Cloud, Big Data Analytics Go Mainstream

December 2, 2010 – Cloud services, mobile computing and big data analytics will move from disruptive technologies to mainstream use during 2011, bringing along with it growth in IT spending, according to IDC.

IDC outlined 10 predictions for the coming year based on brainstorming sessions between 1,000 analysts from the marketing and research firm. Prediction themes were chosen based on opportunity, market impact and leadership ability, and related structural and strategic changes.

Predictions for the coming year by IDC are:

Increases in global IT spending, with worldwide spending up 5.7 percent to $1.6 trillion
Continued growth in emerging markets, particularly China
Adoption of cloud computing
Expansion of data centers
Mobile market proliferation
Added broadband dedications and delivery
Social media expansion and consolidation
Big data management and analytics
Mobile management of business intelligence
Consumer Web TV

Frank Gens, IDC senior vice president and chief analyst, said 2011 will start to be the year that investments and intelligence of once disruptive technologies like cloud deployment and big data analytics combine to lead the marketplace.

"What really distinguishes the year ahead is that these disruptive technologies are finally being integrated with each other – cloud with mobile, mobile with social networking, social networking with 'big data' and real-time analytics," Gens said in a news release. "As a result, these once-emerging technologies can no longer be invested in, or managed, as sandbox efforts around the edges of the market."

But as more and more businesses adopt cloud and mobile applications, and take on big data storage and processing, the management surrounded those systems will also change, Gens said.

“In addition to creating new markets and opportunities, this restructuring will overthrow nearly every assumption about who the industry's leaders will be and how they establish and maintain leadership," said Gens.

Justin Kern is senior editor at Information Management and can be reached at justin.kern@sourcemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @IMJustinKern.

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