LONDON, UK: 'Big data' analytics, security and cloud computing will be three of the most significant drivers of technological change in 2012, according to Ovum.

The predictions for the coming year also include the growing impact of social networking platforms on enterprise collaboration strategies, convergence of selected software-as-a-service (SaaS) CRM and marketing services, and the consumerisation of IT, which looks likely to accelerate the adoption of self-selected SaaS by line-of-business owners and the deployment of mobile device management solutions to support bring-your-own-device strategies.

The independent technology analyst also expects the role of chief information officer (CIO) to continue evolving next year as it faces strong pressure to develop operational and investment models that embrace technology-led innovation from all functional units within the organisation.

“The adoption of new smart devices and sophisticated web services in the consumer market is accelerating, extending the gap between user expectations and the services being delivered by corporate IT,” explains Tim Jennings, Ovum’s Chief Analyst for Enterprise IT. “To minimise this disconnect the CIO will need to act as an enabler of innovation for the business, and this creates the opportunity to play a central role in both operational and commercial strategy.”

With an increase in the number of employee-owned devices being used in the workplace, datasecurity and best practice will remain a top concern for CIOs next year. Organisations will need to protect and secure corporate information, whilst also providing access to corporate data on self-provisioned devices. However, selecting the right mobile device management or mobile desktop virtualization solution must be accompanied by consideration of both country-specific employee data privacy and industry-specific compliance requirements.

“We expect these overarching themes to be pivotal to the success of business strategy next year. Only businesses considering the opportunities that each trend presents, and the challenges that may exist, will ensure that they remain at the forefront of their respective industries,” concludes Jennings.

Key Predictions for 2012

Cloud Computing: 2012 to be the year of PaaS
Organisations' approach to cloud will shift from a low-level infrastructure-as-a-service/cost-cutting discussion to a higher-level platform-as-a-service/SaaS discussion.

Access to innovative mobile, social and collaborative apps underpinned by analytics and management reporting will drive adoption.

Big Data & Analytics: new data sources create transformation opportunities
Applying analytics to social media, machine-to-machine and location data will create new business opportunities and drive new investment in business intelligence and data warehousing infrastructure. However, only organisations using big data and analytics in a transformative way will realise substantial benefits.

The advanced "social media command/control centre" will increase in appeal as more organisations engage directly with their markets and constituencies through the vehicle of social media, rather than via marketing services agencies, and look to measure the effectiveness of their investments in this channel.