6 Government IT Trends to Watch in 2015

Everyone makes predictions this time of year. Now it’s your turn. The top trends government IT professionals are watching in 2015:

1. Network overhauls. Nearly half of Federal IT specialists say their IT infrastructure must change by the end of 2015 as a result of cyber security, data center consolidation, cloud initiatives, increased mobility, and big data. That’s double the rate of state and local agencies.¹
2. Technology adoption. The percentage of Federal agencies deploying these Big Five technologies by 2015:²
   • Security: 99%
   • Data center consolidation: 90%
   • Mobility: 92%
   • Big data: 78%
   • Cloud: 76%
3. Increased complexity. Feds cited increasing complexity as one of their top three network management challenges just six months ago.³
4. Top apps in the cloud. Which applications are headed to the cloud first in 2015 and beyond? CRM systems are priority one, followed by logistics and HR/personnel, procurement, and unified messaging.⁴
5. More cloud. As of this fall, 29% of Feds had plans to deploy cloud gateways in 2015.⁵ Not quite half of Feds say their agencies met the June 5, 2014 FedRAMP certification deadline. But respondents tell us that number should reach two-thirds by the end of 2015.⁶
6. Progress in 2016. Where do state and local agencies see themselves on the Big Five by the end of 2016?⁷ Here’s what they tell us:
   • Security: 98% deployed
   • Data center consolidation: 88% deployed
   • Mobility: 84% deployed
   • Cloud: 67% deployed
   • Big data: 65% deployed

Did they call it right? Stay tuned. The only guarantee is that change is constant.

References:

1. The Net of Federal Networks: Will you Survive the Big Five? September 2013
2. ibid
3. The Federal Simplicity Report July 2014
4. Cloud Confusion: Is Private Cloud Holding Feds Back? July 2014
5. Cloud Control: Moving to the Comfort Zone September 2014
6. ibid
7. Brocade’s Big Five in Overdrive February 2014