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By Author: yvonne
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The era of the big bang, capital-intensive technology Network+ certification project is clearly over. Even if the business case can be made, companies in all sectors are no longer willing to bet the farm on technologies whose ROI is measured in years. If 2010 is remembered for anything, it will be the year that Web-based services — also known as software as a service, or SaaS — come into their own.

Web-Based Services Loom Larger
Google Apps is a highly visible example of the inevitable shift away from traditionally purchased-and-installed software toward Web-delivered, subscription-based solutions. While its feature set is still tiny compared to the market-dominant Microsoft Office, constant updates are slowly closing the gap. The introduction of solutions like Google Gears, which syncs content locally and supports offline productivity, similarly addresses some of enterprise’s most pressing performance and usability concerns.

Microsoft is already responding to this changing landscape, and it has modified its own product road map accordingly. Its upcoming Microsoft ...
... Office 2010 productivity suite will include free Web-based applications that further blur the line between conventional software and Web-based services. The notion of buying a new box of software every few years will likely be permanently retired in 2010 as comptia network budget-friendly — and easier to cost justify — subscription-based offerings gain traction.

Major paradigm shifts aren’t limited to the desktop. Increasingly powerful mobile platforms are redefining what gets done on portable devices and how companies should be considering their implementation. So-called 2G devices based on CDMA and GSM standards are giving way to faster 3G units. It’s analogous to the transition from dial-up to broadband Internet access a decade ago, and it’s driving a shift toward sophisticated applications that extend far beyond the original smart phone’s rather basic messaging, scheduling and contact management.

While many organizations are reluctant to invest in yet another new category of technology, enhanced mobility — which will only get hotter as next-generation 4G wireless starts to appear in the coming year — can, when combined with ever-growing bandwidth in the home, serve as the basis for enhanced telework possibilities. Companies looking to reduce their real estate footprint and leverage human capital regardless of geography will increasingly rely on these new classes of solutions to drive innovative ways of getting a Exams work done.For the average business, 2010 holds major promise, with technologies that do more and cost less. The challenge remains convincing recession-shocked decision makers to make the leap.