Datasouth Business Solutions

2010 predictions: reality bites enterprise IT

Tuesday, 23rd February 2010

Many companies feel relieved to have escaped 2009 relatively unscathed. Now focus is turning to 2010 and what it holds for business and the IT systems that support it.

Industry analysts like IDC, Gartner and Forrester are weighing in with numerous predictions of the key trends in 2010. At Datasouth we have been talking to CEOs and CIOs from our client companies and to other organisations, getting a more “ground level” view of IT trends in Australia and New Zealand. Seven trends have emerged in our discussions:

1. A new resolve around IT projects
Reality will bite internal IT teams and IT contractors in 2010 as companies start focussing again on the efficiencies they can gain from their information systems. While many projects were deferred in 2009, companies are realising the need to invest in both maintenance around their infrastructure as well as applications that deliver business advantage. But that is accompanied by a laser-like focus on controlling costs and ROI - companies are willing to invest if they have the confidence in a return.

2. Green computing back on agenda
Sustainability was a casualty of the recession survival mode that many firms fell into. When your bottom line is falling apart, the importance of minimising carbon emissions diminishes. The Copenhagen Climate Change Summit late last year has refocused attention on Co2 reduction, and the role of business in doing that. Emission targets will become part of many businesses strategic plans, and in 2010 companies will start to think how IT can contribute to that, especially in areas like hardware purchase and management, and the use of internal or outsourced datacentres.

3. Apple in the enterprise
Apple has typically been on the fringes of enterprise computing, consigned to specific niches like design, advertising and education. But Apple is pushing deeper, with their 2009 PC shipments growing 52 per cent, according to Gartner, dwarfing the overall PC industry's growth rate of 9 per cent. In 2010 we see more Apple hardware making its way into the enterprise, as business unit managers demand their desktop and mobile computing products for their teams. Integration barriers have diminished but there are still issues with smoothly using Apple products within a traditional Microsoft infrastructure.

4. Cloud less cloudy
We’ll hear less hype about cloud computing but more will actually being done in companies to use cloud-based solutions as part of their IT approach. Companies’ confidence in cloud computing as an appropriate strategy for some parts of their business is growing, especially as major vendors like Microsoft get behind it with their Azure platform.

5. A shift from cost to customer
After spending 2009 trying to take costs out of their operations, many businesses are starting to look at where competitive advantage can be gained. Improving customer satisfaction levels is a key area of focus for many firms, who have realised the folly of cutting costs when it impacts on the customer experience. Investments in a customer management and business intelligence applications will grow as people want to know more about their customers and then do a better job of looking after them.

6. Playing field shifts
In New Zealand, the government’s focus on rolling out a $1.5 billion ultra-fast broadband network to 75% of New Zealanders will become increasingly significant. The areas of initial focus – business, schools and health – will start thinking about how they can use IT to leverage the power of enhanced connectivity.

7. The rise of Windows 7
After the Vista experience, the IT world watched Microsoft’s launch of Windows 7 in 2009 very closely. Consumer and business reaction has been strong, and you can expect the uptake of Windows 7 to accelerate in 2010 as companies seek to implement strategies like desktop virtualisation.

At Datasouth we’re excited about the challenges 2010 holds. We specialise in the provision of technology solutions that assist organisations in enhancing their business by improved information flow and productivity. As an organisation that has been providing advice to government and corporate clients for over fifteen years, we can advise, design and implement solutions that truly provide a competitive edge and reduced cost structures.

To better understand how we may help you to drive your business forward, please contact Datasouth to discuss your specific requirements.