Enterprise IT and technology in general remains attractive and interesting because the industry is always evolving and improving. After all, innovation and IT are often one and the same in the business world, as every new solution has the ability to completely alter the way that employees work, customers interact and companies earn revenue.
In essence, this means that organizations need to be on the cutting edge of tech if they want to remain competitive and strong, as all it takes to succeed is leveraging the right technology at the best time. After all, that’s why Amazon Web Services is immensely popular and how Uber changed transportation as we know it.
The bottom line is that businesses must – at the least – keep an eye on emerging technologies and enterprise IT solutions, as an opportunity can appear anywhere. So, let’s take a look at what’s hot in the tech industry right now, since any of these five tools or solutions could become the next big thing overnight.
1. Windows 10
Almost a year ago, Microsoft unveiled Windows 10, proving to customers and enterprises that numbering products in a series is silly and that the company really cares about providing a great operating system for both businesses and consumers across all types of devices. Now, the Windows 10 release is on the horizon.
“The Windows 10 release is on the horizon.”
ComputerWorld reported that Microsoft is offering free Windows 10 upgrades, while CIO Today noted that enterprise customers can begin using the new OS starting on August 1. IT professionals can already play around with Windows 10, but soon, employees will demand the same. So, businesses should be prepared to roll out a new end-user OS in the near future, and therefore, some expertise in that regard will be required.
2. Google Glass and wearables
From smart watches to Google Glass, employees are starting to chatter about the next generation of mobile devices and how these technologies will impact their wardrobe. But have IT teams started thinking about supporting these tools in the office?
They better prepare soon, since 9to5Google reported that the next iteration of Google Glass will be called the “Enterprise Edition” or “EE.” The source confirmed that these devices will support 5 GHz band wireless networks, which should be a hint to IT professionals that deploying a router with those capabilities could improve performance.
3. Application security
Cybersecurity is a hot topic in enterprise IT, but too often, business leaders don’t know what to protect or how to do so. The good news is that a report from the Ponemon Institute can point IT teams in the right direction. According to the source, 34 percent of IT professionals consider applications to be the biggest security risk, and 62 percent stated that apps are where data is “most susceptible to loss, theft or misuse.”
It’s pretty clear that securing mission-critical applications is the next big thing in cybersecurity, so businesses should start looking for skilled employees and solutions to secure tools used every day.
Locking down networks is so passé, since application security has stolen the limelight.4. Docker and containerization
InfoWorld called Docker “the hottest open source project on the planet” in an article about 2015’s biggest tech trends. Simply put, this containerization tool can revolutionize application portability, making DevOps and cloud testing easier than ever. With support for Microsoft OSs, AWS and Google Cloud Platform, IT teams and businesses should expect to hear a lot of hype around Docker and containerization technologies in the coming months.
5. Android in the office
Remember when BlackBerry devices were the coolest smartphones in the office? Well, technology always comes full circle. CRN reported that Google and BlackBerry have teamed up to bring Android to workplaces by incorporating the OS with endpoint management solutions. IT professionals and business leaders should start preparing their thumbs for some trackball action!
From Windows 10 to the return of BlackBerry, businesses have a lot to look forward to in enterprise IT this year.