Gartner's top 10 strategic technology trends for 2013 could have major impacts over the next three years. The trends reflect increasing impacts of mobile, social, cloud and information technologies. The trends include 1) mobile devices and apps, 2) personal cloud, 3) the internet of things, 4) hybrid IT and cloud computing, 5) strategic big data, 6) actionable analytics, 7) mainstream in-memory computing, 8) integrated ecosystems, 9) enterprise app stores, and 10) cloud computing and hybrid IT driving future IT models. Adopting these trends presents both opportunities and challenges for organizations.

1. WHY GARTNER ANALYSTS RESEARCH EVENTS CONSULTING ABOUT
Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2013
SPECIAL REPORT
David
top 1
Gartner's annual top 10 strategic technology trends could have a major
impact on the enterprise during the next three years. Factors that denote
major impact include a high demand for a particular technology by end
users or business leaders, the potential for disruption to IT or the business,
and the need for a major dollar investment. Avoid the risk of being late to
adopt in this latest Special Report.
FEATURED RESEARCH
The Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2013
Gartner has compiled its annual list of the top 10 strategic technology trends that have
the potential to affect individuals, businesses and IT organizations. This year's list
reflects the increasing impact of the Nexus of Forces: mobile, social, cloud and
information.
1. MOBILE DEVICES BATTLES
Is Windows 8 in Your Future?
Windows 8 is now available, but most organizations are still
deploying Windows 7 and working to eliminate Windows XP
by the time support ends in April 2014. Organizations need
to decide how much time to spend on Windows 8, and
which users to target with the new OS.
Windows 8 Will Affect Organizations' PC, iPad
Application Development Plans
Microsoft is likely to have a competitive tablet platfo
with Windows 8, and a large number of slick touch a
tablet devices featuring many new form factors.
Organizations need to assess how these devices wil
affect tablet strategies, including how iPads are use
2. MOBILE APPS AND HTML5
Top 10 Strategic Technology Trends for 2013
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2. HTML5 and Web Technologies Are Becoming Major
Forces in Mobile Application Development
Mobile apps and Web technologies such as HTML5 are
changing the way applications are designed and developed.
Take a look at the ways development frameworks can be
used to create native, hybrid and Web applications using
the same code base.
Web Meets Native: Beyond Hybrid
Web and native application development represent
very different approaches. As mobile becomes more
important, the emergence of hybrid Web/native
environments will drive standardization for the resu
applications.
Hype Cycle for Web Computing, 2012
The Web is at the center of the Nexus of Forces (cloud,
mobile, social and information) and provides the primary
engine for access to all users.
3. PERSONAL CLOUD
Consumers and the Personal Cloud
A new era of computing has begun, the era of the personal
cloud. Online applications and services will transform the
consumer technology market and become the "locations"
where users will store content and access personal,
business and government services.
Microsoft Embraces the Personal Cloud with
Windows 8
Windows 8 with SkyDrive has improved Microsoft's
standing as a personal cloud provider. Platform-agn
personal cloud services and a horizontal ecosystem
on the rise in 2013.
Personal Cloud in Emerging Markets
Personal cloud will be a transformational force in emerging
markets, just as it will be in developed markets. However,
it will have different characteristics.
4. THE INTERNET OF THINGS
The Internet of Things is Moving to the Mainstream
The Internet of Things is evolving from a niche area into a
mainstream activity, especially in the next three years.
Enterprises should seriously investigate and initiate pilot
projects in 2013 to position themselves to exploit the
coming opportunities.
The Internet of Things Will Support a Wide Ran
of Business Models
The Internet of Things will enable a wide range of
business innovation supporting all six dimensions of
Gartner's business model framework. As the techno
matures and barriers to entry decline, opportunities
innovation will grow for many years.
Hype Cycle for the Internet of Things, 2012
The Internet of Things has the potential to transform
industries and the way we live. This Hype Cycle will help
enterprises assess the levels of risk, maturity and hype
that are associated with a transformative early-stage
trend.
