2015 Predictions That Will Transform IT & Business

For years, we've constantly referenced the phrase "consumerization of IT." That's because—with the emergence of the cloud, mobile devices and bring-your-own-device (BYOD) policies—many decisions about technology purchases have shifted from the IT organization to business departments and employees. However, tech organizations will have a greater say in IT acquisitions and deployments in 2015, according to a recently released forecast from Deloitte. The 14th edition of Deloitte's "Technology, Media & Telecommunications (TMT) Predictions" indicates that innovations related to the Internet of things (IoT), drones and 3D printing will play a lead role in the changes, as technology and business leaders will work together to determine which technologies will have the biggest business impact. "We are entering an extraordinary period where consumer technologies are finding increased adoption in the enterprise space," says Eric Openshaw, vice chairman of Deloitte LLP and the U.S. technology leader for Deloitte's technology, media and entertainment, and telecommunications industry practice in the Americas. "The amount of data we will see generated from connected devices will pave the way to measure interactions in a way not witnessed before, [and] will allow organizations to understand customer behaviors and purchase patterns in a whole new light." The following predictions are adapted from the report, including forecasts about nanosatellites and contact-free mobile payments, among other topics. Deloitte compiled its predictions based on hundreds of interviews with industry executives and commentators, as well as proprietary research programs involving tens of thousands of consumers and users worldwide.