By Teena Hammond

Technology is no stranger to change. Finding out how the technology landscape will evolve, and which products and vendors will stay relevant, as well as what companies and IT departments will do to stay on top of the game and embrace change, is what IT leaders need to know in order to make the right technology decisions.

Tech Pro Research conducted an online survey in September to find out what is predicted for the future of IT. The resulting report, IT Leaders’ Tech Predictions for 2015-2018, gleaned results from 418 survey respondents. CXOs and non-CXOs were polled, and the results compared to get their views on what the next three years will bring. The opinions of the two groups were largely the same, but some interesting insights can be gleaned from where they differed, showcasing business leader priorities as well as those in the various fields and trenches of IT.

Key findings include:

• Improving security, lowering costs, improving applications to match business processes and project management are company priorities.
• Increasing productivity through technology and improving efficiency and business processes are key issues for IT departments.
• Moving data and services to the cloud is seen as important (more so by CXOs), but there is also a level of dedication to in-house systems and servers, which is based on a certain degree of skepticism.
• Cloud computing turbulence is expected and a push to on-premises software may take place.
• The Internet of Things is strongly expected to take off.
• There is more faith in the future of Linux desktops than in the possibility of Apple surpassing Microsoft in the enterprise.
• Security, mobility and big data are the top three technologies to watch.

SECURITY IS A TOP COMPANY PRIORITY

In order to compare organizational versus IT departmental goals, the survey asked respondents to analyze technological priorities on a company-wide basis. Improving security, improving applications to better fit business processes, lowering costs and project management were seen as significant priorities by both groups. The least-chosen option, automation of software/settings/configuration, was still selected on average by nearly half of the survey respondents.

CXOs chose the following technological priorities more often than the average respondent:

• Project management (14%)
• Implementing mobility-based operations for company processes (13%)
• Ensuring IT personnel are properly trained (9%)
• Improving applications to better fit processes (6%)

The biggest gap between CXOs and overall respondents appears in the choice of project management, which, while considered a desirable priority by at least half of both groups, was chosen 14 percent more often by CXOs.

IMPORTANCE OF EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

To gauge what the IT department will face over the next three years, the survey looked to see which emerging technologies respondents considered important. The charts below are for all respondents, and also for CXOs only:

All respondents thought that IT security would be a major factor for their company's IT department over the next three years, with 81 percent selecting 'extremely important'. Approximately the same amount of CXOs agreed. Given the steady stream of news stories on vulnerability outbreaks and serious data breaches, it's no wonder security is seen as so crucial.  Mobile device management was also seen as extremely important by the majority of both groups, followed by big data/analytics.

Over a third of respondents thought that 3D printing and wearables will be 'not at all important', suggesting that these may be deemed niche or unestablished products of uncertain universal value. However, on average CXOs marked these technologies as 'extremely important' more than all respondents (7% compared to 5%), perhaps because they are perceived as possible trends by business leaders via a wait-and-see approach.

CXO respondents also marked digital marketing and The Internet of Things as 'extremely important' 9 percent more often than all respondents, on average.

Other topics covered in the report include:

• Changes and challenges facing IT departments
• Biggest structural changes predicted in IT management
• Favored vendors and soon-to-be obsolete vendors
• Relevance of current technology over next three years
• Most important endeavors and issues to IT departments over next three years

Overall, the survey showed that there are many priorities afoot in technology and IT professionals and leaders recognize their duties and are keeping up on the trends. Topics that are hot today will continue to echo down the road; security, mobility and big data will remain top priorities. These will advance into new areas as developments arise, but the core concepts behind them will remain critical.

HOW BIG DATA AFFECTS MARKETING

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Mette Keller

UKDK - Digital Marketing and Brand Consultant

There are many buzz terms floating around at this moment in time; The Internet of Things, virtual reality, wearable tech and last but not least big data, or should I say,BIG DATA.

So what is big data? Is it just another buzzword or is it something that is going to change our lives?

