Fundamental Changes Ahead for IT in 2012, Says IDEAS

January 31, 2012 at 11:05 am EST

MarketScreener.com By

Ideas International Limited (IDEAS, ASX:IDE) believes that the evolution of next-generation server and storage systems, the diversification of client devices, and the continued rise of cloud computing will dominate the attention of IT managers throughout 2012.

Tony Iams, senior vice president and senior analyst, commented, "Some developments will be incremental and fairly predictable, while others could fundamentally change the course of the industry."

IDEAS Top 10 Predictions for the IT Industry in 2012

User concern about lock-in with public cloud service vendors will grow.
IT workers will confront an acute need to retrain for cloud-computing skills.
The public cloud business will undergo a shakeout.
Some systems vendors will reconsider their client strategies in order to strengthen server positions.
Rejuvenated PCs will underscore their importance for critical computing tasks.
Growing use of solid-state drives (SSDs) will start blurring boundaries between server memory caches and storage.
Simplified and automated storage management will break out in emerging world markets.
Unified storage will become a requirement for entry-level and midrange customers.
Systems vendors will step up efforts to differentiate themselves with integrated software stacks.
Software-defined networking (SDN) will garner attention.

According to Mr. Iams, "Some predictions may even be counterintuitive. For example, IDEAS believes that although the tablet market will continue to grow, a renewed interest in PCs will develop as new technologies come to the fore in 2012."

"The Thailand flood effect will put SSDs onto many CIOs' agendas. But that will bring with it new challenges, as IT architects rethink their data storage and caching approaches to best exploit the high-speed nature of the technology," said Mr. Iams.

IDEAS 2012 Predictions more information

About Ideas International (IDEAS)

IDEAS provides enterprise IT research, insight, analysis, and tools to computer suppliers and consultants (IT Sellers) and large corporations (IT Buyers). The company's research focus areas include servers, storage, software, services, and cloud. Many IDEAS tools are powered by RPE2, the atomic unit of compute. IDEAS is a publicly traded company on the Australian Stock Exchange (ASX:IDE) and has been in business for over 25 years. IDEAS hosts users in over 100 countries and maintains offices in the US, EMEA, and Asia Pacific.

www.ideasinternational.com