The approaching 2012 year will be transformative in terms of how new technologies will impact our lives.
The consumerization of IT
What that really means is that we, as consumers and end-users, will have a major impact on how companies run their IT infrastructure. We want to have a seamless experience no matter what we use to stay connected - smart and efficient - regardless of whether it is a smartphone, a tablet, or our old laptop. The revolution won't be just on the hardware side. Work groups are independently using file sharing and other cloud collaboration tools without consulting IT.
Social platform integration to the enterprise
Think about bringing the app store and social media to your workplace. Collaboration to increase productivity and efficiency is going to be huge. We will see an increase in the adoption of social platforms, such as Yammer, in the enterprise. This will improve communication, collaboration, and real-time decision making.
The cloud is here to stay
The way for companies to provide a seamless experience with any device, anywhere, and save money along the way, is through the adoption of a cloud strategy.
The rise of social sharing
We all love to share. Now we all share a good article, but you can share so much more from any site to a social network, or you can organize and share things you love using a tool like Pinterest.
Social networks get vertical
We will probably stay on Facebook, but we will also start to look for places where we can have a more intimate environment, like Path or Instagram. LinkedIn also continues to add ways for its users to congregate and share content of a like-minded interest. Watch this space as b-to-b brands get savvier about finding very specific target audiences organized around industries and functional job roles.
Luca Penati is global managing director of the technology practice at Ogilvy PR Worldwide.
