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By Don Reisinger on 2011-01-07
With the International CES convention in full swing in Las Vegas, Jan. 6-9, 2011, we decided to give you a rundown of the eight hottest trends from the show floor. We know you're probably really interested in the latest HDTVs and camcorders, but for the purposes of this report we're narrowing our focus to those trends that are actually relevant for the enterprise. Of course, smartphones and tablets top the list, with many vendors vying this year for the title of "Apple iPad Killer." But, you may be surprised by some of the other product categories heating up the show floor. For example, strides in notebook design, printer functionality, and data storage solutions are all on display, which will appeal to business users and consumers alike.
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Smartphones EverywhereIt wouldn’t be CES without new, shiny smartphones. Several companies have unveiled devices that promise more value for the same amount of cash that customers were doling out last year. And, as expected, Google’s Android platform has been at the center of many of those smartphone announcements.
4G-Capable DevicesVerizon is exhibiting at CES for the first time, in order to tout its 4G LTE service. There's a marketing war underway between Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile as 4G rollouts continue. Several new 4G-capable devices will be hitting store shelves this year. It's the next generation of mobility and it's time to pay attention.
Here a Tablet, There a TabletThe tablet craze is officially underway. Companies such as Vizio, LG and many others are debuting tablets at CES as they vie for a chunk of Apple iPad pie. And many of those are running Google’s Android platform. The Cisco Cius (already out) and the BlackBerry PlayBook (due later this year from RIM) still seem like the best bet for the enterprise.
NotebooksThe enterprise is becoming increasingly mobile. And companies are requiring more notebooks than ever before. CES has long been a hotbed for notebook introductions from most of the major players, including HP and Dell. Although many of the products are consumer-focused, enterprise users can also benefit from design enhancements, including improved screen quality, reduced weight, and enhanced processing power.
Netbooks, tooThese lightweight computers are still in the game. In some cases, having a netbook handy makes some sense. The real question now is how much longer these devices remain viable in the face of the tablet onslaught. Only time will tell.
People Still PrintOK, so printers might not be as flashy as some of the other products being shown at CES, but there are some advanced models worth looking at. These offer significantly improved print times, high resolution, and cost-effective options, especially for those executives who need to have an all-in-one printer in their offices. Wireless-enabled printing is also a hot category.
Storage, Anyone?CES may not be the first place you'd look for the latest data security solutions. But, several new product announcements combine the ability to retain larger-than-ever amounts of data with improved security. It’s a win-win.
Windows 8?Granted, Windows 7 is still Microsoft’s most important product, and you may be still weighing the prospect of an enterprise-wide migration. But remember, the software giant is always looking ahead and it looks likely that Windows 8 will be on that roadmap.
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