5 Crucial Technology Development Trends in 2012

1. HTML5

HTML5 is the fifth version of the HTML standards that were created for structuring and presenting the content on the World Wide Web. It is being developed to support multimedia content on the internet especially for the changing hardware preferences for accessing the internet. HTML5 tries to support multimedia content on browsers for low powered devices such as smart phones and tablet computers. It has also been seen as a potential mark-up language for developing web apps cutting down the cross-platform mobile app development and compatibility issues. HTML5 was the reason for Adobe to drop development of flash technology for mobile devices. Though it is still under continuous development, HTML5 will be most in demand especially that browsing on the mobile phones and other low powered internet-enabled mobile devices is gaining popularity.

If you still have a doubt, then consider this. According to news published in Silicon.com, freelance website Elance noted a 238 per cent y-o-y increase in demand for HTML5 skills in year 2011.

2. Cloud Security

Year 2011 has been the year which has seen surge in popularity of cloud computing as the de-facto way of utilizing IT services, as well as surge in use of internet enabled mobile devices. The year 2011 has witnessed many cloud service providers foray into the mainstream. IT service consumers have either started consuming cloud services (SaaS being the most widely adopted) or have the plan in their overall business strategies to migrate to the cloud.

In a report IDC predicts that 80% of new commercial enterprise applications will be deployed on cloud platforms in 2012. With such a cascading effect, the data generated in the cloud will increase multi-fold. Managing, accessing, storing and securing data in the cloud will now take the precedence. Data security and storage in the cloud will be the key trends to watch for in 2012.

3. Mobile Cloud

With increased use of mobile devices and almost an accepted norm of IT as ‘consumerism’ through cloud computing, it is not a distant future that the ‘mobile cloud’ will become the focus for many entrepreneurial activities, as well as the strategic area of investment by many cloud service providers. ‘Mobile cloud’ simply means that the access point for cloud applications will be the internet enabled mobile devices. This will be a very strategic point of focus in 2012 to capture market share especially for SaaS providers.

This segment is getting support from continuous development of HTML5 which is an advanced technology for web browsers to support latest multimedia in smart phones, feature phones, tablets and other computers. Simultaneously this creates a strong demand for improvement in mobile data security. In a report IDC says that they believe that by 2013, 90% of the smart phones and tablets will be able to support HTML5 capable web browsers. Also, according to a news article published in Silicon.com, 15% of the apps set to be launched in 2012 are HTML5 web apps already.

With such evolutions and mobility in work as the preferred choice, ‘mobile cloud’ will see important activities in 2012.

4. Agile ALM

Agile ALM will be more widely accepted in the year 2012 as the developers seek to collaborate and work together for increasing their productivity and cutting down the project turn-around time.  Cloud computing has brought in more demand for the web-based tools such as integrated IDEs and ALMs which can support the Agile Methodologies. Software development with collaboration (among various teams, customers and vendors), and automation will be another key element in 2012.

5. Data Analytics

Till about recently the importance of data crunching and analytics was not felt with a pressing need. But with social media gaining importance as the indispensable marketing tool and the concept of Vertical Ad Networks, the advertisers are leaning more towards gathering relevant data and using analytics to target the right set of audience. Not only is data analytics important in business functions such as advertising, inventory management and demand forecasting,  it can prove beneficial even for security purposes such as ‘pre-crime detection’.

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