Top 10 Strategic Technologies of 2009

Gartner, Inc. analysts today highlighted the top 10 technologies and trends that will be strategic for most organizations. The analysts presented their findings during Gartner Symposium/ITxpo, being held onOctober 16.

1. Virtualization 
   Much of the current buzz is focused on server virtualization, but virtualization in storage and client devices is also moving rapidly. 
2. Cloud Computing
   Cloud computing is a style of computing that characterizes a model in which providers deliver a variety of IT-enabled capabilities to consumers.
3. Servers — Beyond Blades
   Servers are evolving beyond the blade server stage that exists today. This evolution will simplify the provisioning of capacity to meet growing needs.
4. Web-Oriented Architectures
   The Internet is arguably the best example of an agile, interoperable and scalable service-oriented environment in existence.
5. EnterpriseMashups
   Enterprises are now investigating taking mashups from cool Web hobby to enterprise-class systems to augment their models for delivering and managing applications. 
6. Specialized Systems
   Appliances have been used to accomplish IT purposes, but only with a few classes of function have appliances prevailed. 
7. Social Software and Social Networking
   Social software includes a broad range of technologies, such as social networking, social collaboration, social media and social validation.
8. Unified Communications
   During the next five years, the number of different communications vendors with which a typical organization works with will be reduced by at least 50 percent. 
9. Business Intelligence
   Business Intelligence (BI), the top technology priority in Gartner’s 2008 CIO survey, can have a direct positive impact on a company’s business performance, dramatically improving its ability to accomplish its mission by making smarter decisions at every level of the business from corporate strategy to operational processes.
10. Green IT
    Shifting to more efficient products and approaches can allow for more equipment to fit within an energy footprint, or to fit into a previously filled center.