Trends Slideshow: Gartner's Top IT Predictions for 2011-2015

Research firm Gartner, Inc. issued its top predictions for IT organizations and users over the next several years. The predictions were selected based on their relevance, impact and audience appeal, from more than 100 of the firm's predictions across all research areas. "With costs still under pressure, growth opportunities limited and the tolerance to bear risk low, IT faces increased levels of scrutiny from stakeholders both internal and external," says managing vice president and Gartner fellow Darryl Plummer. "As organizations plan for the years ahead, our predictions focus on the impact this scrutiny will have on outcomes, operations, users and reporting. All parties expect greater transparency, and meeting this demand will require that IT become more tightly coupled to the levers of business control." Gartner analysts say the predictions highlight the significant changes in the roles played by technology and IT organizations in business, the global economy and the lives of individual users. "Gartner's top predictions showcase the trends and disruptive events that will reshape the nature of business for the next year and beyond," says vice president and Gartner fellow Brian Gammage. "Selected from across our research areas as the most compelling and critical predictions, the developments and topics they address this year focus on changes in the roles that technologies and IT organizations play: in the lives of workers, the performance of businesses and the wider world."