Nine IT priorities for 2009

The economy

Like it or not, the state of the economy will overshadow everything else this year. Ignore all the predictions ­ the only thing anyone can say with certainty is that nobody really knows what will happen. But cost control and efficiency will be the watchwords for IT decision-makers nonetheless. For IT professionals, job security
will be a concern. But hopefully far-sighted businesses will look after their valuable IT experts ­ after all, they will need you once the recession is over.

Privacy

After a year of endless data-loss stories, the privacy of our personal information has become a top priority. Tackling privacy concerns and reassuring the public is one of the defining challenges of the digital age. Without confidence in the integrity and confidentiality of our data, there could be a backlash against the “database state” that would set back the role of technology for years. The worries are genuine and justified ­ and the government has to respond.

Collaboration

If there is one potentially game-changing technology for companies, it is collaboration. Businesses have yet to fully exploit the techniques exemplified by social networking sites such as Facebook and tools such as blogs and wikis, but many look enviously at the potential for improving interaction and information sharing between staff and with customers, suppliers and partners. The technology will rarely be a limiting factor ­ this is more of a cultural challenge. But in tough times, firms that collaborate most effectively will thrive.

Next-generation broadband

Most experts agree that building a high-speed broadband infrastructure is an important part of the UK’s future economic wellbeing ­ but with a price of up to £28bn, it won’t come cheap. The government will not pay, and BT needs reassurances that the benefits of investment will not be curtailed by regulations. But decisions need to be made on the structure, funding and rollout of next-generation broadband ­ both as an economic stimulus and for the sake of international competitiveness.

Cloud computing

The term “cloud computing” already sounds very 2008, but the buzzword is becoming widely used so we should get used to it for a while. However, the technologies and trends that the phrase encompasses are here to stay. Software as a service, virtualisation, utility computing, Web 2.0 ­ these are all different aspects of the move to software and hardware hosted on the internet. Large firms are some way off moving critical infrastructure to the cloud ­ but growth is likely to come from smaller organisations. Cloud will be this year’s green in vendor marketing.

Big government IT projects

With vast sums being spent on major projects such as ID cards and the NHS National Programme for IT, opposition politicians sniff an opportunity to make mischief for a government that is borrowing more than ever and needs to show prudence in other areas. There will be further calls to scrap, delay or review big IT initiatives ­ but the government must resist. IT is central to modernising public services ­ it is hard to seriously imagine an NHS without electronic patient records in 10 years’ time, for example ­ but these big programmes must do better.

Mobile

The future of technology is, without doubt, mobile. The big network operators and handset manufacturers are already focusing on the mobile web. Ofcom will start to auction vast amounts of radio spectrum this year, leading to new services and better, faster coverage. The growth of mobile technology will be driven by consumers but increasingly sets expectations for business users. Low-price laptops and powerful netbooks will make computing on the move
a standard.

The environment

Most IT managers have been thoroughly greenwashed by vendor marketing in the past 18 months, and a certain cynicism has inevitably developed about green computing. Nonetheless, it is acknowledged that IT has an energy-efficiency problem. Best practice is emerging from early adopters that will show the way for others to reduce the energy consumption of their IT, and since this is an effective way to cut costs too, there is little reason not to proceed. Clean technology will be one of the best-funded areas of research and development this year.

Innovation

Any IT leader who does not have innovation as a priority is failing their organisation. The role of IT is increasingly that of the innovator, driving change through the understanding of how technology can improve operations, create new ways of working and develop additional revenue streams. In a recession, innovation only grows in importance. IT leaders who demonstrate the benefits of IT-enabled innovation will be the success stories of the year.