Exciting IT Trends for 2012

In the last few years, IT has undergone a transformation. 2012 looks to be an exciting year for IT departments as social media, widespread use of powerful, easy-to-use mobile devices, and affordable cloud computing alternatives continue to become more prominent. These three trends bring both opportunity and challenges.

• Social Media – From Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to private and in-house communities, social media has captured the imagination of the business world. Once relegated to the marketing department, social media is fast becoming a collaborative tool. IT departments charged with social initiatives must grapple with a variety of concerns including: business expectations, acceptable use policies, software configuration, and more.

• Mobile Devices – Once capable of sending and receiving phone calls and text messages, today's smart phones and mobile devices are more powerful than ever. Email and Web access, useful apps that allow users to access virtually any type of data, and the ability to watch streaming Internet videos are among the many reasons smart phones and tablets have become so popular. With widespread use, comes the need for IT personnel focused on mobile computing. Remote access configuration, app development, and security are but a few opportunities in mobile computing.

• Cloud Computing – The cloud has emerged as an affordable IT infrastructure alternative, bringing with it both challenges and opportunities. Though some enterprise organizations are better equipped to adopt a full cloud computing solution, many organizations must settle for an integrated approach that blends legacy systems with the cloud.

What does all of this mean to modern IT departments? Continuous training. Depending on the IT department's size and capabilities, managed services and occasional outsourcing may fill in the gaps.

About ProTech Group:

ProTech Group offers affordable online IT training courses for businesses, enabling IT professionals to upgrade their skills at at a fraction of the cost of traditional classroom training. For groups of six or more, some computer training classes can even be held onsite. Rather than outsourcing for an upcoming deployment, consider one of ProTech Group's IT boot camps and acquire the necessary skills in just a few days of classes.