDC has released its IDC Financial Insights' Predictions for 2012.  The December 6, 2011 annual predictions conference call was marred by technical problems, but the IDC team went ahead and recorded the webinar portion.  The recording will be available on the IDC Predictions website and has been loaded to You Tube, here and is also embedded below.

This was a global predictions call and was focused broadly on all types of financial services.  There are also other calls coming up that focus on regional predictions in both Europe and Asia as well as calls specific to sub-industries within Financial Services.  

Leading this conference call was David Potterton, Vice President of Global Research.  Other IDC Financial Insights team members on the call were Jeanne Capachin, Marc DeCastro, Karen Massey, Aaron McPherson, John O'Brien, Sean O'Dowd, and Michael Versace.

Summary

The IDC Financial Insights team started off the predictions by saying there are going to be four main themes in 2012. 

1. Meeting regulatory and compliance requirements.
2. Improving the cross-channel experience
3. Improving operational cost efficiencies
4. Improving revenue generation 

The Ten Predictions

The 2012 predictions list below was sourced from the conference call slides.

1. IT Spending Growth. “Tumultuous financial markets, failing institutions, and lower profits in Europe and the U.S. will inhibit, but not eliminate, IT spending growth.”
2. Channel Mix. “Financial institutions struggle to harness the right channel mix for an optimum customer experience.” 
3. New Business Models. “Financial institutions will see the need to develop a new business model, but execution will elude the industry.”
4. Revenue Generation. “Revenue-generation continues to be a major challenge in 2012 as financial institutions explore new pricing options enabled by technology.”
5. Reliability of IT. “IT reliability becomes a major risk factor due to the age and complexity of key systems.”
6. Mobile Payments. “Financial institutions will generate less than 10% of total mobile payments.”
7. Operational Efficiency. “Financial institutions will continue to tackle operational efficiencies and will target average cost income ratios of 40%.”
8. Risk Management. “Risk management will top US$60B and 15% of total IT investments across WW financial services.”
9. Social Media. “Financial institutions will use social media to improve decision making and drive financial results.”
10. Big Data Analytics. “Over 40% of all tier 1 banking and capital market firms gear up to execute big data / analytics business and technology strategies.”

Webinar Recording via YouTube

 

For More Information

• The full report is at:  Worldwide Financial Services 2012 Top 10 Predictions: Thriving or Just Surviving? .  Other reports targeting EMEA and AP are also available at the IDC website
• Conference Call Replay (registration required): IDC Financial Insights Predictions 2012: Financial Services.  This is the global predictions call.  Other webinars targeting EMEA and AP are also available at the IDC website
• Slides: To download the conference call slides go to: http://idc-insights-community.com/posts/4a985ecf02.
• Press Release:  IDC Financial Insights To Present Top 10 Predictions for 2012
• Community:  The IDC Insights Community has blogs, videos, forums, resource library, events etc.
• IDC Financial Insights Newsletter: www.idc-fi.com/newsletter
• The IDC Financial Insights main page is at http://www.idc-fi.com/
• The IDC 2012 Predictions portal is at http://www.idc.com/research/Predictions12/Main/index.jsp.  This page is being updated daily as new reports come out, webinars announced, etc.

Jack Uldrich: Predictions for 2012

Jack Uldrich is a well known author, blogger, columnist, keynote speaker, and global futurist.  Two books of his I recommend are 1) Jump the Curve: 50 Essential Strategies to Help Your Company Stay Ahead of Emerging Technologies and The Next Big Thing is Really Small: How Nanotechnology Will Change the Future of Your Business.

Uldrich has released his list of predictions for 2012.  I like reading his list every year because his predictions are integrated into stories and potential scenarios that could very well happen.  The stories and scenarios bring the predictions to life and helps you imagine other uses for the predicted technology trend.

Here’s a summary of his list

1. Blackout Friday. Retailers will admit to using advanced facial recognition software.
2. Collegiate Guarantees.   University helps unemployed alumni with special offer.
3. Augmented Political Reality.  A mobile app to help voters match candidates to special interest groups
4. Potty “Gaming”.  A new game to help parents potty-train their toddlers.
5. Urban Crops.  A city will initiate a major focus on urban farming to feed it’s citizens.
6. Paparazzi Drones.    Advanced miniature robotic drones to be applied to the celebrity industry.
7. Virtual Grocery Stores.  Subway walls to become a smartphone enabled virtual grocery store..
8. Nano-Drugs.   Trial program launched to apply groundbreaking nanoscience technology to cancer treatment
9. Networked Traffic.    Social networking apps to reduce traffic congestion.
10. Phone Food Sensors.  New device attached to smartphones chemically analyzes food while shopping at grocery stores.