WHAT IS BIG DATA

There are a few building blocks that are the basis for opportunity in a vast range of fields. The lowest base form of opportunity is the accelerated power of the electronic chip. The exponential growth in the power of the chip branches off in all directions and opens up the ability to do incredible things. Move up one level, and we arrive at the incredible amounts of data that is used, stored and can potentially be manipulated in ways that can benefit us all. Big data may often be used as a buzz term, but the reality is, is that many businesses are using it to do incredible things. It's goal isn't as mystical as it may at first appear. It provides the ability to not only store vast amount of information, but to be able to use that information in exciting and innovative ways.

WHEN DID BIG DATA START

Technically, big data has been around for quite some time. New technology, innovative techniques and the power of the chip has given us the ability to do massively complicated data actions in relatively short periods of time. Every time an individual makes a transaction with their bank, views their details or interacts with banking staff, a record is potentially placed in a database to record the transaction. Multiply that by millions of customers and it doesn't take long for billions and even trillions of records to be stored. Getting that information out again can be quite a task if the data hasn't been stored in an intelligent manner. Summarizing the trillions of records and getting intelligent information from within it is an example of how big data has become necessary. It can turn trillions of records of relatively boring rows of data into a rich source of customer experience and analytical insights.

HOW WILL BIG DATA AFFECT EVERYBODY

The ability to extract intelligent information from massive databases will affect us all. Next time you type something in Google and get an instant result set, have a think about the complexity of what has just happened. Massive amounts of data have been analyzed and the most relevant information has almost been instantly extracted and delivered to your page. The continuing exponential power of the chip will mean that more and more can be achieved in shorter and shorter periods of time. Bigger and bigger data sets can be analyzed and information extracted in tiny periods of time. This is all thanks to big data. The art of big data is more than having massive amounts of data at your disposal, but also the design, storage and interaction with the data itself.

HOW WILL THIS CHANGE MARKETING

The way marketers are using data is changing and will change even more in the coming years. The amount of data is increasing rapidly and it is predicted that by 2020 we will have 50 times as much data as we have now.

Big data will change marketing in different ways. Marketers can get details about their customers habits, location, behavior, needs etc. They can understand the customer more than ever.

By using new technology and techniques it is now possible to target a campaign to the precise customers straight away. There is automated technology available and if you start to analyze which customers were interested in a certain post at social media, you can go even further. It is possible to not only record deep insights into customer behavior, but also analyze it and form patterns and preferences that are specifically targeted on an individual level.

The distant vision from the film Minority Report, is no longer a futuristic vision. Technology is almost in place whereby individual adverts that relate to your patterns can be projected to an individual as they carry out their daily business.

Why did the actual post work so good, and why didn't it work? By always asking yourself the question: ”What do I want to know about my customer?” you can achieve deeper and detailed insights into behavior.

An example could be at a supermarket. By analyzing customers habits about customers, they now know exactly where to place the goods and where they want the customers to buy them, by using movement analytics. Supermarkets can gain this information by collecting data about their customers habits and using it intelligently. Today's technology gives the ability to take it further down the line. The latest technology allows shops to monitor their customers behavior from the very second they enter the shop.

WHERE WILL IT END

It won't. The power of the chip will continue to increase, and the size of data stored will continue to grow. These two things will open up new opportunities and make more and more things possible. They will allow the ability to create more and more customer insight that is more complicated and more accurate. We can't all create big data and we can't all design systems to manipulate it, but we will all be using it more and more, whether we realize that we are doing it or not.

25 Game-Changing Hard Trends That Will Create Disruption and Opportunity 

by Daniel Burrus


1. Big Data Gets Bigger as the Use of High Speed Data Analytics Expands
Big Data is a term used to describe the technologies and techniques that capture and utilize the exponentially increasing streams of data with the goal of bringing enterprise-wide visibility and insights to make rapid critical decisions. High Speed Data Analytics using advanced cloud services will increasingly be used as a complement to existing information management systems to identify actionable insights from the massive big data explosion. Big-Data-as-a-Service will emerge, as cloud providers offer midsize and smaller organizations access to much larger streams of relevant data they could not otherwise tap into.

