TechMarketView's Theme for 2015 'Joining the Dots'

Last December we revealed that the TechMarketView Theme for 2014 would be Race for Change. It proved to be very apposite. Indeed the Pace of Change is even faster now as almost every HotViews post testifies. If you are not up there with the winners in that Race for Change, your future is in serious doubt. Just like our many other themes over the years, we will continue to use it as they all seem to become even more relevant with time.

TechMarketView’s Theme for 2015 is Joining the Dots.

There has been a proliferation of new terms and buzz words. SMAC, Internet of Things (IoT), Wearables, Big Data, Connected World, “Cloud first, Mobile first” (to quote Microsoft), Smart this/Smart that. What is clear is that in the future we will see a massive increase in the number things connected to other things and/or the internet – they will range from the ubiquitous mobile phone (now >7billion is use – exceeding the world’s population) through smart watches/health bands, cars, meters, heating controls, fridges etal…and maybe even pills. Nobody really knows how many ‘things’ we might be talking about in the fullness of time but we are talking hundreds of billions.

Then we look at all the data that we – and all the things we use - are creating. The vast majority of this is currently local, certainly in silos and little used. But the future potential of using that data in a ‘joined up’ manner is so huge as to be game-changing. For example, the collection of personal health data on a continuous basis could not only help to alert us all to health issues whilst they are still treatable but, collectively, could help us understand how to prevent them happening in the first place.

Whether in the Public or Private Sectors, making systems work together is an established, albeit early, trend. Renewing your car road tax is a good example of joining individuals, vehicles, insurance, MOTs, banking etc together in a seamless (and to give the DVLA credit) efficient experience.

Of course, all this creates massive challenges too. Not least of these are privacy, confidentiality, security, cyber terrorism, availability (both by geography and ensuring that the poorest also have access) and the stability/suitability of legacy systems often crafted decades ago.

But, as ever, there are massive opportunities too. TechMarketView’s research clients are predominately involved in Software and IT Services. The ‘things’, the datasets, the systems all need to be joined together. What a huge opportunity our clients will have in Joining the Dots!

Over the next week the Research Directors of each of TechMarketView’s streams will be presenting their Predictions for 2015 and how Joining the Dots will affect their sectors - starting with Kate Hanaghan's Predictions for Infrastructure Services. In the New Year, we will announce how the theme will be incorporated into our research Programme for 2015. And throughout 2015, including at our TechMarketView Conference in Sept 15, you will be hearing much more about Joining the Dots

Posted by Richard Holway at '00:00'