There was a point in time when e-mail was considered cutting-edge tech. Before that, businesses were considered tech-savvy if they had their own fax machines. Technology, though, is continually evolving. What businesses needed three years ago is nowhere near what they need now to thrive. CIO Magazine, of course, recognizes this. That’s why the magazine so emphasized the evolving nature of technology when it recently listed its top tech trends for companies. The trends that the magazine’s editors have cited will certainly change the way businesses work in 2013. If you’re a wise business owner, you’ll pay particularly close attention to them.
Hospitals and BYOD
Last year, according to CIO Magazine, the BYOD movement took hold in small businesses throughout the country. This movement, meaning bring your own device, allowed more employees to bring their laptops and tablets to their offices, hook up to a secure network and complete their tasks utilizing their own devices. The benefits? Employees work faster when they’re working on their own devices, increasing their productivity. And businesses cut costs by not having to supply desktop computers for all of their workers. This coming year, CIO Magazine predicts, even more companies will embrace BYOD. We’ll even see employees at hospitals and other highly secure businesses working on their personal iPads and laptops.
3-D Printing Continues to Soar
3-D printing has made a big effect on businesses. The capability to use a printer to produce objects with heft and depth – such as plastic machine parts – is definitely an amazing one. And CIO Magazine predicts that more businesses will see this in 2013. In fact, CIO Magazine predicts that 3-D printing will become a breakthrough technology this year for businesses.
The End of Passwords?
Passwords have always been a technological problem for businesses. A great number of their employees use their children’s names, street addresses or favorite hockey team when creating passwords. These passwords are easier for hackers to guess. When hackers guess a password, they can quickly gain access to confidential company information. But what if companies instead used biometrics to secure their computers and confidential data? That day is coming, predicts CIO. In biometrics, companies use such body parts as the iris’ of their workers’ eyes or their fingerprints as replacements for passwords. It really is a more secure option for businesses to safeguard their critical data.