Northdoor reveals its top IT predictions for 2012

19 December 2011

Leading IT consultancy Northdoor has today revealed its predictions for the top IT trends in the SME market for 2012, based on detailed feedback from its partners and customers, as well as the new technologies that are likely to gather momentum over the next 12 months.

Following its surge in popularity during 2011, cloud computing will continue to be one of the most influential trends to affect UK businesses, as more and more mid-market companies begin to adopt cloud-based solutions. According to Northdoor, about 50% of SMEs are already using cloud for part, if not all, of their IT services.

Northdoor also predicts a big rise in unified communications solutions that allow integrated presence, instant messaging, telephony and video conferencing for emerging and fast-growing SMEs. Collaborative working already gained a lot of attention in 2011 with Microsoft’s portals and collaboration tools, like SharePoint, but the company is expecting to see even greater interest in this area during 2012, as new products like Microsoft Lync will make business communications even more effective and immediate.

The new year will also reveal a number opportunities with mobile applications, according to Northdoor, as SMEs continue to increase their use of mobile devices. Not only will employees expect to have the same capabilities whether they are using a PC, a smartphone or a tablet, but they will increasingly want to switch between all of these devices quickly and easily. As a consequence, improving the security and integration of applications across different devices will be critical. Using mobile technologies to manage key business processes and deliver services to customers is also an untapped area for SMEs.

Jon Milward, Director of Managed and Support Services at Northdoor, comments:

“Our 2012 predictions include a number of the technologies that really took off in 2011, since we’ve only just scratched the surface when it comes to areas like cloud computing and collaborative working. Over 80% of the SMEs we have spoken to this year show strong interest in moving to the cloud, and we’re also seeing an extraordinary amount of interest from companies that want to use the very latest technology to keep their employees mobile and communicating effectively. 2012 will be a very exciting year for all of these technologies, as their ease of use, flexibility and functionality continue to build.”

About Northdoor

Northdoor provides integrated information technology solutions. Its services encompass consultancy, application development, enterprise infrastructure and IT support and managed services. Originally founded in 1989 to serve the London Market, Northdoor has extended its expertise in insurance and banking to wider sectors, such as media, retail and travel, with services now reaching over 200 businesses. Northdoor has a collaborative and high-touch customer care approach in delivering tailored solutions that help clients to achieve their business objectives.