3 Industry Expectations for 2015

What are we likely to see when it comes to the "Internet of Things," cloud computing and careers?

• By Keith Ward
• 01/07/2015

In this issue, you'll find a group of predictions for the virtualization and cloud industry for the new year. In that spirit, I wanted to do my own predictions for what we're likely to see in 2015.

The Internet of Things (IoT) becomes a real thing. I hate the phrase, and the acronym. But what it actually is will truly take hold in the public consciousness, as well as business. Gartner Inc. recently predicted a 30 percent increase in "things," or network-connected devices, for 2015; it estimates that nearly 5 billion items will have become digitized and connected, from automobiles to vacuums to maybe my coffee cup (what I wouldn't give for a sensor that knew when my cup was empty and auto-refilled it). For IT pros and C-level execs, it also means figuring out how to build a business model around this explosion; not merely connecting the devices, but making money off of the new awareness those devices have.

The cloud stops being a new thing. The cloud is so pervasive now that it's no longer cool. It's not new, or Wow!, or anything like that. It's an accepted fact of our lives, not an add-on. IT departments no longer (for the most part) have to fight to implement cloud technology at some level, whether it be public, private or hybrid. Management has accepted it as a fact of life in 2015, so we'll see even more innovation in this area, along with lots of mergers as the field undergoes some necessary consolidation.

Jobs! Jobs! Jobs! The long, lingering economic malaise will lift, and companies, which have been wary about hiring during an uncertain time, will start to expand at a healthy rate. Many of those will be in the virtualization and cloud space, meaning it's a good time to upgrade your skills or get new ones. And if you're employed already, think about asking for a raise.