For IT departments, 2016 was another year of remarkable achievements and fast-paced developments. Today, we will conclude our series of blog posts detailing Digital Realty’s IT predictions for 2017. Some of those developments happened inside server rooms or even underground, but one of the most significant developments happened in our pockets and, quite frequently, in our hands.
Of course, I am referring to the increased reliance on mobile devices and the resulting influx of SaaS deployments seen across a diverse array of business environments. One could certainly argue that, due to compliance fears, mobile use in business is still catching up to the way we use these devices in our personal lives. In 2017, we’ll see that gap continue to narrow.
Even the amount and the kinds of devices we found ourselves using for work changed in 2016. We’ve quickly gone from a time where sending an email from your phone was about the extent of work done on mobile devices to a point where a mobile app on a tablet can perform some of a business’s most complicated functions.
The ease of deployment and low cost for most of these apps has been a game-changer for businesses. The majority of IT departments are only made up of small number of people. The amount of time and energy these SaaS deployments can save is considerable.
In 2017, the workforce will continue to become more mobile, and more types of work will get done on mobile devices in locations other than a traditional office. This means that not only will there be an increased focus on mobile security, but there will also be added scrutiny on the effectiveness and interoperability of SaaS applications.
At the same time, because of the added influence of so many different types of mobile devices being used for a variety of different tasks, we’ll also see the emergence of “shadow cloud.” Shadow cloud is any cloud application that is run without a specific directive to do so from the company or department. There’s plenty of that happening now, and expect to see see even more in 2017.
Did you miss our other 2017 Technology Predictions? No worries, find them all in this blog.
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