01/02/2015
ICT trends 2014: What to expect in 2015 and beyond?
Innovations in the (ICT) technology are moving at an amazing speed, almost on a monthly or even weekly basis new inventions are made and shared with the rest of the world through crowd sourcing initiatives like Kickstarter and indiegogo. Innovation power lies with the people and no longer with big companies that decide what goes to market and what not. The questions is however: what can we do with al these inventions? What do they bring to the world, to my business, to me as a person? In this article I will summarize the most significant ICT technology trends, not so much the inventions themselves, which will very soon be part of our world.
Let me picture the world a bit for you. Physical and digital worlds are converging. The convergence of the business and personal use of technology can be seen daily, everywhere, in everybody’s life. Think for example of amazing location based services like the mobile app ‘Über’ which brings you mobility any place, any time, right on the spot. Or picture yourself in a shopping mall where your smartphone picks up special offers and nice deals. Or meet your friends by using the mobile app ‘Foursquare’.
Let’s take this a bit further. For instance, why bother going to your doctor for a periodically health check? Nowadays it is possible to have a small, even extremely small, device implanted in your body to periodically release a treatment for a chronic ailment and send your doctor real-time data about your vital signs.
So let’s translate this towards ICT trends, which we can expect in the coming years, starting now!
Trend 1: The business takes control
For years ICT was dictating business processes and business intelligence. Ridicules, only real business owners know best what is necessary for them to do business. Twelve years ago technology spending outside of IT was 20 percent of total technology spending; it will become almost 90 percent by the end of the decade, according to Gartner, Inc. (Gartner Symposium/ITxpo ‘Gartner Says Every Budget is Becoming an IT Budget’) also Forrester highlights that ICT is losing its control over business intelligence platforms, tools, and applications often due to IT’s inability to operate at the increased pace of the business. Business process management is increasingly becoming the domain of other functions, as “a new class of users demands more user-friendly, self-service features to automate ad hoc processes without expensive and scarce IT resources.” (Forrester: Top Technology Trends To Watch: 2014 To 2016) As mobility increasingly becomes a strategic imperative of the entire business greater levels of process and data innovation should arise, it is time business takes control.
I predict that Business Process Management (BPM) aligned with Business Rules Engines (BRE) on highly configurable integration platforms will be the number #1 trend for the coming years. Connected businesses and connected people will be important to do business tomorrow.
Trend 2: Explosion of connected (implantable) devices
The Internet-of-Things will move from hype to reality with the ubiquity of connectivity and proliferation of devices, and wearable computing such as smartphones, tablets and so on, will go from niche to broader use. This will turn the traditional promotional campaigns into marketing to social ecosystems that emerge as a result of these changes.
But if you suggest this is limited to wearable devices only, you are wrong. Internet connected pacemakers and implantable medical devices are becoming commodity these days. The next step will be pills orally taken with an electronically mechanism to threat illness on the spot. All track and traceable with computer power and the Internet-of-Things.
These connected devices must be managed, controlled and configured properly. To do so new ways of communication will be more and more important. This brings me to Trend #3, ‘API’s become the key to success’.
White paper - A Reference Architecture for the Internet of Things download
Trend 3: API’s become the key to success
Forrester draws a comparison between service-oriented architecture (SOA) and application platform interfaces (API’s). Like the former, the latter provides “open access to useful functionality through network-based services using technologies that are readily accessible from a broad range of programming environments.” (Forrester: Top Technology Trends To Watch: 2014 To 2016) And I agree on this comparison from Forrester. With the SOA method in mind and the explosion of connected devices, connected businesses and connected information flows, it is important to manage, authorize and maintain the connections with your own business by strong but flexible API Gateway’s.
White paper - A technical evaluation guide - API Management download
Trend 4: Enterprise data becomes Personal
Strange isn’t it? My personal information is stored in more then 42 databases minimum, even my personal health records, car information, shopping behavior, website visits, and so on, are stored everywhere without my knowledge, access and approval. These information stores will explode much more because of Big Data along with all the connected devices.
But customers demand control, control over their personal data and control over who may access their personal data. In the coming years we will see Personal Data Store initiatives in the Health sector, Mobility industry and Financial services.
Trend 5: Re-invention of ‘Trust’ and ‘Identity’
Most security breeches come from trusted insiders, and the concept of ‘trust’ doesn’t even apply to data packets over the network. So with all those connected devices, who or even better what can we trust? The device or person who identifies him- or herself? Especially with Personal Data Stores trust must be secured. In my opinion that’s why end-2-end trust relations on field, record, network and access level should be standardized.
In 2014 Trust and Identity will be re-invented. The minimum cost of a data breach is $5 million (2013 Cost of Data Breach Study), and in many cases it can be much higher, and so one cannot afford it to ignore.
WSO2 Security & Identity Gateway Solution white paper download
Trend 6: 3D printing
From phone cases to weapons, everything is printable, just a matter of time and investments. For just a few hundred dollars you can already purchase a 3D printer for hobbyists. Better quality consumer models are available for just under $2,000. The 3D printing industry is expected to reach a $8.41 billion turnover by 2020 (MARKETSandMARKETS ‘3D Printing Market worth $8.41Billion by 2020’). So 3D printing is the new way of creating prototyping models, furniture and common household items.
Conclusion
In the end, all these trends and innovation leads to one thing and one thing only: ‘A world of connected business, connected devices and connect people’. Probably this makes our lives better, more agile and much more fun. It’s an exiting time, technology, inventions and people, all come together in our daily lives, our personal lives.
To do so we need open standards to interact and open integrations platforms to provide the right level of ICT support. That is why in my opinion integration platforms like WSO2 are outstanding, lean, mean, and ready to do the job, connecting businesses, devices and people like you and me. Secure, Reliable, Fast.
Happy connecting!
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