The iPad might be capturing the media's attention, but this year's key trends in the enterprise computing environment will be a three-way battle between Microsoft, Google and an army of cloud service providers. What may prove to be one of the most promising enterprise technologies this year is a little surprising considering that the last version of Microsoft Windows, namely Vista, was such a disappointment when it launched three years ago.

Cloud computing promises to revolutionize enterprise computing. It allows any IT resources to be consumed as a utility, from simple applications to a complete server infrastructure, and be delivered to users as on-demand services over a network. While early services focused on smaller businesses, network operators are aiming to bridge the gap between enterprise-grade managed services and cloud computing.

It is amazing to think that Google celebrated its tenth birthday last year. The company's importance on the Internet has risen to the point where it is now a verb. It captured the imagination of Web users as the scale of the Web grew and things became harder to find. Now, a Web without search is unthinkable.  But there is still plenty of work left to be done in search technology. Google's Vice President Marissa Mayer said last year that 90% of the problems surrounding search had been solved. She later clarified to explain that 90% of the work had not been done. Instead, in a variation of the Pareto Principle, 90% of the work involved in perfecting Web search technology will be done, solving the remaining 10% of the problems.

"Superfast" mobile broadband, in the shape of LTE, promises to revolutionize mobile networks, but it is unlikely to make an impact on the enterprise for a few years yet.  Imagine being able to download a customer presentation, complete with video, in a matter of seconds. What's more, you didn't need to find a WLAN hot spot to do it. Or perhaps you are looking for a property, on which to locate a new branch office. You don't have time to go and check the property, but that doesn't matter.

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Dramatic growth augmented reality
Augmented reality, which involves the overlay of graphics onto a video stream or other real-time display, has existed for more than 15 years in customized applications for industrial automation, theme parks, sports television and military displays. However, with the first augmented reality applications appearing on smartphones, ABI Research predicts that the nascent market will grow from $6 million in 2008 to more than $350 million in 2014...

SaaS on the rise
Interest in software-as-a-service (SaaS) continues to grow. Gartner estimates that worldwide revenue will have reached $7.5 billion in 2009, up 18% on the previous year, showing that the service model has benefited from the economic climate. The analyst is confident that global SaaS revenues will continue to grow to $14 billion by 2013...

Symbian on top, but for how long?
If 2009 is the year that the iPhone and Android phones dominated headlines, it was a year when Symbian operating systems continued to dominate sales in the smartphone space. According to In-Stat, Symbian will continue to lead from the front before waning in 2014 when overall smartphone sales will reach 412 million units, 350 million of which will feature accelerometers...

Marketing hit by recession; budgets still being wasted
Another sign that the economic downturn is taking its toll on the technology industry is news from IDC that 6,000 tech marketing jobs were lost in 2009. The analysts also estimate that IT vendor marketing budgets will have declined by 8.3% during
2009, the first decrease in year-on-year marketing spend since the dot-com bust of 2001-2002...

Business mobile use outpacing consumer
The consumer mobile market might be contracting in mature markets, but businesses are spending more than ever on mobile voice and data services. ABI Research forecasts that business mobile data service revenues are expected to increase 17% in 2010. Through 2014, mobile data service revenues will grow at a CAGR of 12%...

Despite the complexity and integration challenges, many companies are embracing unified communications. When projects are guided by a thoughtful plan and strong business case, obstacles can be avoided.

Anyone who's ever worked with a team of colleagues on a time-sensitive project or process knows how a missed call or unanswered emails can derail deadlines. In an age where employees use more communication tools than ever before and often work remotely, pinning down the right person, at the right time, can be a real challenge.

Despite downward pressure on technology budgets, ICT has a key role to play in
enabling banks to increase customer satisfaction and exploit additional revenue opportunities while managing operational risk.

The financial services sector has invested heavily in new technology during this decade. The sixth annual IT benchmarking survey of European banks conducted by Boston Consulting Group found that in 2007 (the most recent year for which figures are available) banks spent 8.8% of total revenues on technology.

3D displays are on the cusp of mainstream adoption in the office, at home and on digital signage. The good news is you may be able to ditch those plastic glasses.

Forever told that mass-market 3D display technology was coming, it seems that tomorrow is almost here. New products are being developed that will enable a lower-cost 3D experience, leading to an increased investment in order to commercialize solutions. Although much of the focus is on the consumer market, business-oriented products are also being explored by vendors as a way to grow revenue and generate experience in a less cost-sensitive environment.

The most familiar form of 3D displays use stereoscopic technology, the biggest drawback...

Faced with an economic crisis and public pressure, the auto industry is looking to new technologies to make cars greener than ever before: hydrogen fuel cells and M2M telematics are leading the way.

The automotive industry is facing significant challenges in reducing CO2 emissions from vehicles, driven by aggressive targets set by governments and industry associations. At the same time, the global recession has hit hard, with bail-outs needed in many markets, often accompanied by demands for increased investments in clean auto technology.

Online, it can be hard to separate fact from fiction: but that's just what government agencies are trying to do with public service information about swine flu, using tools like Twitter.

When the U.K. Government's swine flu website crashed within four minutes of its launch in late July 2009, its inauspicious start demonstrated how easy it is to underestimate levels of pent-up demand for information in the face of a global pandemic.