The Next Ten Big Things To Know

1
The Next Ten Big Things To Know

• David Strom, Technology Editor, VARBusiness
• Michael Vizard, Editor-in-Chief, CRN
• Solution Provider Xchange, March 2003

2
Wireless Networks

• Rapidly becoming the standard networking
  technology in any new engagement
• Has the twin virtue of reducing costs and
  increasing productivity
• Convergence of 802.11 LANs and cellular networks
  creates new network fabric for mobile computing
  applications
• But watch out for security, incompatible
  standards (802.11g)

3
Midrange Applications

• Times will continue to be tough in the high-end
  enterprise space, but mid range environments are
  spending
• IT spending in mid size companies traditionally
  trails enterprise
• New modular implementations lets these companies
  play like a leader
• New offerings from IBM, Microsoft, others geared
  towards mid-market

4
Web Services

• SOAP, XML and related technologies significantly
  lower the cost of integration
• Unrealized benefits of e-business due to lack on
  integration
• EAI gives way to a new generation of business
  process integration
• Open source coming on stronger every day
• Middleware hurdle drops to enable integration of
  business intelligence applications with
  production systems

5
Systems and Storage Consolidation

• New generation of server hardware allows IT
  organizations to reduce costs
• Re-engineering of data centers to leverage low
  cost 32-bit distributed data architectures driven
  by Windows.Net and Linux
• Centralization of storage using NAS
• Better virtualization products from Hitachi and
  others as per TB costs drop
• Appliances proliferate

6
Security

• Intelligent security products
• Emergence of flexible frameworks
• Focus moves beyond the network level to include
  application and data security
• Managed services become crucial
• Not just about anti-virus any more
• Identity management is a happening place
• Better threat identification and insider
  protective tools

7
Subscription Services

• Pace picks up at an even faster rate as VARs
  realize the value of recurring revenues
• Technologies to facilitate outsourcing, such as
  broadband, web services and network management,
  all have subscription models
• Hosted services gain momentum
• Security and managed network services get better

8
Network printing

• Color is almost a commodity, but which technology
  will prevail (laser, ink, wax)?
• Speed vs. first-page out
• Managing printers is still a challenge
• Ethernet-attached printers moving into homes,
  smaller offices
• Consumables is where the profit is!
• Wireless printing coming on strong
• Digital cameras driving new printer development
  and innovation

9
Real Time

• Batch updates of business transactions no longer
  good enough
• Manufacturers want all data immediately in order
  to take just in time manufacturing to another
  level to reduce costs
• Mass customization of products is major
  requirement to drive profits

10
Gigabit Networks

• Desktop deployment on the rise
• Wire plant needs upgrading -- is CAT 5 good
  enough?
• How to evaluate/test your plant?
• More new apps that require gig speeds
• Price differential nearly zero for 100 mB
• How long until Gig E. in motherboards?
• Can the PC bus keep up with Gig speeds?

11
IP Telephony

• Voice over IP finally hits the big time
• Rising telecommunication costs push companies to
  build their own internal phone networks.
• Many disaster recovery plans use VoIP
• Need to reduce travel cost is helping drive
  adoption of collaborative applications, including
  video conferencing.
• New apps that ride on top of IP phone networks
  and more to come -- promising more revenues for
  the VARs in the know