Jason Hiner of Tech Republic offers his take on Gartner analyst David Cleary’s predictions on the technology trends for 2012. The first 5 items on the list are all aspects of mobile computing:
- Media tablets and beyond
- Mobile-centric applications and interfaces
- Contextual and social user experience
- Internet of Things
- App stores and marketplaces
There should be no surprise that mobile computing and all that it entails is at the top of the technology trend. We are living in a mobile world and as the technology gets better and better we will focus less on the technology and more on what it enable us to do.
While Hiner was surprised by cloud computing’s drop from number one in 2011 to tenth in 2012 I simply see this as the logical progression in a technology implementation that is successful. The cloud is necessary to make mobile computing work and as we focus more on the things we need to do with mobile technology cloud services are there to make things work but we no longer are making a bid deal over this development. Some would argue that the cloud’s drop in significance is due to the fact that there are still too many advantages to running enterprise systems like ERP and the like over a closed network. This is a fair assessment for now but if businesses wish to remain competitive in the global market they will have to embrace mobility and the cloud sooner than later.
Some of us have been using mobile technologies as early as the late eighties or early nineties so while this current emphasis on mobility may be appear to be the “flavor of the day” to skeptics, it is an overnight success that was in the making for the past 25 years. We are finally getting to the point where an average user is able to use an iPhone, Android or tablet to not only access the conveniences of life but to help them do their work.
Case in point–I am writing this post on my MacBook Air at the airport waiting for my connecting flight. I am also using my iPhone to check the status change for my flight on Tripit. When I get to my destination I will be using the Map app to help me navigate to my hotel which was booked on my iPhone.
