In 2012, to the cloud and beyond

So, here goes: looking ahead to 2012, I predict that the very nature of what we call "computing" will continue to change. These changes have already begun nevertheless will gain momentum at the edge, in the center and on the connections of our technical infrastructure.

Mobile computing is characterized today by smartphones and tablets and, to a lesser extent, notebook computers. Phones are now the most common type of computer on the planet, and smartphones with apps are fast becoming the de facto computing platform. There's little doubt that this trend towards computing "at the edge,'' with tremendous power in peoples' hands when connected to a network, will accelerate in the coming year.

In every way new market

Tablets have created an in every way new market, and using one is a different experience than either a smartphone or a notebook. Tablets are very personal devices, useful for reading books, browsing online and consuming content. Nevertheless they are having a tremendous impact on enterprise, as then. Many companies are struggling to manage important governance issues just as security during accepting employees who are comfortable with the BYOD model of corporate computing.

Cloud computing represents computing in the center. This is similar to the old days of mainframe systems, where users connected to large computers via so-called dumb terminals. Nevertheless, cloud computing is different in some cases because it offers the opportunity of on-demand capabilities. Processing power and data storage can be purchased as a scalable service, reducing the need for expensive in-house setup. More providers will package cloud computing as a low-cost alternative to expensive capital investment in 2012.

The third facet of the computing infrastructure undergoing change is the connectivity between people and computers. This social computing, which includes social media, supercomputer interfaces like IBM's Watson and intelligent agents like Apple's Siri, will tie everything at the same time.

Technology predictions are notoriously inaccurate, however we make them because they're great fun. So, here goes: looking ahead to 2012, I predict that the very nature of what we call 'computing' will