CIO published an executive brief post today citing what they feel are the technologies that matter in a slow economy. From screen sharing technologies to netbooks, it’s a great list and an interesting read- definitely worth a look.
1. Virtualization – Virtualization makes it possible for workers to overlap work schedules across different time zones and collaborate on projects that are stored in different parts of the globe. Video conferences, virtual meetings, and screen sharing are just a few of the ways the tech world is replacing bricks-and-mortar or traditional modes of conducting daily business.
2. Cloud Computing – Technology suppliers have embraced cloud computing as the next wave of business technology service. Buyers need applications and services that can be deployed as soon as possible and with as little maintenance required. Cloud computing also eliminates the need to build armies of engineers to create applications that can be “rented” anyway.
3. Enterprise Telecommunications – Businesses are getting savvier when it comes to enterprise communication. Those that can invest in infrastructure requirements put these technologies in place for two reasons: to minimize the cost of or need for business travel and to facilitate seamless communication among workers from different locations.
4. Open Source – As an example of the growing popularity of open source technologies, the British government released a policy in early February that emphasized preference for open source over proprietary software in order to cut down cost on technology spending.
5. Bare-Bones Hardware – As software and file management move to the clouds and storage becomes cheaper, tech buyers realize that they only have to buy what they need. For example, the popularity of netbooks can be attributed to portability and a much friendlier price point.
The complete article can be seen at: http://advice.cio.com/executivebrief/technologies_that_matter_in_a_slow_economy