IT challenges for next year

cisco systems, fujitsu ltd., asia, adam jura, jens butler, jura, cloud computing, information technology, science and technology, technology

In an analysis, the firm noted that trends such as lack of skilled IT talents, continuing consumerization of IT, a shift in security responsibility, and the adoption of cloud computing will carry on into 2011.

The shortage of skilled IT manpower continues to plague companies in the region. The research firm believes that while the push for IT projects to improve business capabilities will continue to increase, the lack of talents may put stress on the pace of these developments.

It observed that an increasing number of global delivery networks are focused on increasing asset utilization to promote overall productivity and "reduce reliance on labor".

Vertical-specific projects will continue to drive significant investments in IT across the region, creating demand for business-fluent technology vendors, the analysis found. "Projects such as smart grid in the utilities industry, e-health in the healthcare industry, constituent engagement in government, and transportation infrastructure projects will combine to form a significant portion of IT investment across the region," added Jura.

The increasing adoption of smartphone usage for work "will force IT departments to move away from a traditional centralized approach of 'command and control' to a more flexible architecture that supports a wider variety of non-standard devices," Ovum commented. However, with this convenience comes the increased risk of loss of data, together with a widespread use of social media, mobile devices and the "enterprise app store" that will continue to disrupt IT strategies.

"In that sense, IT departments will increasingly need to be able to live with a degree of uncertainty in their IT security, particularly as alternative delivery models such as public cloud computing are adopted with increasing fervor," advised Adam Jura.

As enterprises better understand the impact of cloud computing technology on their businesses, the firm believes that "breakthrough" partnerships will emerge. "Risk and change management for cloud engagements will continue to be demanded as enterprises make the transition from onsite to cloud solutions," commented principal analyst Jens Butler.