5. HYBRID IT AND CLOUD COMPUTING
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3. Top 10 Technology Trends, 2013: Cloud Computing
and Hybrid IT Drive Future IT Models
Cloud computing continues to evolve, with new
technologies emerging to support the dynamic creation of
cloud services. IT departments in large enterprises should
play the role of IT as a service broker, and train staffs to
manage cloud provider relationships.
The Future of Mobile Cloud
IT professionals and CIOs must understand the nex
forces of mobile and cloud, which are closely related
because many mobile apps and solutions will exploi
cloud services. However, cloud architectures may po
technical and financial challenges in a mobile contex
6. STRATEGIC BIG DATA
Big Data Adoption in the Logical Data Warehouse
Gartner survey results indicate that leading organizations
are adding big data to their data warehouse and data
integration infrastructure. IT leaders and information
managers must plan to address big data in their integration
infrastructure and warehouse.
Big Data Drives Rapid Changes in Infrastructu
and $232 Billion in IT Spending Through 2016
Big data has become a major driver of IT spending.
benefits to organizations for adding big data to thei
information management and analytics infrastructur
force a more rapid cycle of replacing existing solutio
7. ACTIONABLE ANALYTICS
Actionable Analytics Will Be Driven by Mobile, Social
and Big Data Forces in 2013 and Beyond
To make analytics more pervasive and actionable, business
intelligence and analytics professionals must make
analytics more transparent, in context, and more
embedded in real-time applications accessible by
nontraditional analytics users.
The Business Context and Technology Enablers
Business Analytics
The conventional notion of business analytics as a
reporting and analytics platform is passé. Business
requires real-time decision making and forward-look
analytics. This guidance offers a road map for devel
a full set of analytical capabilities as part of an ente
infrastructure.
Hype Cycle for Analytic Applications, 2012
Analytical capability is increasingly packaged as a solution
to address specific business issues, rather than created
with generic business intelligence tools. This Hype Cycle
shows the maturity, adoption rates and benefits of various
analytic applications.
8. MAINSTREAM IN-MEMORY COMPUTING (IMC)
Top 10 Technology Trends for 2013: In-Memory
Computing Aims at Mainstream Adoption
In-memory computing technology adoption is rapidly
growing because of its power, versatility and incorporation
into several software and hardware products. However,
IMC will force IT leaders to rethink their application
architectures and will introduce new IT operation and data
governance burdens.
Hype Cycle for In-Memory Computing Technolo
2012
In-memory computing is about storing the database
record in main memory, not on disk. Driven by fast
hardware evolution and maturing software technolo
IMC is quickly moving toward mainstream adoption
Predicts 2013: In-Memory Computing: Growing
Gains, but Also Growing Pains
Enabled by a relentless decline in hardware costs and
rapidly maturing software enablers, use of in-memory
computing will grow fast. However, IT leaders leveraging it
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to increase their companies' competitiveness will face new
data management issues.
9. INTEGRATED ECOSYSTEMS
Integrated Platforms & Ecosystems
Providers increasingly promote tightly integrated systems
and managed ecosystems to simplify the IT environment.
Enterprises must balance these approaches with techniques
to minimize vendor lock in.
10. ENTERPRISE APP STORES
Enterprise App Stores Can Increase the ROI of the
App Portfolio
An enterprise app store can boost return on application
investments and reduce risks, license fees and
administration costs. However, application, security and
sourcing professionals need to work together to deliver an
effective enterprise app store.
There's an App for That: The Growth of Enterp
Application Stores
The success of consumer app stores for mobile
applications has generated much interest on the pa
IT managers, mostly to support the various mobile
platforms emerging in their organizations, but also w
the potential to extend to PCs and change the way
enterprise applications are delivered.
Two Foundations of a Successful App Store
Enterprises looking to implement private app stores will
find themselves obsessing over how to increase a steady
supply of apps to drive interest and how their app store
can support broader enterprise platform objectives.
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