IT Management Slideshow:
10 Technologies That Will Define the Enterprise

Identifying the emerging technologies that stand to disrupt, define and, ultimately, benefit your operation in the coming years is extremely difficult. For one, you’re faced with the immediate need to address issues with the technology you’re using now. You’re also bound by budgetary constraints, and trying to sift through loads of marketing hype and hyperbole to pinpoint those technologies that really matter. A new study from Deloitte Consulting, “Tech Trends 2011: The Natural Convergence of Business and IT" may help. The report identifies 10 technologies and trends that will play a crucial role in the enterprise in the next 18 months. Topics are chosen based on their potential business impact, with input from Deloitte Consulting clients, analysts, alliances and the company's network of academic leaders. This year, the report groups its trends into two distinct categories: (Re)Emerging Enablers and Disruptive Deployments. (Re)Emerging Enablers are trends that many CIOs have spent time, thought, and resources on in the past. This year, these familiar topics deserve another look due to factors in the technology or business environment, according to the report. Disruptive Deployments are trends that present opportunity – offering new business models or transformative ways to operate. The technologies themselves are not necessarily disruptive, but when deployed as discussed, they could disrupt the cost, capabilities, or even the core operating model of IT and the business, says Deloitte.