You can read the detail behind Uldrich’s list at his blog  http://jumpthecurve.net/health-care/futurist-jack-uldrichs-predictions-for-2012/

IDC Health Insights: 2012 Health Industry Predictions

Earlier this week, I attended the annual IDC Health Insights Predictions 2012:  Health conference call.  

This was a global predictions call that covered the entire Health Industry, including health payer, provider and life science sectors.  The team identify major global trends that will impact the has scheduled other prediction calls going into more detail on topics specific to payer, provider and life sciences.  There are also other calls coming up that focus on health industry related predictions in both Europe and Asia.   

Leading this conference call was the IDC Health Insights Group Vice President, Scott Lundstrom.  Also on the call were 8 other members of the IDC Health Insights analyst team

Summary

IDC says significant changes are transforming components of the Health Industry value chain driven by a focus on patient safety, cost containment, quality improvement, and regulatory compliance.  Key topics of importance to business leaders will be EMR and EHR for providers, connected health, healthcare industry reform, and the life sciences value chain. 

Overall, IDC list 5 major technology themes

1. Reform
2. Analytics and Big Data
3. Cloud
4. Mobile
5. Social

IDC is hot on themes 2-5 throughout all of its predictions calls.  

The IDC Health Insights Ten Predictions for 2012

The 2012 predictions list below was sourced from the conference call slides.

1. EHR. “The Majority of U.S. Providers Will Use an EHR by the End of 2012”.
2. ACOs. “Successful Accountable Care Organizations Will Emerge from Private or Public-Private Initiatives” 
3. Re-Branding for Care. “Health Plans Rebrand: Care is the New Core”
4. Integrated Strategies. “Integration of Payment, Clinical Performance and Outcomes”
5. Analytics for Pharma. “Pharma adds "Actionable" to Analytics in 2012”
6. Analytics for ACOs. “The Next Mountain for ACOs to Climb Will be the Development of an Enterprise Analytic Framework Including Clinical Analytics”
7. Outsourcing.  “Outsourcing Best Practices Shift From Vendor to Partner”
8. Mobile. “Bring Your Own Mobile Device Gains Popularity, But Security Risks Abound”
9. Communication Strategy. “Second-Generation Communication Strategies Emerge”
10. Social. “The Next Generation of Consumer Engagement will Leverage Consumers’ Social Graphs”

For More Information

• The IDC Health Insights main page is http://www.idc-hi.com/
• Conference Call Replay (registration required): IDC Health Insights Predictions 2012:  Health.   See the IDC Insights Predictions 2012 page for other Health Insights prediction calls coming up.
• Reports: IDC Health Insights Top 10 Predictions for Health Industry (not published yet). Also Asia/Pacific Healthcare 2012 Top 10 Predictions
• Press Release:  IDC Health Insights press releases
• Community:  The IDC Insights Community has blogs, videos, forums, resource library, events etc.
• IDC Health Insights Newsletter: www.idc-hi.com/newsletter
• The IDC 2012 Predictions portal is at http://www.idc.com/research/Predictions12/Main/index.jsp.  This page is being updated daily as new reports come out, webinars announced, etc.

IDC Manufacturing Insights: 10 Predictions for Manufacturing in 2012

I attended the IDC Manufacturing Insights Predictions 2012:  Manufacturing conference call today.   I enjoyed this call as IDC highlighted the key 2012 trends within the Manufacturing Industry.

This was a global predictions call and was focused broadly on manufacturing industry wide predictions.  The IDC Manufacturing Insights team has scheduled other prediction calls going into more detail on topics like Supply Chain and Product Lifecycle Management.  There are also other calls coming up that focus on manufacturing related predictions in both Europe and Asia.   