2. Cloud Computing Rapidly Expands with Advanced Cloud Services
New variations on public, private, hybrid, and personal mobile clouds will be increasingly embraced by businesses of all sizes. This represents a major shift in how organizations obtain and maintain software, hardware, and computing capacity. Companies of all sizes are increasingly using the cloud and virtualized services as an enabler to cut costs in IT, human resources, and sales management functions.

3. Virtualization of Hardware and Software Will Increasingly Redefine IT
Hardware-as-a-Service is increasingly joining Software-as-a-Service, creating what some have called “IT as a Service.” In addition to the rapid growth of virtual storage, we will continue to see the virtualization of processing power. Mobile devices will be able to access supercomputer capabilities on a regular basis and apply them to transform processes such as purchasing and logistics.

4. On-demand Services Rapidly Become the Norm
Thanks to rapid advances in cloud computing, advanced mobility, and the virtualization of processes and services, on-demand services are rapidly becoming the norm. The rapid growth of Collaboration-as-a-Service, Security-as-a-Service, Networking-as-a-Service, and many more are giving birth to Everything-as-a-Service.

5. Wearables and Applications Go Mainstream
Wearables will increasingly be used for both personal and business applications. Apple’s smart watch joins products from Google, Samsung, Microsoft and others in a battle for market share. This will further accelerate innovation and sales in other wearable technology creating new opportunities as well as challenges for organizations of all sizes.

6. Consumerization of IT Rapidly Expands
Over the past few years, Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) caught many IT departments by surprise. It’s now time to get in front of the next predictable trend, Wear Your Own Device (WYOD), and turn it into an advantage. As WYOD increases, consumers’ appetite for something new will drive businesses to push the boundaries of innovation in this space. Instead of seeing WYOD as a problem, smart companies are turning it into a competitive advantage by consumerizing their applications, and by recommending safe and secure third party hardware and software apps.

7. Gamification, Socialization, and Personalization of Training and Education
Education and training will increasingly focus on accelerating learning by using advanced simulations and skill-based learning systems that are self-diagnostic, interactive, game-like, and competitive. These innovations will focus on giving the user an immersive experience, thanks to a photorealistic 3D interface. By making the experience fun and personalized, learning will improve and the use will spread.

8. Online Learning Is Redefined and Rapidly Gains Momentum
Taking courses and getting degrees online continues to accelerate. Massive Open Online Courses (MOOC) have been embraced by highly recognized and traditional educational institutions, putting them in a position to challenge all educational systems by making location and tuition far less of a barrier to receiving the information, training, and knowledge people need in order to succeed in a rapidly changing world. Online courses, combined with Gamification systems, will change the face of global education.

9. As Use of eBooks, eNewspapers, eMagazines and Interactive eTextbooksRapidly Grows, Paper Versions Increasingly Function to Attract New Readers
ePublications are finally passing the tipping point due to the abundance of smartphones and tablets that provide a full color experience, plus publishers providing apps that are starting to give us a better-than-paper experience by including cut, copy, paste, print, and multimedia capabilities. Interactive eTextbooks will finally take off thanks to easy-to-use software, freeing new publishers to create compelling and engaging content, and freeing students from a static, expensive, and literally heavy experience.

10. Social Search and Analytics, Along with Social Business Applications, Will Grow Rapidly
Social will take on a new level of urgency as organizations shift from the “informing” model of the Information Age to the “communicating and engaging” model of the Communication Age. Social Software for business will reach a new level of adoption with applications to enhance relationships, collaboration, networking, social validation, and more. Social Search and Social Analytics will increasingly be used by marketers and researchers to measure real-time sentiment of large groups of targeted people.

11. Smartphone Growth Drives a Major Shift in Global Computing
The number of mobile phones with browsers will reach a global majority, making the smartphone our primary computer—a computer that is with us 24/7, signaling a profound shift in global computing. This new level of mobility and connectivity by massive populations around the world is increasingly allowing any size business to transform how they market, sell, communicate, collaborate, educate, train, and innovate using mobility. An enterprise mobility strategy that puts mobile first is rapidly becoming mandatory for organizations of any size, as we see mobile data, mobile media, mobile sales, mobile marketing, mobile commerce, mobile finance, mobile payments, mobile health, and many more areas explode.

