Gartner reveals the top 10 technology trends it believes are "strategic for most organisations" in 2013-- the top technologies IT leaders should factor in their plans for the near future.
The analyst defines a "strategic technology" as one with the potential for significant impact on enterprise in the next 3 years. A strategic technology may represent a mature technology ripe with potential, as well as an emerging opportunity for early adopters.
All the technologies listed emerge from what Gartner calls the "nexus of converging forces"-- social, mobile, cloud and information.
Mobile Device Battles: According to Gartner mobile phones will overtake PCs as most common global internet access device by 2013, and by 2015 80% of handsets sold in mature markets will be smartphones. By 2015 tablet shipments will reach around 50% of laptop shipments, with Windows 8 placing 3rd behind Android and iOS. This means the end of the Windows-dominated PC era, in the face of a post-PC environment catering for different form factors and operating systems.
Mobile Applications and HTML5: Developers face a complex mobile app-development tool market, one Gartner divides in 6 architectures (native, special, hybrid, HTML 5, Message and No Client). In the long term, development will shift towards HTML5-based web apps, while developers will also need to learn how to deliver cross platform touch-optimised apps. Read more...