5 Impactful IT Trends to Watch in 2016

3 min read | Nov 18, 2015

The science of information technology has come a long way over the past few years. We’ve seen clunky, energy-guzzling hardware transform into virtual servers capable of housing unlimited networks. We’ve graduated from severely limited amounts of data to an Internet of Things consisting of and fueled by an infinite quantity of user-generated information. We’ve seen an already flexible web evolve into a universal, perpetual medium of connectivity, accessible at anytime, in anyplace, on any device.

In other words, computing has improved and refined like wildfire over the past few years. It is now a virtual, completely data-driven mobile entity that becomes more personalized and cutting-edge every day. To evaluate the Information Technology industry as 2015 nears its end, Benton Technology Solutions saw fit to reflect on where we’ve been, where we are and where we’ll be as an industry in the coming years.

Check out these 5 trends that have and will continue to revolutionize the IT profession:

5 IT Trends to Watch in 2016

1. The Mobile Era

Company networks are no longer confined to the walls of the office. As the mobile era hits its stride, almost every web-based technology is mobilizing and becoming accessible on a any device from any location. Moreover, businesses are implementing Bring-Your-Own-Device (BYOD) policies through which employees can access company networks on their personal devices. This allows for more flexible work patterns and increased productivity. Expect to see more and more companies jumping on the BYOD ship as we progress through 2016.

2. Age of Big Data

There is more data than ever floating around on the internet waiting to be processed, reported and analyzed. Such information used to barely scratch the surface of what companies can now learn about their customers with big data. In the coming years, however, we anticipate big data to grow even bigger and even more revealing of customer lifestyle, personality, intent and more. And though we predict its continued growth, big data’s eventual impact on traditional commerce is much less foreseeable.

3. Exploring the Cloud

It’s no surprise that the Cloud has already become such an integral component of modern life. As the world globalizes and the quantity of data information skyrockets, the ability to access that data becomes a luxury of unmatched simplicity for businesses across the planet. The Cloud allows companies access to that critical information from anywhere in the world over a simple internet connection. It’s the type of technological convenience that will save companies millions of dollars on storage, security and energy costs in 2016. And it is for these reasons that we believe the Cloud is just getting started.

4. Insights with Analytics

Another derivative of big data is the software that makes sense of it all. While we enjoy the thoroughness of various comprehensive analytic softwares today, it is humbling to imagine what those softwares will be capable of in merely one or two years. Mountains of structured and unstructured data are interpreted every second – meaning our analytic softwares will have to find a way to evolve and adapt to that mounting flow of information. Thus, it is safe to predict that the analytic softwares of today will look strikingly different next year.

5. Data Security

Keep an eye out for the evolution of data security as we progress through 2016. As more and more businesses transfer assets to and collect customer information from web-based platforms, companies and consumers alike are demanding guarantees that their most sensitive data is secure. However, because big data and the Cloud-based technologies that contain it are still in their infancies, much is left to be desired. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to track its improvement throughout the coming years, and it will be suspenseful to witness the abrupt obstacles that data security technicians must overcome to adapt.