Leading this conference call was the IDC Manufacturing Insights team of Joe Barkai (Vice President), Simon Ellis (Practice Director), Kimberly Knickle (Practice Director), Pierfrancesco Manenti (Head – EMEA), and Bob Parker (Group Vice President)

Summary

In 2012, the industry could be characterized as having cautious optimism.  Manufacturing is recovering but business will never be the same.  IDC showed spending forecasts for all major sub-industries with manufacturing and all industries show growth with the consumer oriented industries showing the most growth. 

The Ten Predictions

The 2012 predictions list below was sourced from the conference call slides.

1. ‘Engaged’ Organizations. “Success in the intelligent economy will be achieved through “engaged” organizations”.
2. ‘Four Forces’. “IT organizations will make foundational investments in the “four forces” that deliver both IT productivity and business value”  (note:  IDC says the four forces are Mobility, Big Data, Cloud, and Social Business)
3. Supply Chain Alignment. “Manufacturers Focus on Clock-Speed Alignment across the Supply and Demand Sides of their Supply Chains”
4. IT Support of Supply Chain. “The Requirement for Speed and the Ubiquity of Information Creates a New Landscape for IT Support of the Supply Chain”
5. Lean Innovation. “Manufacturers Adopt Lean Innovation Throughout the Product Lifecycle”
6. Product Lifecycle Visibility. “Greater Visibility and Deeper Understanding of All Aspects of Product Lifecycle Enable Context for Innovation”
7. Factory of the Future: Capabilities.  “The Factory of the Future will be Driven by Capabilities to Fulfill Customer Demand Rather than Pure Production Capacity”
8. Factory of the Future: Operations. “The Factory of the Future will Require a New Approach to Operations Applications”
9. Culture of Learning. “Engaged Manufacturers Look Ahead by Creating a Culture of Learning”
10. Sustainability. “Manufacturers Shine Environmental Sustainability Spotlight on the Factory as a Means of Getting to the Product”

For More Information

• The IDC Manufacturing Insights main page is http://www.idc-mi.com/
• Conference Call Replay (registration required): IDC Manufacturing Insights Predictions 2012: Manufacturing.  See press release for other Manufacturing Insights prediction calls coming up.
• Reports: IDC Energy Insights Top 10 Predictions for Utilities Industry (not published yet)
• Press Release:  IDC Manufacturing Insights To Present Top 10 Predictions for 2012
• Community:  The IDC Insights Community has blogs, videos, forums, resource library, events etc.
• IDC Manufacturing Insights Newsletter: www.idc-mi.com/newsletter
• The IDC 2012 Predictions portal is at http://www.idc.com/research/Predictions12/Main/index.jsp.  This page is being updated daily as new reports come out, webinars announced, etc.

JWT: 10 Consumer Trends For 2012

A recent JWT press release 10 Trends That Will Shape Our World in 2012 caught my eye.  The press release announced the publication of JWT’s seventh annual forecast of key trends that will impact consumer decision making and purchase behavior.

This is a good annual list to take a look at for those in the B2C world.  Consumer behavior is shifting constantly and it’s important to understand why, how, and where those shifts are happening.

To research and develop it’s top ten list, JWT uses data gathered via quantitative surveys of consumers in the U.S. and U.K. as well as input from JWT employees, clients, and other influencers across a number of industries.

JWT’s Top Ten Trends:  Themes uncovered in the survey data include uncertainty about the economic future, the ongoing drumbeat of new technology in our lives, and and a new theme of shared responsibility with a focus on making better food purchase decisions.

Here’s my summary of the ten trends on JWT’s list…

1. Navigating the New Normal:  Continued economic conditions force brands to develop new entry points for cost-sensitive consumers.
2. Live a Little:  Overstressed consumers look to splurge once in a while or at least escape from the many worries of the day.
3. Generation Go:  Enabled by technology, twentysomethings grow up and transform themselves, with many of them starting their own business
4. The Rise of Shared Value:  Increasingly, some corporations are deciding that making a profit and being socially responsible can be achieved at the same time.
5. Food as the New Eco-Issue:  The environmental impact of our food choices will become a more prominent concern.
6. Marriage Optional:  Increasingly, women are taking an alternate life route, one that doesn’t include marriage as an essential checkpoint.
7. Reengineering Randomness:  Greater emphasis will be placed on reintroducing randomness, discovery, inspiration and different points of view into our worlds.
8. Screened Interactions:  Consumers are increasingly expecting to interact (touch, gesture, speech) with flat screens and surfaces
9. Celebrating Aging:  Medical and cultural advances help seniors redefine what it means to grow old.
10. Objectifying Objects:  Technology increasingly gets 1) embedded in all sorts of objects and 2) enables the creation of totally new products and services

