Emerging Technologies for Distributors in 2012

We recently finished up a series of articles on Emerging Technologies in Distribution. Many of the technology solutions we covered, including cloud computing and business intelligence, also fall on the lists around the Web of top technologies for business in 2012. Many experts have said that 2011 was the year many of these technologies started to come into their own and play a bigger role in the way business was conducted.

Here are the emerging technologies we identified for distributors going into 2012:

• Cloud Computing
• Pricing Analytics & Tools
• Mobile Technology
• Business Intelligence
• E-Commerce

Consulting firm Deloitte identified in its Tech Trends 2012 report 10 emerging and disruptive technologies with an impact on business today, which they say “represent an opportunity for new business technology value and innovation.”

Among the technologies Deloitte noted as emerging: the cloud, mobility, user empowerment and social business – aka social media.

Cloud in particular seems to be a driving force for all sizes of companies to be able to adopt many of the technologies expected to drive change in business over the next couple of years. For example, many newer add-on offerings in business intelligence and strategic pricing are delivered via the Internet – or the cloud.

I like how The SMB Group put it: the “trend triumvirate” – cloud, social and mobile.

The SMB Group – a small market research firm focused on small and medium-sized businesses – recently outlined predictions for technology in 2012. The group writes that ongoing economic uncertainty may mute investment in technology in 2012 despite forecasts for growth. The organization’s research found that more small or medium-sized businesses are forecasting flat or decreased IT spending for 2012 compared with 2011. This means that tech providers have to more than ever prove the value and ROI of their solutions.

Related Resource: Cloud Computing for Distributors – Reality vs. Theory (DVD)

Cloud computing is making investment in new technologies more affordable for these businesses – avoiding big upfront investments in hardware, software and infrastructure deployment skills. (One prediction is that the cloud is becoming the “new normal.”) And for those who take advantage of the technology behind the cloud, it's possible that they will shift their focus from the hardware and software to the business process and how they can use IT for growth. As one distributor put it recently: move from a system of record to a system of engagement.

Read the rest of the group’s 10 predictions in Top 10 SMB Technology Predictions for 2012.

What do you think are the top technology trends for 2012? Comment below.