In the tech industry, buzzwords come and go, some sticking and others dying out. Last year, it was all about the cloud, both public and private. Big Data was a major player and the Internet of Things was on everybody's lips. So what's in store for 2014? There are a few buzzwords that are currently lingering in boardrooms and are plastered across presentations, and soon they'll be hot topics.
We pick five of the buzzwords for CIOs in 2014 - keep your eyes peeled because before long, they will be making headlines.
5. Software defined
Whether it's software defined networks or software defined enterprises, the 'software defined' trend is taking off. Software defined networking is a software layer that sits between the physical network and the network administrators who configure it. This allows them to control the network devices through a software interface rather than manually configuring hardware. As CBR pointed out: "as IT project timeframes decrease, and the need for greater virtualisation increases, SDN will drive IT to adopt it as a more efficient way of configuring networks."
4. Internet of Everything
The Internet of Things was the 'it' word for 2013, it concisely summed up the act of devices being more interactive with users. The Internet of Everything expands that idea. Cisco described the Internet of Everything as something that brings together people, data and things, to create networked connections that turns information into action. So rather than just connecting devices (like the Internet of Things), the Internet of Everything connects, well, everything.
3. Hybrid cloud
In basic terms, a hybrid cloud solution is simply a combination of both public and private clouds. A business provides and manages some in-house resources, with other resources provided off-premise. This allows companies to use a public cloud service to archive data, but use in an on-premise storage system for important customer data that requires constant maintenance. Hybrid cloud models are often more cost-effective because smaller companies can choose to rent storage space on a pay-per-use basis, expanding only when needed.
2. nth screen
The 'nth screen' has been lingering around the tech world for several years, but is expected to hit the big time in 2014. It basically means devices that are able to connect and share content between multiple displays. Sharing is caring, apparently, and companies will let you connect their devices together for a greater user experience. There is, however, a catch, as many companies will create connecting devices that can only connect to devices of the same brand. So your Samsung device may not connect with your Apple device. This is due to the company's need to keep consumers dedicated to their brand.
SMO is something businesses should be taking note of in 2014. It is the new SEO, and stands for 'social media optimisation'. Companies can utilise SMO by using social media websites to share their brand and their website's content with a wider network of potential customers. The aim is that by using the likes of Twitter and Facebook, this will drive traffic onto a company's website, and increase the awareness of the business. Websites such as LinkedIn are great for reaching professionals, as it allows businesses to reach users who are more likely to be interested in a particular field or have a certain occupation. Facebook is helpful for more consumer based companies, and Twitter is a great way of connecting with customers directly and starting conversations. Driving web traffic and appearing at the top of search results are important, so SEO should still be a key part of a business, but SMO can reach a wide audience in a more connected way.
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