With the heightened focus on the global economy, it only makes sense for businesses to look for the best ways to streamline their operations and cut costs. The challenge for many is that they must do this without losing customers or interfering with their services.

“These challenging times present IT leaders with an opportunity to make technology work harder and smarter to get the job done,” said Nancy Gofus, senior vice president of global business products for Verizon (News - Alert). “We’re at a crossroads, where cost-cutting and technological innovation can actually unite to create new business capabilities in spite of the economic climate.  Verizon Business (News - Alert) stands ready to help large businesses and government agencies worldwide make the most of communications and IT to propel their enterprises forward.”

 

To help corporate and government information technology (IT) leaders identify where to spend their dollars in 2009, Verizon Business has highlighted the top10 business technology trends.

 

Enterprise 2.0

 

Web 2.0 is quickly transforming into Enterprise 2.0 with the rise of social networking tools like Facebook (News - Alert), Wikis, Mash-ups and Twitter. Yesterday’s work style is being replaced with interactive ways to communicate.

 

By eliminating the traditional barriers of walls, wires, time and distance and replacing them with social networking tools, workers will be able to connect to their customers, suppliers, vendors and employees no matter where they are located.

 

Work as Activity Versus Place

 

When gas prices were at their all time high this summer, many companies started allowing their employees to work from home instead of commuting long distances to the office. Verizon Business predicts we will see more companies implementing a teleworking option for 2009 as high-definition (HD) video conferencing gains more momentum.

 

Doing More with Less

 

In today’s tough economy, companies more than ever are trying to find ways to do more with less.  IT organizations are also looking for the right technologies, such as advanced automated speech systems, to better serve customers.  For 2009, Verizon Business says it’s all about productivity.

 

Visual Communications

 

With companies slashing travel expenses as the first step to cutting costs, video will continue to be important, as companies make the most of their IP connections to create a culture of collaboration. High-definition video will begin to pay off for extended enterprise communications between employees, customers, suppliers and partners. As high-definition video equipment becomes more affordable and interoperable, the opportunity to video-enable corporate IP network endpoints will enable companies to enhance their existing networks with less money.

 

Unified Communications (News - Alert) Integrated Into Business Processes

 

Unified communications uses Internet protocol networks to integrate various systems, media, devices and applications to help streamline business processes, accelerate decision-making, and reduce costs. With UC helping business communications strategies, companies are looking for voice telephony solutions that will help them gain greater collaboration and productivity. Verizon Business predicts that UC integrated into automated business processes, will be next. This means that human and machine intelligence with work together in an IP world to further drive business growth.

 

Ready, Set Go IPv6

 

The number of IP-addressable devices and systems is soaring within enterprises and not very many organizations have current documented data on what those IP assets are, how they are being used and which ones are most important to their operations. This will help IT leaders to prioritize the data and applications that will need to be future-proofed with IPv6 capabilities while replacing those that are idle or no longer productive for operations. IPv6 will be required for companies looking to achieve mobility and scalability with increased efficiency and growth. 

 

Getting SaaSy

 

Software-as-a-Service (SaaS (News - Alert)) will help keep IT resources (connectivity, server and storage) in check and will help eliminate the need, time and effort to outfit every desktop.

Centralization will keep IT departments ahead in 2009.   

 

360 Security

 

Whether at home or on-the-go, security needs to be an important aspect of any business. With the rise of mobility, users will also see a rise in spam messages. A company’s security should cover every endpoint, every device and every situation, both physical and logical. Home and office need the same amount of protection as boundaries continue to be unclear.

 

Eco-Responsibility as Sound Business Strategy

 

Companies will look to become more “green” as part of their overall business strategy.  Corporate social responsibility is becoming more important in how companies are seen by their employees, customers and investors.   According to “Smart 2020: Enabling the low carbon economy in the information age” published by The Climate Group, information communication technology (ICT) can cute total global carbon emissions by 15 percent by the year 2020. If companies can reduce their energy consumption, they can also cut their energy costs to gain a competitive advantage. 

 

Cutting Through the Compliance Clutter

 

Enterprises should be prepared to be forward-thinking, strategic, and innovative. Professional services and Web-based dashboards that help assess, monitor and enable controls for compliance will support companies looking to get it right. These “smart” tools will also help an organization to quickly review whether its partners, customers and suppliers, are following regulations, an important consideration in today’s connected world. 

 

“To these predictions, we will add one more: Businesses worldwide will need to be quick and nimble in the coming year. Those that leverage the benefits of technology to power their business objectives will weather the storm and become even stronger in the long run,” Gofus added.

 

“Our expert staff is trained to help companies navigate these turbulent waters and deliver a comprehensive suite of integrated, secure communications and IT solutions, including managed and professional services that enable companies to focus on their core business,” said Gofus.