12. Mobile Apps for Business Processes Grow Rapidly
As we increasingly transform business processes using mobility, we will see mobile apps for purchasing, supply chain, logistics, distribution, service, sales, maintenance, and more grow rapidly. There will be an increasing focus on Business App Stores within companies, giving users access to the personalized information they need on their mobile devices anytime and anywhere.

13. 3D Displays for Smartphones and Tablets Start to Appear
3D displays will move beyond large TVs and gaming to become part of our smartphones and tablets. This will drive a wide-scale consumer acceptance of 3D computing. This trend is just starting with hand-held gaming systems and, thanks to the need to visualize ever-increasing amounts of rich data, we will see 3D data simulations for the enterprise grow rapidly for the military, medicine, fashion, architecture, and entertainment, to name a few.

14. Augmented Reality (AR) Appsand Devices Starts to Grow
Augmented Reality has been slow to start, but it will soon become more common as cities, retailers, distributors, and manufacturers add just-in-time information to our physical world. Simply aim your smartphone camera at a crowded street to find the stores who have the exact products you are looking for. Or, when you are in a store, use your phone’s camera and AR app to quickly locate the products you need.

15. Smart Virtual Electronic Assistants Get Better and More Personal
The use of smart eAssistants is accelerating and offering what is rapidly becoming a mobile electronic concierge available on any of your smart devices, including your phone, tablet, television, and car. Soon retailers will have a Siri-like sales assistant and many will be using an e-Personal Health Assistant that taps into the real-time health data from your smart watch to predict potential problems and offer suggestions.

16. Multiple Biometrics Used for Security
Next Gen Biometrics will be increasingly integrated into your smartphone, tablet and other devices, which will play an increasing role in both identity management and security. Expect to see multiple biometrics that go beyond your thumb to include facial recognition and voice recognition, based on the level of security you need.

17. Mobile Banking and Smartphone Payments Takes Off
Mobile banking using smartphones as an eWallet is already being used in an increasing number of countries and is finally taking off on a larger scale in the US. This is thanks to an increasing number of phones with secure mobile banking apps, Near Field Communications (NFC) chips, Biometric Identification, and the use of tokens where no credit card or personal information is exchanged.

18. Visual Communications for Business Increase
Visual communications takes video conferencing to a broader level thanks to free programs like Skype, FaceTime, and others for video communication on phones, tablets, and home televisions. Businesses of all sizes are rapidly embracing these programs as their main relationship-building and communications tools.

19. Enhanced Location Awareness Embraced by Large Retail
Location awareness, which uses in-building systems, allows customers with smartphones to navigate stores and find what they are looking for fast. This combined with Geo-Social Marketing and Augmented Reality will drive the creation of more business-to-consumer apps.

20. Personalized Streaming Entertainment Increasingly Challenges Cable
The increasing use of Internet Television (IPTV) and an increasing number of quality programs produced by streaming companies such as Netflix and Amazon will fuel a major shift in home viewing. Next-generation apps for your TV will allow you to further personalize the viewing experience. In addition to large HD and 4K Ultra HD TVs as our main viewing screen, tablets are increasingly becoming a viable replacement for the second and third TV in your home. This is the beginning of a major shift that will take place in living rooms globally.

21. 3D Printing (Additive Manufacturing) of Finished Goods Takes Another Step Forward
Personalized Manufacturing of finished goods using 3D printing will grow exponentially. 3D printers build things by depositing a material—typically plastic or metal—layer by layer until the product is finished. Originally designed to print prototypes, they are increasingly being used to print final products such as jewelry, iPhone cases, shoes, car dashboards, parts for jet engines, prosthetic limbs, human jawbones, and much more. 3D printing allows companies to manufacture one-of-a-kind or small runs of items quickly, locally, and with far fewer costs. We will begin to see Manufacturing-as-a-Service in which designers use CAD software to design a product, send it digitally to a 3D printing company who owns the industrial strength 3D printers, and who will then ship it to the customer.

22. Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and the Internet of Things (IoT) Expand Rapidly
Machine-to-Machine communications—using chips, micro-sensors, and both wired and wireless networks—will join networked sensors to create a rapidly growing Internet of Things that shares real-time data, performs diagnostics, and makes virtual repairs, all without human intervention. By 2020, there will be well over 50 billion “things” talking to each other, performing tasks, and making decisions based on predefined guidelines, all using artificial intelligence. For example, smart cars will increasingly become aware of situational changes and respond This trend will increase as cars get more connected to smart infrastructure such as roads, bridges, and other cars via embedded and networked, sensors combined with other technologies such as GPS.

23. Advanced Automation and Intelligent Robotics Find Wider Use
Rapid advances in Machine Learning and AI, coupled with networked intelligent sensors, will create a giant leap forward after decades of promise and slow growth, thanks to exponential advances in processing power, digital storage, and bandwidth. Also, thanks to better sensors, increasing Machine Intelligence, and Siri-like voice communications, robots will work with humans in new and productive ways.

24. Drones Go Beyond Fire, Police, Search and Rescue
The number of applications for drones will continue to expand rapidly. Drones have already proven to be of high value for search and rescue, and are rapidly being applied to many industries. For example, agriculture uses drones to check crops, fences, and cattle. Utility companies use them to look for downed power lines, and real estate agents use them for aerial photography. The explosion of hobby drones will drive innovation for both personal and industrial applications.

25. Energy Storage and Micro Grids Increase in Application and Use
Energy storage starts to become a reality. As first-generation hybrid vehicles get too old for the marketplace, there will be millions of batteries that will still hold enough of a charge to be repurposed into inexpensive energy storage systems. In addition, companies such as Tesla will start to sell their smart battery systems to businesses and homes who generate some of their own power using solar, wind, or other systems. This will enable a national network of smaller, and more secure smart Micro 
Grids. Looking a little further out, as electric and hybrid cars increase in numbers, they will increasingly be plugged in when not in use for the purposes of charging, storing, and using power.
I suggest that you pick one or two and act now before your competitors do!

©2015 Burrus Research, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Did Microsoft Just Become Cool?

Welcome to the Era of HoloGraphicComputing!!!

Microsoft- A Visionary & An industry Leader

The Internet has been been blazing with numerous catchy phrases -Did Microsoft Just Become Cool?, Finally Microsoft nails it with Hololens, Microsoft Builds a Headset and competes with GoogleGlass etc. In my opinion and in the minds of many industry evangelists, Microsoft has always been a path breaker and a leader in technology, never a follower. If Microsoft enters a space it has always been because Microsoft has always brought to the technology platform an inspiring assortment of techniques, products which are much ahead of the times- Looking Beyond What Is Possible! That’s exactly the case with Microsoft HoloLens.

As a consumer, as a technology lover, as a creative enthusiast- HoloLens just raises the bar and shows you truly in its theme- Imagine what… what if you could do with technology?

Microsoft CEO Mr.Satya Nadella once again proves that Microsoft is heading aggressively in the right direction. One of the constant struggles of many product companies as diverse as Microsoft is to not just re-innovate in existing products but also to launch products that are ahead of the curve and still be contextually relevant for the market. Microsoft’s Engineering Leadership has been standing out by helming fantastic products in Satya Nadella’s vision – the vision of products that will drive productivity in the cloud first, mobile first world.

Recently in the Windows10 event, Microsoft launched the stupendous- HoloLens – the world’s most advanced holographic computing platform enabled by Windows10.

The stellar stealer moment in the launch was when Terry Myerson appeared LIVE as a hologram and shrieked out aloud- “I am a freaking hologram, Move Over Shakespeare” ! ;)

What is HoloLens?

Hololens is a headset that fuses the real world with truly amazing and exciting phases in the digital realm. It will create hi-definition holograms integrating with your personal & professional space. The hologram is made out of light.

