Technology, computer and Internet terms such as hard drives (expect to see them in high
definition televisions this year) and data storage never go out of style, but technology trends do come and go with
the changing tides. Terms that will make — or continue to make — headlines in the
coming year are not necessarily "brand new" technologies, but are
those technologies — such as social networking and green computing — that gained traction in 2007 as new developments move them to the forefront of hot topics for 2008.
Here are the top technology terms that we expect to be hearing more about this coming year:
Unified communications
A communications system, usually used by businesses, that encompasses a
broad range of technologies and applications that have been designed, sold
and supported as a single communications platform or as one entity. Unified
communications system generally enable companies to use integrated data,
video and voice in one supported product.
Unified communications systems typically
include the means to integrate real-time or near-real-time
messaging, collaboration and interactive systems. For example, a single user
can access a variety of communication applications such as e-mail, SMS,
video, fax, voice, and others through a single user mailbox. Additionally,
unified communications has expanded to incorporate collaboration and other
interactive systems such as scheduling, workflow, instant messaging and
voice response systems.
Unified communications also provide the integration through multiple
devices. For example, many service features, options and user accounts are
as readily available to you from your PDA, laptop or other wireless device,
as if you were using your desktop PC.
Mashup
The term mash-up refers to a breed of Web-based applications created by
hackers and programmers (typically on a volunteer basis) to mix at least two
services from disparate, and even competing, Web sites. A mash-up,
for example, could overlay traffic data from one source on the Internet over
maps from Yahoo, Microsoft, Google or any content provider. This capability to mix and match data and
applications from multiple sources into one dynamic entity is considered by
many to represent the promise of the Web service standard (also referred to
as on-demand computing).
The term mash-up comes from the hip-hop music
practice of mixing two or more songs.
Software as a Service (SaaS)
Short for Software as a Service, SaaS is a
software delivery method that provides access to software and its functions
remotely as a Web-based service. SaaS allows organizations to access
business functionality at a cost typically less than paying for licensed
applications since SaaS pricing is based on a monthly fee. Also, because the
software is hosted remotely, users don't need to invest in additional
hardware. SaaS removes the need for organizations to handle the
installation, set-up and often daily upkeep and maintenance. Software as a
Service may also be referred to as simply hosted applications or
software-on-demand.
social networking site/service
Abbreviated as SNS a
social networking site is
the phrase used to describe any Web site that enables you to create public
profiles within that Web site and form relationships with other users of the
same Web site who access their profile. "Social networking sites" can be used
to describe community-based Web sites, online discussions forums, chat rooms
and other social spaces online.
Social networking services are designed to build upon interactions to create
communities of people online, and provide the required software to do this.
People use social networking sites for a huge number of personal reasons.
Some may want an easy way to keep in touch with family and friends, some may
use it for business or job finding, others may use it for dating or just to
find like-minded individuals online.
Hyper-V
Codenamed "Viridian" but given the the formal name of Hyper-V, this
hypervisor-based Windows Server virtualization platform will be included as
part of Windows Server 2008. Hyper-V enables you to consolidate workloads
onto a single physical server using a broad range of services ranging from
resource-intensive services like Microsoft SQL Server to third-party
applications that may run on previous versions of Windows or Linux.
Web 2.0
applications
Web 2.0 describes a second generation of the World Wide
Web that is focused on the capability for people to collaborate and share
information online. Web 2.0 refers to the transition from static
HTML Web pages to a more dynamic Web that is more organized and is based on
serving Web applications to users. Other improved functionality of Web 2.0
includes open communication with an emphasis on Web-based communities of
users, and more open sharing of information. Over time Web 2.0 has been used
more as a marketing term than a computer-science-based term. Blogs, wikis,
and Web services are all seen as components of Web 2.0.
telepresence
The term used to describe a set of technologies, such as high-definition
audio, video and other interactive elements that enable people to feel or
appear as if they were present in a location which they are not physically
in. Used mainly as a collaboration tool, telepresence is used by vendors,
including Cisco to help create a more "in person" meeting experience over a
converged network. Telepresence differs from videoconferencing as it offers
face-to-face interactions between the people in the meeting through the
transmission of life-size, high-definition images and audio.
Green IT
Also called green computing, Green IT describes studying and the using
computer resources in an efficient way. Green IT starts with
manufacturers producing environmentally friendly products and encouraging IT
departments to consider more friendly options like virtualization, power
management and proper recycling habits. The government has also recently
proposed new compliance regulations that would work towards certifying data
centers as green. Some criteria includes using low-emission building
materials, recycling, using alternative energy technologies and other green
technologies.
