The other trends in IT

Cloud computing is dominating technology news and with the benefits it brings in terms of cost and flexibility it certainly deserves to.

But it’s also worth asking what other trends are happening in the IT world and how they can help your business.

With the state of the global economy technologies that can reduce costs quickly are obviously trending up.

Many have economic merit but in some cases it pays to be wary.

Here are some of the bigger 2011 trends:

Mobility and wireless

Information and immediate access to it delivers big productivity and efficiency dividends.

As a result wireless and mobility solutions are entrenching themselves in the standard business arsenal.

That said, many SMEs will still be able to get the jump on slower-moving competitors using mobility solutions and whether it’s unified communications or video conferencing, new developments continue to happen in the space.

4G services are also on the way in metro areas, promising speeds up to 25 times faster than 3G.

Virtualisation on the desktop

With the boom in server virtualisation it’s no surprise that attention has also turned to the desktop.

The idea of desktop virtualisation is a simple one – separate a user’s operating system, applications and data from his/her physical PC.

Desktop management, hot desking, desktop provisioning, system maintenance and security, and policy and compliance enforcement are all made easier.

The technology comes in different manifestations, from hosted virtual desktops (where virtual machines are served from a central location with desktop machines acting as clients), to remote virtual desktops (where client machines check out images from a central server which are then refreshed periodically).

Hosted solutions make your business more dependent on its network but done correctly the cost of ownership for desktops is reduced.

Long-term cost savings typically deliver ROIs of between six months to two years.

BYO computing

The push for smart phones and tablets in business on the part of employees and management has resulted in the invention of BYO computing.

Staff want to bring their own computers, tablets and phones to work for a number of reasons, including that it allows them to work how they like and that it makes it easier to take work home (also because they get to use the latest toys).

For many businesses the idea of savings costs by having employees provide their own equipment can be appealing but you should be careful that short-term gains don’t create long-term pains.

SMEs are under pressure to open the gates but BYO computing will inevitably mean less control and increased security threats.

It can also cause problems for compliance with legal requirements and can make it easier for customer and business information to leak.

Gartner researchers recently recommended a number of tactics to combat the dangers, including strict policy enforcement, “best effort” support (where the IT staff place time limits on putting BYO devices onto the network) and user education and training.

With 20-plus tablets released this year it’s a trend that won’t be slowing down. Thankfully, solutions like VMware’s tool for partitioning smart phones are on the way, which may help to quell SME concerns.

Dave Stevens is managing director of managed IT services business, Brennan IT. For more information visit www.brennanit.com.au.