2009 - predictions

Technology Predictions 2009: the compilation

As we are entering the final stage of quite an interesting year, let’s see what the collective wisdom of the contributors to our CTO and Capping IT Off blogs has come up with. Here is our compiled list of 2009 Technology predictions:
1. Deliberately Disconnected. Confronted every day with an ocean of information and stimuli, we will more and more actively seek to disconnect ourselves from the madness whenever we need. See also 5, 13 and 14.
2. Cisco will be KLM – Air France biggest challenger. For obvious reasons, we will travel less in 2009 and instead use technology to communicate and collaborate.
3. First convict for hacking into a cloud. The cloud is destined to become main stream in 2009. And as the definite proof of it, hackers will become attracted by it. See also 4, 6, 8 and 11.
4. Stop this web 2.0 hocus pocus, we told you so. For that matter, next to the cloud, web 2.0 is finally becoming business main stream in 2009. Another definite proof of it: we’ll see the first monumental failures. See also 3, 6, 8, 11, 16 and 18.
5. Email is dead. Enough is enough! Outlook and BlackBerry will no longer rule our life. See also 1, 13 and 14.
6. Cloud-in-a-container. Business will start using the cloud. But some will prefer to experiment with a safer cloud ‘on premise’. It’s like having a cloud on the ground that you can look into. See also 3, 4, 8 and 11.
7. WebKit surpasses Flash Player penetration. WebKit is a piece of open source software that is so widely used that it even will surpass the device penetration of Adobe’s Flash player.
8. “Trust” is the new version of “Control”. Did we already predict that the cloud will be main stream in 2009? Anyway, as a result, we will rely more on trusting others (cloud suppliers for example) that on control by ourselves. See also 3, 4, 6, 11, 17 and 18.
9. Music-as-a-Service (…at last). Any music, at any time, in any way, at any device: 2009 will be a breakthrough year for – well – a cloud of music.
10. Let’s socialise! We’re all recognizing the power of social networks. And next year, it will even happen in business. See also 4 and 18.
11. Standards bodies wake up to clouds. Is it Groundhog Day or what? Anyway, with the cloud penetrating the enterprise, standards bodies will become much more active, for example around service management and security. See also 3, 4, 6 and 8.
12. Bricolage IT. Central IT departments may lack the budget and the energy to pick up a new generation of IT tools that aim for the near proximity of business. So business units are bound to do it themselves, in true ‘bricolage’ style. See also 15.
13. Information filtering and behavioral targeting are the new gold. There is too much information and we are almost overrun by it. Filtering and behavioral targeting are the new tools to deal with it. See also 1, 5 and 14.
14. Slow IT. Stop the ADHD! We will contemplate our IT household and choose for a more careful, better balanced use of technology. See also 1, 5 and 13.
15. The end of the user. Finally, we will stop considering persons as ‘users’ of information technology and instead we all become ‘participants’ of systems, actually becoming one with information technology. See also 12.
16. Death of the money making core product. Forget about making a profit on your core product. Instead, businesses will make creative use of web 2.0 to sell ancillary products and services that generate a much better margin. See also 4.
17. A more sensible approach to de-risking data loss. 2009 will see many more examples of holistic security and information management as a major step towards mitigating the risk of data loss. Buzzword to follow: Enterprise Digital Rights Management (ERM). See also 3, 4 and 8.
18. “Open” is the new “Closed”. Open up your assets to the outside world and find new, innovative ways of collaboration and co-creation in the new year. See also 4, 8 and 10.

Apparently some clouds in 2009, we can safely conclude, accompanied by the enterprise use of Web 2.0. A new emphasis on standards, trust and security. And – amid all the buzz – a plea to leave technology every now and then for what it is. A lot to look forward to, I hope you agree. Anything we are missing or completely wrong about? Let us know. Hope to meet you frequently next year again on our blogs or – better still – in real life. All the best!