Windows10 will contain holographic capabilities with every version. Microsoft has said the release of HoloLens can be expected around the same time as Windows10.

hololens

Features:

a.The headset is wireless, which means    you don’t have to deal with any cords, wires, phones etc.

b.Comes with a swanky new “Holographic Processing Unit” (HPU) designed exclusively for this new-gen computing.

c. Has its own CPU, GPU

d. Built-in spatial sound will let the user hear holograms wherever they may be in the vicinity of the room

e. Has a transparent hardware, transparent lens

f. Has advanced sensors- Doesn’t need any mouse, screen to click- uses user movements as indications

How Does Microsoft HoloLens Differ?

HoloLens Leader Alex Kipman, clearly stated “Microsoft isn’t aiming to place people in Virtual World/Reality. Microsoft aims to take you beyond pixels, screens and virtual world.”

the team

Microsoft HoloLens is certainly more than a normal, simple headset display. It uses 3D holograms blended with the real world seamlessly extending beyond augmented reality and virtual reality. It is far more surreal- it will understand your vision, gestures, movements, voice, thus enabling you to interact with information in the most natural yet fantastic way possible today. The Hi-Definition holograms with transparency (doesn’t make you feel inside a box) with a clear line-of-sight will present all new ways to communicate, work and play.

Watch another incredible video to really understand why does after all HoloLens differ 

Satya Nadella has brought forth significant and I must say quite an impressive list of use-cases which will be quite difficult for competitors to match with. Some interesting use-cases being remote collaboration, engineering, design work and research along with Mars exploration experiences for NASA’s Jet Propulsion Lab thru holograms of Mars Rover images- an experience never possible previously.

To Know More About Microsoft HoloLens, Pls visit: http://www.microsoft.com/microsoft-hololens/en-us

To Conclude..

Microsoft has delivered a fantastic product thru HoloLens which has combined the best of both worlds – best of real images (superior than Glass) and advanced digital 3D graphics for a more spellbinding holographic experience (superior than Sulon, Oculus Rift), doesn’t obscure whole vision (unlike Oculus Rift). Microsoft is also working with developers and creators all over the world to create some amazing and exciting holographic experiences for the user-base. With HoloLens, Microsoft has remarkably developed a prototype in 3D images with Hi-Definition to float around in real world for businesses and consumers. The USP of HoloLens is certainly the fact that it doesn’t take you thru an escapist mechanism of taking you into a different world rather allowing you to interact with your chosen environment. Microsoft has clearly demonstrated leadership in visualizing and translating this augmented reality vision – breaking barriers between technology and humans with jaw dropping artistic elements.

Anita Raj
Technology Evangelist
Team @MSExchangegur

The Rise and Fall of IT (as we know it)

By Nathan Coutinho

IT is the central nervous system of practically every modern business on the planet. However, most of us have looked at IT primarily as a cost center, endlessly pursuing a lowered Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) through massive budget cuts, technology consolidation and the migration from siloed, analog systems to integrated, digital ones. This became the norm because most companies on average spends over 70% of their annual budget on operations and maintenance. In other words, most of the actual IT budget is spent ‘keeping the lights on’ while very little is used to hire new talent, improve processes and make new technology investments. Also, most IT shops were setup as walled gardens, enforcing a specific set of platforms, applications, desktops, displays, printers etc. This may really sound bad, but for the time period we’re talking about, it was the best way to run IT. But times have changed.

The Fall of the IT Wall

IT is increasingly seeing new business and organizational pressures every day. If handling security, virus outbreaks, disaster recovery and application/desktop upgrades and migrations weren’t enough to deal with in this walled garden, then the consumerization of IT with apps, smartphones, tablets, wearable sensors etc. has created a whole new world of challenges. Initially, most IT shops ignored and sometimes banned these technologies though a company-wide IT policy. While there are some definite security and productivity risks to consider and evaluate, some business units or LOBs (lines of businesses) are now creating clearly visible, increased business value through the adoption of consumer, mobile and cloudtechnologies - be it tablets, chromebooks, Pinterest boards, Instagram pages, Salesforce groups, Dropbox shared folders etc.