For More Information

• JWT press release 10 Trends That Will Shape Our World in 2012
• The full report “10 Trends for 2012” report is available at http://jwtintelligencecatalog.com/10trendsfor2012.aspx
• An executive summary slide deck has been posted on Slideshare at http://www.slideshare.net/jwtintelligence/jwt-10-trends-for-2012-executive-summary

IDC Energy Insights Predictions for 2012 Utilities Industry

I recently attended IDC Energy Insights Predictions 2012:  Utilities conference call today.  I look forward to the IDC Insights series of conference calls every year as it helps me understand the critical issues and trends that impact Information Technology decisions within a particular industry. 

In this case, the predictions were focused on the Utilities industry with an emphasis on North American issues.  There are other calls coming up that focus on Europe and Asia.   

Leading the conference call was the IDC Energy Insights team of Jill Feblowitz, Jay Holman, Sam Jaffe, Usman Sindhu, Casey Talon and Marcus Torchia

Summary and Key Themes

IDC Energy Insights says in 2012, the industry is entering a ‘post stimulus’ period.  While funding has dried up, there are areas where investment spending is growing, such as Solar PV installations.   Other investment areas include Smart Grid, Smart Buildings, Electric Vehicles, and Energy Storage.

The 2012 predictions list below was sourced from the conference call slides.

1. Smart Meters. “Smart meters will peak in 2012, propelling demand response, but spending tempered for now”.
2. Smart Grids. “Distribution automation will lead smart grid control investments with 13% CAGR”
3. Smart Buildings. “Smart building technology investments will gain more traction with utilities”
4. Electric Vehicles. “120,000 plug-in electric vehicles will be sold in North America in 2012”
5. Lithium Batteries. “Lithium-Ion large format batteries will reach $600 per kWh by the end of the year”
6. Solar PV Installations. “Despite the 1603 Treasury Grant expiring in 2011, PV installations will grow by >25% in 2012”
7. Commercial PV. “>60 MW of commercial PV installations will incorporate micro-inverters or DC optimizers in 2012”
8. Security & Risk. “Security and risk will continue to grab decision maker’s attention, leading to increased budgets”
9. Big Data Analytics. “Utilities will invest in analytics in anticipation of big data”
10. IT Spending. “IT spending by North American utilities will increase by 4.5% % over the next four years”

For More Information

• The IDC 2012 Predictions portal is at http://www.idc.com/research/Predictions12/Main/index.jsp.  This page is being updated daily as new reports come out, webinars announced, etc.
• Conference Call Replay (registration required): IDC Energy Insights Predictions 2012: Utilities and IDC Energy Insights Predictions 2012: EMEA Utilities
• Reports:    IDC Energy Insights Top 10 Predictions for Utilities Industry
• Press Release:  IDC Energy Insights Top 10 Predictions for Utilities Industry
• Community:  The IDC Energy Insights Community has blogs, videos, forums, resource library, events etc. all designed for those interested in the Energy IT industry

IDC Government Insights: 2012 Technology Predictions and Trends

I attended IDC Government Insights Predictions 2012:  Government conference call today.  I look forward to the IDC series of conference calls every year as it helps me understand the critical issues and trends that impact Information Technology decisions.  

The conference call was led by IDC Vice President Thom Rubel, and IDC Research Directors Ruthbea Clarke, Shawn McCarthy, and Adelaide O'Brien 

Summary and Key Themes

IDC says that the Government spending on IT in the U.S. will reach $82B.  The majority of that is Federal, with spending at the Federal level split about evenly between DoD and Civilian initiatives.  IDC expects the majority of this spending will be allocated to improve decision-making, operational efficiency, and citizen services for 2012

Overall, IDC believes there are four overall themes to watch in Government spending for 2012:

1. Operational Efficiency:  Broader strategies are need to reduce operational costs
2. Mobility:  Better management and provision of services are required
3. Smart Government:  Improve the value of information and broaden service channels
4. Economic Sustainability:  Investing to improve quality of life and promote economic growth/competitiveness

Top Ten Predictions for 2012

The 2012 predictions lists are developed from IDC analysts, who draw upon their ongoing discussions with industry clients, vendors, and years of experience.  The list below was sourced from the conference call slides.

