VAR500: Predictions For 2012
Edison, Jan 3, 2012

	VAR500 Execs Share New Year's Predictions Will 2012 be a booming year for solution providers? Will the careful planning and cultivation of new customers pay off in the new year? Ten VAR500 top execs discuss what next year might bring, both economically as well as technologically. Here are their 2012 predictions.
	Accenture: Gavin Michael, Chief Technology Innovation Officer "For 2012, we see the emergence of a trend where data services combine real-time signals from the physical world with social media, location-based context, and many other types of contextual inputs. The inputs include soaring smartphone usage, the expansion of cloud computing, booming social media participation, and the development of powerful tools for aggregating and analyzing many different forms of data. IT leaders who get it will establish themselves as strategic players by harnessing this data explosion on behalf of the business. They will engage functions such as marketing and sales, putting them in pole positions to drive new revenue."
	Axispoint: Dan DiSano, President And CEO "At Axispoint, we are positive and excited for the upcoming year, 2012. Though we believe the economy will continue its "slow growth", demand for technology solutions and IT services will remain strong. IT historically was viewed as a cost center by executive management. Today, CEOs look at IT not only for automation and efficiency gains but for innovative ways to drive revenue and growth. This paradigm shift bodes well for service providers who can help CIOs and CTOs achieve their objectives. Axispoint achieved record revenue in 2011, and we foresee high growth areas such as Mobility (DAS – distributed antenna systems and mobile
applications as customers need "pervasive" solutions) and Collaboration (Enterprise 2.0 applications, Unified Communications and Business Video which fosters communication and connections) leading to a strong 2012."
	Computer Sciences Corp.: Sam Visner, Chief Cyber-Strategist "Convergence" today (personal devices that serve our voice, data, social and media needs) will become "converged infrastructure" in 2012 (banking, business processes, email and control of machines) through services provided by a common infrastructure. If 2011 was the year of mobility, 2012 will be the year that converged infrastructures move to the edge. For cybersecurity, converged infrastructures, of which cloud is broadly representative, will be an important challenge. If we get security wrong, we jeopardize a wide range of users and their vital needs; but done right, we can bring useful security technologies and practices to more users - and to more uses - than ever before."
	Logicalis: Vince DeLuca, COO "The hybrid cloud computing model - linking an internal, premises-based private cloud with the capabilities and bandwidth of public clouds – is going to be an effective and flexible model that works for CIOs in 2012 and beyond. Companies are looking at application stratification when making decisions. Certain types of CRM, collaboration and messaging applications are seen as appropriate for public clouds, while applications with more sensitive or private information - such as those with industry or government compliance requirements - are being architected to reside within private infrastructures or application spaces that exist within the four walls of the enterprise. We can
appreciate that separation and the reasons for it. Our Logicalis Enterprise Cloud offers a shared, multi-tenancy environment that enables us to consult and build a roadmap for customers. We leverage ITSM and business processes to allow customers to take their existing private cloud infrastructure and build a blueprint that addresses application cloud awareness, connectivity, and security in building one’s hybrid cloud strategy. The successes we have already experienced in doing so tell us that a hybrid strategy will provide the varied requirements CIOs and IT pros have as they move more broadly toward cloud solutions in 2012."
	ZSL Logic: Shiv Kumar, EVP "Our continuous and increased investment in Value Added R&D and Innovation allowed us to demonstrate the TCO and ROI of Disruptive Technologies such as Cloud, Mobility, Enterprise Social Media and Big Data Business Analytics to line of business and IT executives. As Cloud, Mobility and Desktop Virtualization technologies make further headway into the businesses, our focus in bringing new products and solutions based on 'Disruptive Innovation' platforms will multiply in 2012. We see 2012 as a potential year for solution providers and enterprise IT to gear-up "growth oriented" innovation by leveraging emerging technologies through collaborating closely with customers' line of business executives."