For the most part, the wall has already fallen, whether we care to admit it or not. This has become evident by the large amount of apps, devices and cloud services that are being purchased directly by business units and individual employees. However, these can have short term gains, as security and compliance aren't exactly a priorty for non-IT folks. Many times, when an unsanctioned service becomes business critical, it has to be handed off to IT for security and integration, and that's where things can get ugly.

Transformation is Necessary

The fall of the IT wall hasn't exactly removed IT from existence (and it won't), but a new bar of expectations has been set. IT now has to build collaborative and effective bridges to ensure that its constituents are optimally consuming IT services. We now have to provide a platform to continually enhance productivity, breed creativity, innovation and most importantly, derive strong, tangible business outcomes from every single technology investment.

This sure is a very different IT than we're used to seeing and knowing, which is what makes this a challenging transition; one that will take many attempts, failures and most importantly, time.

Take Baby Steps

You can't rush transformation, especially since so much cultural change is ahead of us. Here are just a few things we can do as we start our journey down this path.

1. Get a seat at the executive table. If you haven't already, make sure you have a well respected voice at the executive table.
2. Change executive perception. Work hard in making it clear how critical IT services are in keeping the business running and how it helps enable growth and competitive advantage. Develop a business outcome-based investment scorecard so executives clearly see the impact of every IT investment.
3. Change company-wide perception. Integrate IT into each business unit. Hold weekly brainstorming sessions to understand each business unit's needs and wants. Discuss potential system upgrades, new technologies etc. that could positively or negtively impact each area. Ask each business unit to participate in early trials and pilots.
4. Move from a culture of No to a culture of Yes. Many business units are going around traditional IT because they are so used to hearing 'no' repeatedly over the years. While you can't exactly say 'yes' to every request, proper listening and being the voice of reason can immensely help strengthen the relationship and ultimately build trust. Expect some level of policy relaxation as well, because in order to be more agile and increase experimentation, you have to elevate risk.
5. Automate and Orchestrate. Let me be clear here, there seems to be a biggap in most IT environments and this one is fairly simple to fix. We all have gobs of virtualization, converged network, storage and server solutions today. Now all we have to do is stop doing all the manual work associated with operating these environments, use the built-in tools or add new orchestration tools to automate as much as possible. And if you don't want to go down this path or buy new software, consider moving some or all your applications to the cloud, if that makes the most sense for your organization.

So there you have it. IT is still here. IT still matters. But if IT doesn't change to help the business adapt and innovate, the business units will (and have) take matters into their own hands. Quite simply put, disruptive markets and consumerization has created a need for a new and improved IT which will continue to be a strategic enablement weapon for any organization.

Let the transformation begin.

How Cloud Can Resolve Storage Problems Associated With the Internet of Things

By Lori MacVittie

A CompTIA survey says while IoT might be over-hyped, it still promises real business value.
The Internet of things (IoT) is over-hyped, but considered to promise real business value according to a recent CompTIA survey, "Sizing Up the Internet of Things" which revealed 51 percent of IT executives believe IoT opportunities justify the hype with 48 percent believing there's more hype than substance right now.

Both are correct, of course. We're in the midst of a ramp up of IoT hype and while there have been significant business opportunity already scooped up by those in a position to do so, the hype is also high. It's the beginning of a technology trend, after all. Rising hype is to be expected.

Earlier this year, Gartner (IT) touched on the issue of data and its storage in "Gartner Says the Internet of Things Will Transform the Data Center" noting:

Data — The impact of the IoT on storage is two-pronged in types of data to be stored: personal data (consumer-driven) and big data (enterprise-driven). As consumers utilize apps and devices continue to learn about the user, significant data will be generated.
Indeed, the split of data types brings to the table concerns regarding privacy, compliance and control over each type of data. After all, personal data is mine, mine I say, and thus I should have complete control over its access, use and storage. Enterprise data, on the other hand, is something of a no-man's land with my preferences taken into consideration but ultimately its governance lies in the hands of those who collected and store it.

