Top 10 Trends to Impact Enterprise IT in 2016

The Internet of Things will continue to balloon while we’ll all still struggle with extracting value from Big Data. Those are the headline predictions from DLT partner and IT asset management leader, BDNA, in its 2016 IT Predictions Report.

BDNA did a solid job of predicting the trends that dominated enterprise IT in 2015, so we’re curious to see how this year’s forecast will pan out.

Here’s a snapshot of what we can expect:

1. BYOD Management: Gets Worse Before it Gets Better

We’ve written a great deal in the past year about the various factors holding government agencies back from BYOD adoption (security being right up there), yet Gartner predicts that 50% of all employers globally will require employees to adopt a BYOD stance by 2017. Enterprise will need to beef up security measures, better track installments and up there use of cloud before BYOD’s full potential can be realized, says BDNA.

2. Retiring “Past it’s Sell By Date” Software

Not surprising, as breaches continue to make the headlines both in the public and private sector, enterprises will look take steps to identify and eliminate software that is passed its end-of-life support date.

3. The Internet of Enterprise Things Matures

IoT is set to explode and immerse itself across the enterprise with smart devices entering the workplace for the first time. It’s something the Department of Defense has been doing for some time, as we highlight here, but expect 2016 to be the year when IoT goes mainstream, says BDNA.

4. Big Data Continues to Challenge

Finding the right tools to analyze and derive value from Big Data will continue to perplex the enterprise this year. Strides are being made, but there’s a long way to go.

5. Securing Connected Medical Devices

Smart devices are making it easier than ever for patients and healthcare providers to track our vital signs, in real-time. But these devices also expose PII. These connected devices also increase the threat surface of the enterprise exposing them to potential hackers. 2016 will see advances in use of these devices but more needs to be done to increase security awareness, says BDNA.

6. Marrying the Cloud and On-Premise for Asset Management

Yes, we’re storing an increasing amount of data in the cloud, but not everything can be done in the cloud. BDNA advocates that hybrid systems that balance on-premise practices with the cloud will find their level in 2016.

7. Open Source Licensing Enlightenment

Thought all open source licensing was unrestricted? Think again. BDNA suggests that in 2016, “…open-source users must become fully educated about the license requirements associated with their assets, and software developers need to provide transparency around what can and can’t be done with their code.”

8. IoT Spending Will Grow

The consumer market for IoT (wearable devices, etc.) will rocket to $235 million, an increase of 22% over 2015. Enterprise IoT will also assume its place as an important vertical for IoT.

9. Innovation Still Viewed as Risky Business

Emerging and fledgling technologies have often been viewed as risky ventures, especially given the economic highs and lows of the past decade. But it’s a defensive posture that is stymieing the benefits that innovation delivers. BDNA anticipates that 2016 will see a step away from this posture as more enterprise being to accept that “there is no reward without inherent risk”.

10. Meet the Chief Data Officer

Stepping out from the wings, the CDO will take on a vital role in enterprise IT. This analytics-, security- and asset-focused role should report directly to the CISO, says BDNA, as the enterprise comes to realize the importance of better data for security and overall IT posture.

Read the full report here.