Mobile workspaces leader Citrix has identified several key technology trends likely to play out in the ICT industry in 2015. IT continues to evolve and with more innovations being introduced to the workplace, Citrix has highlighted upcoming technology trends that companies in the Middle East need to be aware of.
Specifically in the IT industry, two key issues are likely to emerge:
•User-centric computing will lead: enterprises need to push past outdated models of computing that are solely focused on the data center. Users aren’t tied to one location and neither should their data and applications. “Computing everywhere” is becoming the reality and the norm, and users expect any-time secure access to their data. Enterprises need to adapt and build their computing environments around the needs of today’s mobile workforce – that kind of environment doesn’t start and stop with the data centre, it considers all aspects of computing.
The CIO’s job in 2015 and beyond will be to bridge these worlds. Policy and experience, two things often at odds, must be brought together for the sake of the business.
•Apps will be designed to be secure: The increase in data we’ve seen from mobile computing has led to some very high-profile threats over the last year. In 2015, we will see a change in the way applications are developed – designing in security from the start. Organisations will select and integrate security solutions designed to protect their data and the user’s privacy, choosing apps that include policies for adaptive access controls to combat potential threats and security breaches. Ultimately, instead of thinking about security as an add-on, organizations will reinvent the way they think about designing products and follow a ‘contextual-security’ model that includes security as a key priority from the beginning throughout all products and services.
In the broader technology industry, two further trends are likely to emerge as major considerations:
•Humanising of Computing: The forces behind making computers act and interact more like people continue to unfold. This also means software must have a customer-centric design in order to drive innovation by understanding customer needs. To achieve this goal, customer-driven design will be fostered and implemented at the executive level. By uncovering this new way of evaluating business objectives based on customer-driven thinking, both the business and the individual become more successful
•Intrapreneur: Large companies are finding new and exciting ways to innovate and differentiate the user experience. They are adopting unconventional practices – such as funding start-ups via accelerator programs and hosting hackathons to find talented employees — to keep innovation thriving. Entrepreneurial teams will work alongside corporate teams to develop compelling business technologies that are based on real-world scenarios. The end result will be implementable ideas that will drive business innovation
“As ever, the technology landscape continues to evolve and flourish. 2015 will be the year where we’ll likely see a major shift in how business and IT enable their workforce. Whether people are working from new locations, from new devices and operating systems, or with new apps that make collaboration easy from anywhere, becoming “software-defined” will reinvent how people work, accelerating business mobility,” said Johnny Karam, Regional Vice President, Middle East and Africa, Citrix.
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