Cloud may be one way of resolving the problems associated with the need to build out ostensibly two separate (and costly) infrastructures to deal with storage, access and management of the data collected by the things that make up the IoT. Consumers, already well-versed in the use of cloud storage (seriously, my six year old believes cloud is synonymous with storage "out there" thanks to Minecraft) are more likely to be willing to "split the stream" as it were and use their own, cloud storage for personal data while traditional "big data" can be handled by the enterprise as it will (perhaps in the cloud as well).

By taking advantage of existing personal cloud storage options, organizations can shift the burden of storing and governing personal data onto the consumers who, for the most part, desire that control. The existing options for cloud and off-site data storage are mature and offer fairly robust integration methods (APIs) that organizations can take advantage of without extensive investment in the systems necessary to build out (and maintain) a similar environment on-premise.

Data storage and management is a critical component of the IoT. But we do need to, as Gartner as done, separate personal data from corporate, enterprise data before we begin designing the applications and systems that will enable organizations to participate and win in the economy of things. The differences in how and where we store, manage and govern access to both types of data has a very real impact on the design of the systems and applications that will eventually underpin the Internet of things.

Cloud storage is well-positioned tip at least the data obstacle toward substance.

Do you believe the IT industry as over-hyped IoT? How can organizations become better suited to leverage and manage IoT going forward?

Verizon on Internet of Things, the connected car: Location is key

Summary: According to Verizon, the mass adoption of tech which tracks our location and changes our environment as a result is far closer than we think.

 Charlie Osborne 

Credit: CNET

Verizon believes that the mass adoption of tech which tracks our location through Internet of Things connected devices is a reality far closer than we believe to be.
The Internet of Things (IoT) is the concept of connecting devices to the Web and to other appliances to make energy use more efficient, appliances more effective and to use data which makes daily lives more convenient. From smart fridges which alert you if temperatures drop too far to keep food fresh to coffee machines which automatically turn on when you wake up and vehicles that 'talk' to each other and share data, IoT is a fledgling industry with much potential.
Cisco estimates that IoT will generate $14.4 trillion in economic activity in the next decade. However, according to Kevin Link, senior vice president and GM China at Verizon Telematics, it is the bridge between IoT and the connected car which has the most potential in today's business environment.

"The intersection between IoT and the car is location. When you think about how people conduct their daily lives, there are hundreds of examples out there where people have created algorithms. If the car is a learning car, it would know in the morning and in the afternoon what I’m doing and where I’m going – ‘I’m going home or I’m going to work’ – and it would change my experience [accordingly]."

For example, if your location is 'the car,' then that connection to a smart home would mean lights could turn off automatically, thermostats could be turned down, and appliances stopped. If the car learns your daily patterns, then it could estimate how far away you were from home, and change appliances in turn -- for example, turning your thermostat back to your preferred level, or turning the coffee maker on in time for you to arrive.

Link says that we are closer than we realize for this vision to become reality, due to the fact that many changes which need to be made are software-related rather than hardware-based. However, there are still challenges for automakers to overcome in terms of creating standards for interoperability, compatibility, safety and security.
On Tuesday, the Intelligent Transportation Society of America (ITS America) joined US President Obama at the Turner-Fairbank Highway Research Center in McLean, VA where the President underscored the importance of using connected car technology and the research of new vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) and vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) communication technology. The President believes that V2V and V2I could be used to improve the future safety and mobility of our cars, as well as reduce time, waste and fuel.
However, while the convenience of having your coffee turn on as you drive home is an interesting idea, privacy concerns are another factor. Link mentioned the concept of a student's phone automatically turning on silent and back to normal settings based on whether the child was in school or not -- and there is something less than palatable about the idea of being so obviously tracked. In a time where surveillance and tracking has caused public outrage -- the NSA scandal case in question -- the concept of your daily habits being stored and used by IoT firms will not be to everyone's taste.
"We want this to be safe," Link said. "We don't want people to be able to look at other people's security cameras, or change the lighting in someone's house or car [...] so we've got some things to do, but most of it is software related."

Topics: Innovation, Verizon