Plus, What Will Become Obsolete
In the world of IT, nothing stays the same—even from one day to the next. So now that we are in the year 2021, which marks the 21st year of the 21st century, What does that mean for your business? In this article, we’ll talk about the changes that you can expect in the coming year—and what you can expect in the future of IT.
The Future of IT Is Now
Some of the future IT expectations are already happening now—and are expected to grow within the next 10 years. In fact, some experts predict that cloud storage for businesses will increase as much as 98% through the year 2030, to nearly 100% storage of sensitive information in the cloud.
In addition, more SaaS (Software as a Service) software will lean toward subscription service models versus one-off purchases. That means more companies will be tied into annual subscriptions for a specific number of license users (e.g., Adobe products). In addition, some services such as QuickBooks may go to entirely virtual versions and do away with desktop options.
The biggest problem facing IT in the future is also already happening now—and it’s only predicted to get worse. Traditionally, we think of the outside enemy when it comes to computer and online security. It’s true that we do need ongoing and ever-increasing protection from external threats, such as phishing, viruses, bots, and more. However, the biggest threat often comes from within.
The Biggest Problems
According to a recent Forbes magazine article, the biggest threat to business online security remains the threat from within—your own employees: In a survey of U.S. hospitals, “…in many cases IT didn’t even rescind authentication privileges of employees fired for as long as six months.”
In addition, even the most well-intentioned people have clicked on a bad email (thus, introducing a virus into their company network), left a laptop in a taxi or on a bus, or have been unaware of someone watching over their shoulder.
And of course, the bad actors who create Ransomware and Malware are only going to get more sophisticated in their attacks. Most solutions used in corporate environments are still using protection strategies from the 1990s. To depend on just an antivirus solution on your desktop or a firewall is going to open companies to further attacks. Solutions that incorporate synchronized security will become the standard and ones that we are currently recommending to our clients. If your company is still using this as your main defense, we highly recommend you set up a consultation with your technology provider or us to discuss a strategic change.
Upcoming Technology Changes
Microsoft Azure vs. Amazon Web Services (AWS) – When it comes to public IaaS (Infrastructure as a Service) and PaaS (Platform as a Service), Mircosoft Azure and Amazon AWS are both leaders in the space. Both have their advantages and disadvantages for business use, including pricing, reliability, and features. If you would like a more detailed comparison, this blog article AWS vs Azure goes into more detail or we suggest talking with your trusted IT provider in order to determine the best move for your company.
WiFi 6 – Wi-Fi 6 also known as “AX WiFi” or “802.11ax WiFi” is the next generation in WiFi capability. Wi-Fi 6 allows both businesses and service providers to support new and emerging applications on the same wireless LAN (WLAN) infrastructure. In addition, WiFi 6 offers the following benefits.
- More devices able to access the device without slowing the network down
- More predictable performance for 4K or 8K video, HD apps, all-wireless offices, and internet access
- Higher grade of service to older applications
So, the future of IT will lend to more businesses adopting WiFi as a go-to office feature. We would advise you, If you are looking to purchase new equipment or upgrade your WiFi network, it would be wise to see if the equipment is already WiFi 6 ready or if it mentions it will be able to be upgraded to WiFi 6 in the near future. WiFi 6 routers and wireless access points are starting to be sold as well as wireless devices with WiFi 6 built-in, but since this is a newer technology, the pricing is still higher and it hasn’t gained traction yet with mainstream buyers. Expect to see manufacturers of smart devices (TVs, tablets, phones, etc.) incorporate it as a “basic” configuration which will, in turn, cause more people to pursue it. Once you start seeing it as part of home routers such as Netgear Nighthawks, you know it is officially in the mainstream.
EDIT: Well, speak of the mainstream. They’re not Netgear, but their close: Linksys Router AX1800 Max Router (and just for the record, we don’t endorse these (especially for a business), it’s just an example of what we said was coming, and look, here it is…
What Will Become Obsolete?
Got wires? You can count on wired technology, including cords and chargers—even flash drives, disappearing in the near future. Most everything will function through either Bluetooth or wireless technology, thus depending on WiFi technology—as well as technology yet to be created. Here are some other items you will see disappear:
- Wired technology
- Large, single-use servers (SuS)
- Non-cloud-reporting hardware
- Microsoft Server 2012/EOL (End Of Life) 1/10/2023
- Windows 10 /EOL 10/14/2025
Cloud backup and storage will also become the standard for data retrieval. No more losing all of your data when your computer crashes. It’s all saved up in the cloud. So, simply grab another device to log in and access all of your information in a snap. In addition, you can expect Microsoft Office and Windows versions to continually upgrade with a new “version” every 6 months, thus moving older versions into obsoletion quicker.
Are You Ready for the Future of IT?
Call Trinity Solutions TODAY to discuss your environment and for a FREE Network Assessment.
We’ll help you stay current with 21st-century technology, software, and state-of-the-art cybersecurity solutions.