Gartner Top Technology for 2009

Gartner's list of top ten technologies holds no surprises for most IT managers - what has changed, significantly in some instances, is the ranking position each technology holds in the list. The 2008 ranking is provided in brackets.

The top ten technology list is compiled from feedback from clients and independent research.

1. Virtualisation [5]

The transformational impact of virtualisation in nearly every part of IT makes it the most likely contender for the top spot - heralded as one of the most strategic technology advances in years. Virtualization can be applied from servers to desktops and everything in the data center in between. For instance, virtualization provides incredible flexibility and power to combine different kinds and generations of storage and server technology reframing the basis of competitive bids.

2. Cloud computing [New]

Cloud computing also has a significant role in changing the technology infrastructure landscape. Like virtualization it provides a foundation for storage , a solid platform for software as a service, but as a computing and storage infrastructure provider, and reaily supports information and business processes.

3. Computing Fabrics [8].

The whole concept of resource pooling as provided by virtualization and cloud computing extends to server technology. Computing fabric meshes resources together as needed then allocates them as 'pools' of servers. This provides the ability for IT to move memory and processor capability as needed.

4. Web-oriented Architecture [7].

The web is the 'new' model for service delivery for the past 3-4 years. What has evolved is the architectural approach and impact web models are having on influencing service-oriented architectures.

5. Enterprise Mashups [6].

Mashups use public APIs to combine various services and capabilities quickly. Theses content aggregation tools 'mash' together public services with enterprise applications - such as mashing Google Maps into business intelligence software.

6. Specialised Systems [New].

Includes such 'appliances' for Java, data warehousing and other processes as well as components such as Cisco routers - all leading to cost savings and emerging new ways of building IT infrastructures.

7. Social Software and Social Networking [10].

Once heralded as potential productivity destroyers - social tools are now held as the 'norm' for Gen Y employees in the way they communicate. Studies have proven more productivity gains than losses, making web 2.0 tools hot property.

8. Unified Communications [2]

Technology driven market consolidation has reduced vendors by half. Unified communications has become old hat very quickly and standard IT technology.

9. Business Intelligence [New].

Whilst BI is not new, the increase in processing power, virtualization and cloud computing have all escalated the capabilities of BI to extend BI to every desktop applying BI analytics directly into business processes [Operational BI].

10. Green IT [1]

The fall from first to last on the list does not indicate a loss of importance for Green IT - rather, like unified communications it is now absorbed as stanard practice into all IT strategies.

So that's it for 2009!

Next: Self Aware Virtualization

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