What can we expect from technology in the coming years? What are the IT technology trends? We should be informed about what companies are doing, what technologies they are investing in and how technology serves them.

Some trends are not new, like the so-called Internet of Things and cloud computing, but others are very new, like 3D printing and software-defined networking. All of these technologies will have a major impact on IT in 2014. There will be around 30 billion devices connected with unique IP addresses in 2020, most of which will be products.

Four main forces: social, mobile, cloud and information, will continue to drive change, create new opportunities and generate demand for advanced infrastructure.

Among the trends that will define the path of IT in the coming years, we first have WebRTC (Real Time Communication) technology, which enables real-time collaboration over the web. With this technology, any browser can include video, instant messaging, voice calls without the user having to install any additional components.

In addition, context-based user services are changing the way people interact with devices, allowing you to store information about users, so that we have accurate information in a timely manner.

The Internet of Things and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications enable connections between people, processes, data, and objects, combining video, mobility, cloud, big data, and machine-to-machine (M2M) communications. With the Internet of things, devices will become part of the material world, such as roads, supermarkets, biomedical devices and even animals and people, through sensors, generating terabytes of data.

Another trend will be ultra high definition video technology (4k – 8k- 2160p and 4320p), which is an essential part of smartphones, augmented reality glasses, tablets and other camera-equipped devices. In addition, the analysis technology that allows data to be processed in real time in seconds or minutes could be applied in areas such as Business Intelligence, ranging from financial analysis tools to different segments such as advertising or transportation, and creating valuable data in real time.

In addition, changes are required in interconnection technologies. At this time, the system is not robust enough to support the expected growth in connected devices. New proposals are being developed to replace the infrastructure based on the IP protocol, with technology based on a Named Data Network (NDN), which allows information to be transmitted using host names instead of addresses.

Another approach is software-defined technologies (SD-X, Software Defined Any), which go beyond the virtualization network (SDN and NFV), to increase their scalability across physical and virtual resources. It should be noted that networks can also be self-managed in terms of configuration, security, optimization and problem solving using technology or SON Autonomous Networks (Self-Organizing Networks).

About public, private and hybrid clouds, these will move to dynamic environments and multi-vendor clouds. New technologies like Intercloud will enable cloud service providers in multiple environments.

Ultimately, the key technology trends for 2014 are mobile device diversity management and mobile apps and apps, all-software-defined technology, smart machines, 3D printing, the Internet of Things, the cloud and hybrid IT as a service broker.

When it comes to mobile device management, the unexpected result of Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) programs is that the size of the mobile workforce in enterprises will double or triple. It is expected that, by 2018, the variety of devices, computing styles, contexts and strategies of user interaction paradigms will cause “everything everywhere” to be revised. Companies will define policies that clearly align with expectations about what to do and what not to do, balancing flexibility with confidentiality and privacy requirements.

In addition, given the improvement in JavaScript performance, the browser will become the main business application development environment. Applications will continue to grow, while applications begin to shrink. The Apps are smaller and focused on a particular need, while the application is larger and complete. In the next few years, mobile applications and cloud services are expected to merge to form the so-called Internet applications or Internet applications. These applications will use the storage and processing capacity of computers, smartphones and tablets, as well as the scalability of the cloud to allow applications to communicate with other applications and devices. Mobile apps and cloud platforms offer a lower TCO (total cost of ownership).

Software Defined Software incorporates initiatives such as OpenStack, OpenFlow, Open Compute Project, and The Open Rack, which share a similar vision. Providers of SDN network technologies, SDDC data centers, storage and SDS SDI infrastructure are trying to maintain their leadership in their respective domains.

About Intelligent Machines, in 2020 the era of the intelligent machine will rise from intelligent personal assistants, intelligent advisors, advanced global industrial systems and public availability of the first examples of autonomous vehicles. Companies will invest in smart machines. These machines will enhance consumer forces in the face of the first wave of advance purchases by businesses.

Global 3D printer sales were expected to increase 75 percent in 2014; sales will double in 2015. 3D printing is an efficient means that will reduce costs on prototypes.

Today, it is not just computers and mobile devices connected to networks. There are a variety of other devices such as cars, televisions. We are entering the era of digitization of the most important active ingredients and services. The Internet of Things will play a fundamental role in this period.

Referencing cloud computing, hybrid cloud, and IT as a service provider represent technologies to work on. Personal and external private clouds are coming together, driving an increase in cloud service corridors (CSB). The management of aggregations, the integration and customization of services would be important.

About cloud architecture, cloud computing models are changing. The demands of mobile users are driving an increase in compute server and storage capacity. The personal cloud will change from devices to services. Users can take advantage of multiple devices, including PCs, but not based on a specific device.

Finally, it should be noted that Business Intelligence has been classified as one of the technologies where a major change is required. BI technology will create value in large companies; Reporting and data mining tools will be more sophisticated. In a tough economy, business intelligence managers must justify business decisions with specific numbers.

We conclude that the Internet of Things, 3D printing, technologies associated with the management of mobile devices and Cloud Service Brokers are some of the technological bets that will finally explode next year. They will have a huge impact and will spread to most organizations in the next three years.

The early adoption of technologies represents a competitive advantage for companies, so knowing the trends in the coming years, even though we live in a changing world, will help you make the best decisions and provide the best solutions that can stand out above our competitors.