10 disruptive technologies for the next five years

Technology analyst Gartner have come up with a list of the 10 technologies it believes are most likely to change the way business is done between 2008 and 2012.

High up the list are web 2.0 phenomena such as social networks and mash-ups – creative mixtures of online content from a variety of public sources – which Gartner predicts will change internal and external business communications.

Gartner fellow David Cearley says businesses that harness social networks will have an information edge over competitors.

“Social software provides a platform that encourages participation and feedback from employees and customers alike,” Cearley says. “The added value for businesses is being able to collect this feedback into a single point that reflects collective attitudes, which can help shape a business strategy.”

Cearley argues the emergence of disruptive new technologies will change the role of the chief information officer from system management to someone who can think creatively about the business opportunities technology can present.

“The CIO then needs to act as a conduit from the business to the technology. He or she needs to see how it might be possible to use these technologies to solve a problem the business has identified,” Cearley says.

Gartner’s top 10 disruptive technologies 2008-2012:

1. Multicore and hybrid processors.
2. Virtualisation and fabric computing.
3. Social networks and social software.
4. Cloud computing and cloud/web platforms.
5. Web mashups.
6. User interface.
7. Ubiquitous computing.
8. Contextual computing.
9. Augmented reality.
10. Semantics.

Read more about web 2.0