IT Predictions for 2007
Now that we’re back in swing after the holiday season, We decided to make some predictions for growth areas in IT for 2007.
1. Search Engine Marketing and Search Engine Optimisation (SEM and SEO)
Companies are wanting to achieve more with their internet presence. It is no longer a case of putting up a web page and hoping for the best. Companies will turn to SEM and SEO to help them to get the results they need.
2. The rise of the Geobrowser, Geotagging, Location Based Services
Another huge trend in 2006 was the rise of the Geobrowser. Google Earth got all the press, but Yahoo and Microsoft have also been investing heavily in their respective offerings. in 2007 you can expect innovation in this area to continue strongly. Due to the huge ownership of mobile phones (42 million in UK alone) Location Based Services that deliver relevant content to mobile devices will also see strong growth. We wrote about the importance of location back in June.
3. Customer Relationship Management software (CRM)
Customer Relationship Software has had a chequered history so far and has largely been the preserve of large corporates with deep pockets. Now in 2007 everybody has a choice, from freeware offerings such as SugarCRM, through to subscription based services like Salesforce.com. We also expect so see further blurring of the boundaries between CRM, Workflow and Imaging systems as vendors compete with each other. Personally I’d like to see something that didn’t require you to have a PHD before you can install it…
4. Anti-SPAM, Anti-Spyware, Anti-Phishing
There are no clear signs of these problems going away, so smart filtering and good security practices will remain a priority for the forseeable future. Subscription based services will probably gain ground over systems that require you to buy an additional server (and support).
5. Social Media for Corporates
Blogging has been one of the fastest growing social trends in 2006. Now with some pundits predicting that it may have reached its peak, we expect that companies providing blogging and social media toolkits will start to target the corporate market in order to make a return on the investments they have made.
We will be covering each of these areas in greater depth as the year progresses.
Tags: predictions, Search Engine Marketing, Search Engine Optimisation, SEM, SEO, Geotagging, Geobrowser, Location Based Services, Customer Relationship Management, CRM, Social Media, blogging
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