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Translating 2014’s Top Tech Trends Into Business Outcomes

The ICT marketplace is abuzz with talk of a number of disruptive forces set to come into play in the year ahead.

Dimension Data’s CTO, Ettienne Reinecke, shares some practical insights on how these trends are playing out in the business context... and explains how Dimension Data is helping organisations to put these forces to work to drive profitability and competitive advantage.

Tech Trend 1

Cloud and consumption-based models – the great equaliser

While businesses are eager to explore the business value that cloud promises, many organisations don’t believe they can make the transition to the cloud through a single, tidy step. It’s too complex. There are too many integration points. And it’s too disruptive. But what they are looking to do is to embark on – and fast-track – a journey towards consumption-based models across different areas of their ICT estates.

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Tech Trend 2

Making sense of the connected world

While it’s still early days, feedback from ourclients suggests that in certain segments,the notion of the ‘connected world’ isbecoming increasingly relevant. But whatexactly do we mean by this term?

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Tech Trend 3

Next-generation networking: an exciting new chapter

Conversations with our clients reveal that the strategic importance of the network is continuing to grow; they see it as the platform for all forms of ICT. However, there’s also a perception that the network is increasingly becoming a bottleneck. In the past, IT teams would typically take a couple of weeks to set up a network for a moderate-sized project − it was the task of preparing the data centre that could take months. Given recent advances in data centre automation and virtualisation, the tables have turned. Networks are now under pressure to keep pace. So where do the problems lie?

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Dimension Data has been in the networking space for 30 years – we have a significant skills base and set of loyal clients – and we have an exciting opportunity to lead our clients on their Software Defined Networking journeys.

Tech Trend 4

From mobility to user-centric computing

As more smart devices enter the workplace, businesses are starting to feel that they’ve lost control. Most appreciate the potential of these devices to improve productivity and customer service... But many report that their bring your own device (BYOD) programmes have failed. While BYOD sounds good in theory, it’s difficult to implement.

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Tech Trend 5

Social media meets business

While social media pervades many individuals’ personal lives, it’s hasn’t penetrated business to the extent that was anticipated a few years ago. However, our clients are telling us that they believe the importance of social media to their businesses will increase, particularly as older employees retire and the younger generation begins to represent a larger percentage of the workforce.

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A brave new worldIt’s my belief that in the IT industry, decades are defined by clear shifts − and shorter periods of 2-3 years − by disruptive technology related to a select few vendors.

Now in the 2010 era, we’re seeing a shift towards the point where IT becomes a utility; one that’s equally available to large and small and IT-as-a-service, cloud and consumptive models.

I believe that the current period will be more disruptive than any of the previous periods due to the macro-economic drivers that now demand and fuel the technology disruption... And vice versa.

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