1. Cloud Computing.  “Up to 10% of States will have shared cloud hubs by the end of 2012, rapidly growing to 65% of the States by 2015”.
2. Social Media.  “The use of social media for U.S. Local, State, and Federal organizations will begin the move from experimental to systematic information dissemination and collection.”
3. Mobility.  “Mobility will become the number 1 IT governance issue and moves beyond device management to encompass broader business issues.”
4. DataCenters.  “Small datacenters in the U.S. Federal government will hit the endangered species list in 2012 and be reduced by 70% with State and Local governments following suit.”
5. Business Process Outsourcing.  “Over 20% of government IT and business process outsourcing requests for proposals will include service-level agreements tied to internal business and/or program outcomes.”
6. Smart Cities.  “The growing availability of intelligent technology solutions will accelerate global investment in smart city technologies to $40.9 billion in 2012.”
7. Service Level Agreements.   “Due to increased use of cloud computing, CIOs will spend up to 20% of their time in 2012 reviewing the terms and conditions of service-level agreements and mover toward standardization.”
8. Big Data.  “Governments will take small steps to satiate their big appetite for Big Data.”
9. Communication Networks.  “Foundational high-speed communications networks will finally hit critical mass.”
10. Smarter Government.  “Governments will start updating legacy systems and engage in cross-agency collaboration that will move them to a higher stage in smart government maturity.”

The last few minutes of the conference call was spent going over recommendations and guidance to those in governments and those at vendors who serve governments.

For More Information

• Conference Call Replay (registration required): IDC Government Insights Predictions 2012:  Government and  IDC Government Insights Predictions 2012:  EMEA Government 
• Reports:    Asia/Pacific Government Insights 2012 Top 10 Predictions and U.S. Government 2012 Top 10 Predictions, Document # GI231773
• Community:  The IDC Government Insights Community has blogs, videos, forums, resource library, events etc. all designed for those interested in the Government IT industry
• Newsletter:  You can sign up for the IDC Government Insights newsletter
• The IDC 2012 Predictions portal is at: http://www.idc.com/research/Predictions12/Main/index.jsp

IBM: 2011 Technology Trends Survey Results and Report

Last month, IBM released it’s 2011 IBM Tech Trends Report, which is one of the top reports I suggest you read about tech trends going into 2012.  It’s a great report because it’s developed from a survey of more than 4000 IT professionals from 93 countries and 25 different industries. 

Summary: 

The IT professionals surveyed identify adoption drivers and inhibitors around important emerging trends such as Analytics, Cloud Computing, Mobile, and Social Business. 

Key findings in the 2011 IBM Tech Trends Report include:

• Analytics:  Analytics was named as the most in demand area for software development in the future.
• Open Source:  87% of respondents believe open source and open standard technologies will play a key role in the future of application development.
• Cloud Computing:  During the next 2 years more than 75%  of organizations will engage in cloud computing.
• Mobile and Cloud.  Fifty-one percent of respondents cited the adoption of cloud technologies as part of their mobile strategy.
• Social Business.  Regional cultural differences impact social business adoption. India is highest with a 57% adoption rate, while US is at 45% and China’s at 44%. Russia shows the strongest resistance with a 19% adoption rate.

Top 8 Programming Skill Areas Identified

1. Application Development
2. Mobile
3. Cloud Computing
4. Database Management
5. Business Analytics
6. Security
7. Software/systems engineering
8. Business Process Management

For More Information: 

Report:  Get the report and share your thoughts at: http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/techtrendsreport

Twitter:  Join the Twitter conversation: #TechTrends

Videos:

• Overview of IBMBM 2011 Tech Trends Report
• Mobile Computing insights from IBM 2011 Tech Trends Report
• Cloud Computing insights from IBM 2011 Tech Trends Report
• Social Business insights from IBM 2011 Tech Trends Report
• Business Analytic insights from IBM 2011 Tech Trends Report

Press Release:  IT Professionals Predict Watson Technology To Transform Education Industry