Business IT is a shifting, evolving landscape. Innovative technologies are no longer the sole domain of large enterprises, with organisations of all sizes taking advantage of the efficiencies and growth they activate.
This year, PWC’s survey revealed 86% of CEOs say technological advances will transform business in the next five years.
Yet 37% of organisations fear they will be unable to keep up with technology, losing their competitive edge. Well-prepared organisations have their eyes on the horizon, seeking new opportunities through the cloud, social and mobile systems. In order to receive maximum benefit, companies must consider the future of Business IT.
We asked our team how Business IT might change in 2015. The following are their predictions.
How do you see Business IT changing for 2015?
Senior consultant, Adam Cook
- Reliable providers like Microsoft and Amazon have local datacentres in Australia. We’re definitely going to see more cloud-based services becoming available as other cloud providers do the same.
- The increase in cloud services will lead to a reduction in local processing power requirements and investments in local workstations. We’re going to see more mobile/tablet, thin devices and BYO in the standard work environment and mobile office.
- The costs of infrastructure will decrease through lower-cost hybrid cloud solutions for large businesses, leading to more reliable uptime and availability, as well as scalability.
- Cloud-hosted services will become even more affordable for small businesses. The subscription fee model will produce lower upfront costs than local infrastructure. Small businesses will be able to upgrade from older systems to the “latest and greatest,” only paying for assistance with cloud migration and service setup.
Managing director, Gordon Tan
- We may be looking at an increasingly decentralised business model, due to cloud services like collaboration tools and data management. For example, SharePoint and OneDrive allow employees to access, edit and store critical information in a centralised database, giving them greater responsibility and capability for comprehensive decision making.
- The mobile workforce will continue to gain traction. New mobile technologies will appear, including wearable technology, cloud applications and more. You’ll have the opportunity to produce more revenue and improve customer relationships while lowering costs. However, the challenge for many will be maintaining consistently excellent service across all mobile platforms.
- Touch screen innovations will become more affordable. In the past, only large enterprises could afford touch screen kiosks and sophisticated inventory systems. Interactive kiosks will no longer be cost prohibitive for small- to medium-sized businesses.
- Customer satisfaction will be easier to track as technology transforms the way marketing departments operate. Business owners will be able to analyse large volumes of customer feedback swiftly and objectively using customer satisfaction tools. For example, Client Heartbeat tracks and trends data, producing actionable insights instead of conclusions based on a hunch. This change will empower marketing efforts, reduce expenditure and put businesses on the path to success.
General manager, Jason Neville
- More locally-hosted cloud services will give Australian financial institutions and government bodies access to the cloud. For example, Microsoft will be offering locally-hosted Office 365 and already offers Azure from datacentres in Sydney and Melbourne.
- Telstra is forging an alliance with new cloud providers as a “cloud broker.” For example, Cisco’s OpenStack, Azure, etc.
- The mobile workforce will become even more economical as laptop pricing continues to fall. Most vendors are locked in a price war, with Microsoft Surface 3 & Apple MacBook Air being the main movers and shakers.
- There’s a rumour that Microsoft is going to release Windows 10 either as a free offering or move to a subscription model. The operating system blends the familiarity of Windows 7 with the modern interface of Windows 8, suggesting employees will find it easier to use than its predecessor.
How will Business IT in 2015 affect you?
Falling behind technology-savvy competitors can cripple a successful organisation. Therefore, it’s important to stay ahead, implementing strategies that will allow you to leverage innovations as they appear. Technology never stops moving, so consider how these predictions could impact your organisation and start planning how you will come out on top.
R & G Technologies helps organisations take advantage of new technology. Contact us to learn more about how we can help you.