Trends Transforming Enterprise IT

Technology by Mervi Eskelinen | CC BY 2.0

The IT departments of many companies can arguably be considered the face of technology. They’re the ones who are most familiar with the various gadgets and systems that are constantly being released and updated, both inside and outside of the enterprise. That being said, it’s no surprise that the function of IT is undergoing rapid changes in terms of role and responsibility.

This topic is highlighted in a recent TechCrunch.com article titled “Ten Trends Transforming Enterprise IT.” In the article, author Matt Murphy discusses both the obvious and not-so-obvious shifts that many IT professionals are seeing on a daily basis. From cloud computing to big data analytics to mobile connectivity – it seems as though the changes are endless.

While the list could certainly go on, Murphy narrowed down the 10 key trends he saw as significant factors in the change of enterprise computing as we know it. The list was so good, we had to share them, and give our own spin on his top ten trends list.

1. Cloud Computing: Referencing Morgan Stanley, Murphy states in his article that nearly one-third of all enterprises run on the cloud today. Thanks to the cloud’s impressive functionality and flexibility, that number is only going to rise.
2. Virtualization: This includes data centers, networking, security, and storage. IT departments love virtualization because it is easily applicable and adjustable, alleviating headaches and hassles.
3. New IT Buyers: In the past, purchasing decisions were made by CIOs and IT staff. Now, however, with the increased importance of technology, purchasers include members of sales, marketing, and even finance departments. This means that IT must broaden their language during the sales cycle in order to connect with the varying buyer personas.
4. The Rise of Inside and Web-Based Sales: Web-based sales means enterprises are putting less of a focus on quota-driven sales reps. This is a good thing because it not only takes the pressure off of the sales team, but it also allows for more personalized and efficient buyer-seller relationships.
5. The “Land and Expand” Sales Model: Free-trial and “freemium” sales models have become increasingly popular due to the diversity of product offerings on the market. While many IT professionals may turn their nose up at “freebies,” this sales model can actually be effective. In addition to building trust, it also allows for feedback and product improvement.
6. Reimagining Enterprise Workflows: Mobile enterprises have completely transformed the workplace by increasing productivity, transparency, and inter-organizational communication. IT departments are known to be the leaders in the mobile enterprise because they are often the ones who introduce this work style to the rest of their organization.
7. Security Moving Beyond the Perimeter: As security threats become more prominent, companies must apply safety measures at every level of their networks. This means that IT professionals must be well-versed in cyber security and management, as well as data storage and backup.
8. Big Data: Speaking of data, Big Data seems to be the buzzword of the year. Large or small, enterprises are keen on harnessing data in order to assess their efforts. Of course, data is of no use unless it can be properly interpreted to draw useful insights.
9. Speed: The enterprises who will come out on top will be the ones with the fastest application performances. Murphy backed up this claim by citing a study from Walmart and Compuware. The study revealed that a mere additional second of latency in application delivery can decrease revenue by 10 percent. That’s huge.
10. Consumer Quality Interfaces: This day and age, both consumers and employees are demanding the highest quality of technology possible. If they don’t get it from your organization, they’ll find it elsewhere. That’s why it is essential to create the most appealing, efficient, and unique user interfaces possible.

This list only scratches the surface of the changes that IT will see in the future. How has your department kept up with the constant industry changes?