Businesses are moving quickly to adapt the newest technological innovations, though this has been made difficult given the number of advances and developments that have occurred over the past five years. As technological solutions are created, companies have the opportunity to roll out new applications, processes and services faster than ever before. That doesn’t mean that every solution is right for every company, but the five biggest innovations are having a large impact on modern business.
Innovation in business technology is intended to spur business developments, decrease the time to market, and increase flexibility and adaptability. The five technologies that are making this possible include: cloud computing, social integration, clean technology, mobile platforms, and business collaboration.
Cloud computing is changing the business environment and the way many companies think about delivering services and software. Social integration with tools like Facebook and Twitter and opening the doors for consumers to see what really happens in a business, and mobile solutions have freed employees from the confines of the office. Business collaboration has taken larges steps forward with technologies like hosted Microsoft Lync solutions, and “green” technologies have become economically viable options for many companies.
All these new technologies are creating an environment in which consumers are more informed, motivated and empowered than ever before, and employees are more mobile, flexible and connected. These benefits are extremely appealing to most businesses, but many companies have learned that they cannot force immediate integration.
Many attempts to implement new technological developments have ended in disaster. Changing the standard operating procedures to adopt new mobile applications will cause a shake up within the business, and not all employees will respond favorably. The same applies to new, cleaner technologies and anything else that will significantly impact the status quo. Acceptance of new business technology, in or out of the company, has depended on taking a careful approach to these new technologies.
Over the last decade, cloud computing, social integration, clean technology, mobility, and business collaboration have completely changed the way most companies do business, but, according to many business forecasts, the rate at which these technologies are adopted in the future will only continue to rise. Where once, innovation was only possible in the largest companies, some of the largest steps forward are now happening in the most unassuming places. What once required an entire office of people can now be accomplished on a single laptop computer, and business and communication systems are always looking for the next big thing.
