One of the most exciting aspects of working in the technology sector is that technology is always changing. Perhaps exciting is not always the right word, since new technologies force adaptation and change in ways that are not always simple or easy.

Just as a very large ship is steered by a very small rudder, even small changes in technology can have a vast impact on our lives and our businesses. Changing winds, tidal forces and unknown horizons present challenges and opportunities that can sometimes be overcome with clever uses of technology.

As the CIO at Amadeus Consulting, I often feel like the "lookout in the crow’s nest." It is one of my many duties to provide software and technology consulting to a wide variety of businesses. This means that I need to not only need to understand the technology – be it custom database systems, business intelligence solutions, or mobile app development – but I need to understand how those will change in the future.

In custom software development, you don’t want to build a system based on technology that will be obsolete in a year or so, if you can avoid it. On the other hand, there’s a lot of risk to building on a brand new technology that is still unproven. Moreover, there are underlying market currents and financial tides that must also be considered.

In order to provide strategic technology consulting, you have to understand each individual business, how it can benefit from new technologies, and how it will be impacted by future changes. This understanding can not only benefit a company now, but also put it ahead of the curve. As such, I’d like to provide a few predictions on how things will change, or will begin to change in 2012.

Sensors Everywhere

Sensors are getting cheaper, run on very low power, and can communicate efficiently over low powered wireless networks. This will let you do some pretty cool stuff.

Tech Giants Will Learn to Walk Softly

Google still behaves as if its actions are not extremely disruptive to entire industries. Microsoft was in the same boat for a long time too, but multiple government interventions (investigations, fines and threats) forced them to behave like the giant they are. Google will learn that soon too.

Second Wave of Automation

The "first wave of automation" basically digitized paper processes and mimicked existing workflows. It was digital, but inefficient. The second wave is creating a new paradigm and optimizing the process to fully utilize the power of computers.

Speed of Creation

What does it take to turn your idea into a reality? Well, it is going to be a lot easier. From physical products to books and software, the barriers of creation are becoming a lot lower.

Security

We have many illusions of computer security, but will we see any significant improvements? I don’t think so.

Mobile Expectations (2013)

Mobile will no longer be a "feature" but rather an expectation. There are so many things that mobile apps enable you to do that people will begin to expect mobile integration into many consumer products.

The Cloud is Dead (Cloud Computing)

Well, not really, but nobody cares anymore. The cost of true cloud computing makes it practical for business uses, but the lack of affordable high speed internet limits its consumer use. We’ll see it become "hot" again in a few years once high speed internet is widely available and affordable.