Top 5 business-focused IT trends of 2011

2011 has seen a number of interesting emerging trends and innovations significantly impacting organisations.

In this whitepaper, we take a look at the Top 5 IT trends of 2011 and decipher what this means for Australian organisations.

The top 5 trends include:

• Mobile - tablets in the workforce
• Innovative adoption of cloud computing
• Emerging trend of mobile cloud
• Increased adoption of collaborative software and social media
• Use of personal devices in the work environment

Cross platform mobile applications

Android sales have surpassed those of the iPhone and as such this has caused a shift in the mobile market. Although Android devices are more widely used, research shows 75% of organisations solely support the iPhone.

It is becoming prevalent that organisations need to support multiple mobile platforms to ensure they reach their desired market. However, the development costs and time associated with developing multiple applications supported by multiple mobile platforms are proving to be a challenge for many organisations.

So what is the solution? How can organisations increase their reach through mobile applications when the dominant mobile platforms keep changing?

This whitepaper suggests cross platform mobile applications as the solution.

Ensuring projects stay within budget

With almost 70% of all software development projects running substantially over budget, organisations have come to understand the importance of controlling and managing projects.

Too often, organisations fail to dedicate adequate resources and the right level of control to allow projects to stay on course, consequently risking the project running out of budget.

This whitepaper outlines the critcial steps organisations need to take to ensure projects stay within budget.

Migrating to the cloud: 3 main approaches

Cloud computing is well and truly upon us. Most organisations have at least investigated the option of migrating their applications to the cloud, with many already taking advantage of the benefits associated with cloud computing.

So if your organisation hasn't made the move yet, what are your options?

There are 3 main approaches when migrating to the cloud: Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Software as a Service (SaaS).

This whitepaper looks at these approaches in detail and provides the benefits and disadvantages of each.

Web application or website: what's the difference?

With the continued rise of the online space, organisations are exploiting the medium to extend their customer reach.

Increasingly, organisations are offering additional products and services to their current customer base as well as to new customers who would have been geographically difficult to reach prior to going online.

Many organisations have started to provide what would have previously been desktop applications via the web. These applications are known as web applications.

This whitepaper examines web applications and websites and the differences associated with the development of each approach.

Going mobile: what organisations need to consider

The mobile space has exploded in recent years. Smartphones, tablets and wireless technologies have provided a new way to communicate with clients, suppliers and employees.

No matter what industry you are in or who your clients are, most organisations have at least thought about "going mobile". Early movers have already capitalised on the mobile space through mobile applications and websites.

But with an array of devices and operating systems – what do organisations need to consider?

Moving to "the cloud": 3 key aspects to consider

There is no doubt that "the cloud" is upon us. No matter where you turn, every technology company is talking about it, every organisation is thinking about it and some businesses are already profiting from it.

This whitepaper outlines the key aspects you need to consider before moving to "the cloud".

The importance of reporting: why it demands 20-40% of your budget

The amount of data organisations handle each year grows exponentially as their business expands; as does the number of users who require access to this data in the form of reports. The complexity of reports is also increasing as management at all levels demand access to up-to-the minute information on which to base business-critical decisions.

This whitepaper examines the best approach to planning for effective reporting for a custom developed system.

Part II: Why 70% of software projects fail and how you can ensure success

Part II of this popular whitepaper outlines:

• the unique reasons why off-the-shelf software projects fail and provides advice on how failure can be avoided
• the risks associated with custom built applications and highlights how to effectively minimise these risks

Part I: Why 70% of software projects fail and how you can ensure success

The software industry is littered with failed projects. No business is immune to the failure; from large multinationals to small businesses, many have experienced the effects of a failed software implementation.

This whitepaper examines the causes of failed software projects and provides advice on how to best manage symptoms to avoid failure.

This whitepaper is presented in two parts – Download Part I...

5 signs you have outgrown your Microsoft Access application

Microsoft Access is a fantastic tool for creating single-user desktop applications. However, when used as a multi-user enterprise-wide application it has many costly limitations.

This whitepaper highlights the signs that your business has outgrown a MS Access application and provides options of what you should do next.

Faster application development with up to 40% less cost

The volatility which has engulfed the global economic climate over the past year has highlighted the need for organisations to have clear visibility into their business processes in order to react quickly and decisively to those market changes which directly affect their operations.

This whitepaper outlines approches on how to slash development costs of custom built applications.