Extending the Radar Lessons

Enterprise business trends include increased economic uncertainty, focus on productivity and cost takeout, focus on security and resiliency, and the business management of information technology.

Within enterprise IT departments, the need to extend the radar and look for new forms of competitive advantage will cause mainstream enterprises to become more like pioneers and early adopters of emerging technology. Over time, this effect may even reshape the classical technology adoption lifecycle.

Enterprise software trends include the movement to SaaS, the return of the major players, a re-emphasis on infrastructure services, and the convergence of software categories.

Emerging and disruptive technologies include Web services, peer services, real-time computing, business process management, mobile business, and enterprise security. Security is a key defensive measure to support the baseline operation and resiliency of the business as it pursues these new business enablers.

These emerging technologies will cause massive changes in the way that business can be conducted, opening up the business world to the world of ubiquitous computing where "bits and atoms are merged."

The physical world and the virtual world will become increasingly connected as computing devices and physical objects of all kinds gain intelligence and the ability to communicate with one another.