The rise in cloud computing and smartphone usage continued their upward trajectories, larger B2B companies finally embraced social media and Windows 8 drove touch devices. Now it’s time to look to the coming year, to see which tech trends will take the world by storm. Many of these trends are the logical extension of everything that occurred in the tech world during the previous year, but there are some more “wishful thinking” ideas that may just become a reality.
More mobile devices for business computing
More mobile devices for business computing As popular as Windows 8 is, the tablet-focused OS, Windows RT, is not particularly geared towards business users. Also, Apple will release new iPads this year with features such as retina display and Google has a new Nexus tablet on offer. This is good for professionals, as iOS and the latest Android version are business friendly.
Mobile payments are the norm
Near field communication was an emerging trend but it was still mostly in the test-market phase. This year may actually see a reality in which people can walk into most stores and make a purchase using only a name or smartphone. This is directly related to the widespread availability of NFC-based merchant services like Square and PayPal.
The death knell for BlackBerry
BlackBerry had carved out a profitable niche for itself for its B2B functionality, but their market share has been ever declining. RIM, BlackBerry’s creator, is pinning all hopes for a resurrection on BB10, their new OS due out in January. That said, all hopes for a comeback seem futile, and Apple and Android will likely retain their dominance as BlackBerry fades away.
Technological accessories
It seems silly that something as simple as the idea of a clip-on iPod Nano could be the springboard for wearable communications, but that is what’s expected. The new iPod Nano, as well as the Pebble project, take the idea of accessories such as watches and MP3 players and turn them into mini smartphones that deliver texts and emails. So don’t be surprised to see more and more people on the street scrolling through their necklace in order to check their Twitter feed.
Let them have 4G!
The 4G mobile spectrum auction is poised to make the latest in broadband available to more people than ever by allowing all major networks to provide it. At the moment, 4G is only available through Everything Everywhere, but by the end of the year all major cities should be enjoying this service. That means faster data transfer and more reliable connections, which will lead to more cloud computing across the board. There are other major potential trends on the horizon, of course, such as the possible rise of the much-anticipated iTV.