5 Technology Trends for 2014

Technology is moving forward at a blistering pace and it's changing the IT Industry in a big way. In order to stay competitive and profitable, your business needs to stay on top of the different technology trends. Here are five technology trends you need to be aware of that will shape 2014.

Data Analytics
Big data and analytics are changing dramatically. The IT industry has fervently tried to keep up with massive amounts of data analysis and continues to come up short. However, this is beginning to change and new, in-depth analysis is allowing big data to be remarketed, creating the rise of customer relationship management. This has led to sentiment and influence analytics being applied in order to discover actual intent and reach.

The Importance of Your Web Presence
Creating a great digital experience for end users that visit your company's website is now a necessity for every business. If your website is not concise with an appealing layout that represents the very best of your company, then you will lose sales to a competitor with a more polished online presence. In 2014's market, successful businesses are going to need to have the best possible digital presentation across a variety of platforms, including social media.

The Cloud
The cloud is changing software business models at a rapid pace. It has already substantially changed the way we store files, share documents, and access business applications. More and more, the cloud is offering some of the best business tools on the market at a monthly rate, which is very appealing to smaller businesses on a budget. At the same time, developers are scrambling to rewrite their software so it can be available via the cloud. This means that we'll see even more great cloud-based productivity apps hit the market in 2014!

Wearable Technology
In 2014 we will see wearable technology hitting the mainstream. Currently, smart watches and other wearable gadgets are niche items with limited functionalities, but this is all about to change with the launch of Google Glass and a number of other smart devices. The proliferation of wearable technology will present new opportunities for software and app development, and create new challenges for businesses to market to these wearable tech users.

Personal Data Collection
In 2013, there was a massive influx of new data streams gathered by mobile devices. The majority of mobile device users are allowing their devices to track, trace, and store their information in a database about almost every move we make in our daily lives. Data companies know where we shop, what time we get up in the morning, our purchasing habits, and much more. In 2014, companies will continue to collect and use this data in order to improve delivery systems. Take eBay for example, they are currently investigating ways to deliver items to an individual rather than to their home address.

We don't know for sure what 2014 will hold for technology (there's no app for that). We can't tell you what wearable platform will dominate the market, and it's difficult to tell what the most profitable solutions for handling and analyzing big data will be. We can stay on top of the trends for you so that we can provide your business with the competitive edge. Don't let the technology advancement of 2014 leave your company behind. Instead, contact Ferrum Technology Services at (847) 697-3282 to learn about the latest solutions!