Mobile Strategies and Gartner's 2013 Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends

Have you seen Gartner's recently published 2013 top ten strategic technology trends?  If not here they are:

1. Mobile Devices Battles
2. Mobile Applications and HTML5
3. Personal Cloud
4. Internet of Things
5. Hybrid IT and Cloud Computing
6. Strategic Big Data
7. Actionable Analytics
8. Mainstream In-Memory Computing
9. Integrated Ecosystems
10. Enterprise App Stores

I come from an enterprise mobility background and a focus on mobile strategies, so when I read this list I see mobility written in just about every one of these.  Four of the top ten are all about enterprise mobility.  Four through nine are related to managing a real-time enterprise, optimizing a mobile workforce, and understanding the value of data driven decision making.  Again, all crucial elements to an effective enterprise mobility strategy.

My views are closely aligned with what Gartner views as the top ten strategic technology trends for 2013, with the exception of social collaboration platforms.  I view social collaboration platforms as deserving to be on this list.  I think I would bundle several of the analytics categories together and give a space to collaboration.

I am going to climb back on my soap box for a moment and say that now businesses need to invest in understanding how these categories can be used strategically to gain competitive advantages.  The biggest obstacle to many companies is the lack of education and realization of how these technologies will impact their industry, markets and businesses.  These technology trends are not minor.  These technology trends will change the way the discipline of management is practiced, the way decisions are made, the operational speed in which business is conducted, and competitive landscapes.

The technology trends identified here are transformational.  Vice Admiral (retired) Arthur K. Cebrowski shared the following concepts while serving at the Office of Force Transformation, "Transformation is meant to deal with the evolution of concepts, processes, organizations and technology.  Change in any one of these four areas necessitates change in all."  The bottom line is that these technology trends point toward a need for change in concepts, processes and organizations. 

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Kevin Benedict, Head Analyst for SMAC, Cognizant

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Full Disclosure: These are my personal opinions. No company is silly enough to claim them. I am a mobility and SMAC analyst, consultant and writer. I work with and have worked with many of the companies mentioned in my articles.