Transcript Document

Name of Presentation
The Next Ten Big Things
To Know
David Strom, Technology Editor, VARBusiness
Michael Vizard, Editor-in-Chief, CRN
Solution Provider Xchange, March 2003
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS GROUP
2003 XChange
Wireless Networks
• Rapidly becoming the standard networking
technology in any new engagement
• Has the twin virtue of reducing costs and
increasing productivity
• Convergence of 802.11 LANs and cellular
networks creates new network fabric for mobile
computing applications
• But watch out for security, incompatible
standards (802.11g)
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS GROUP
2003 XChange
Midrange Applications
• Times will continue to be tough in the high-end
enterprise space, but mid range environments
are spending
• IT spending in mid size companies traditionally
trails enterprise
• New modular implementations lets these
companies play like a leader
• New offerings from IBM, Microsoft, others
geared towards mid-market
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS GROUP
2003 XChange
Web Services
• SOAP, XML and related technologies
significantly lower the cost of integration
• Unrealized benefits of e-business due to
lack on integration
• EAI gives way to a new generation of
business process integration
• Open source coming on stronger every day
• Middleware hurdle drops to enable integration
of business intelligence applications with
production systems
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS GROUP
2003 XChange
Systems and Storage Consolidation
• New generation of server hardware allows IT
organizations to reduce costs
• Re-engineering of data centers to leverage low
cost 32-bit distributed data architectures driven
by Windows.Net and Linux
• Centralization of storage using NAS
• Better virtualization products from Hitachi and
others as $ per TB costs drop
• Appliances proliferate
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS GROUP
2003 XChange
Security
• Intelligent security products
• Emergence of flexible frameworks
• Focus moves beyond the network level
to include application and data security
• Managed services become crucial
• Not just about anti-virus any more
• Identity management is a happening place
• Better threat identification and insider protective
tools
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS GROUP
2003 XChange
Subscription Services
• Pace picks up at an even faster rate as VARs
realize the value of recurring revenues
• Technologies to facilitate outsourcing, such as
broadband, web services and network
management, all have subscription models
• Hosted services gain momentum
• Security and managed network services get
better
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS GROUP
2003 XChange
Network printing
• Color is almost a commodity, but which
technology will prevail (laser, ink, wax)?
• Speed vs. first-page out
• Managing printers is still a challenge
• Ethernet-attached printers moving into homes,
smaller offices
• Consumables is where the profit is!
• Wireless printing coming on strong
• Digital cameras driving new printer
development and innovation
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS GROUP
2003 XChange
Real Time
• Batch updates of business transactions no
longer good enough
• Manufacturers want all data immediately in
order to take just in time manufacturing to
another level to reduce costs
• Mass customization of products is major
requirement to drive profits
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS GROUP
2003 XChange
Gigabit Networks
• Desktop deployment on the rise
• Wire plant needs upgrading -- is CAT 5 good
enough?
• How to evaluate/test your plant?
• More new apps that require gig speeds
• Price differential nearly zero for 100 mB
• How long until Gig E. in motherboards?
• Can the PC bus keep up with Gig speeds?
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS GROUP
2003 XChange
IP Telephony
• Voice over IP finally hits the big time
• Rising telecommunication costs push
companies to build their own internal phone
networks.
• Many disaster recovery plans use VoIP
• Need to reduce travel cost is helping drive
adoption of collaborative applications, including
video conferencing.
• New apps that ride on top of IP phone networks
and more to come -- promising more revenues
for the VARs in the know
TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS GROUP