As we bring in the new year many experts will weigh in with predictions about what will come in 2020. Here is are our list of the biggest changes we expect to see in the coming year.

The Growth of Hybrid networking and Cloud adoption

We believe more organizations will adopt hybrid networking solutions as the ever increasing demand for more bandwidth continues to drive change. Hybrid networking is deploying both private and cloud based solutions. For example where bandwidth is cheap and plentiful companies will continue to invest in private MPLS and MOE networks. However in locations that are where private bandwidth is too expensive we expect to see more SD WAN deployments over broadband connectivity. The combination of both private and public creates that hybrid model and makes sense for the majority of businesses. Likewise we expect certain applications to be kept on private servers where others will be served by cloud based providers. Security is the number one concern among businesses so we expect to continue to see private networks and private servers in customer data centers for years to come.

AI and a new wave of Ransomware

There is more and more discussion in tech circles today about AI than ever before and it seems to be a technology that is growing at an amazing rate. AI in cybersecurity is a double edged sword. While its great to have AI proactively identifying and destroying threats it is also being used by hackers to to create smarter and more strategic attacks.

One of those attacks that will continue to gain momentum is Ransomware. Ransomware was already a major threat in 2019 but it will become more dangerous in the coming year. However we also believe with new cloud based security tools businesses can be better protected. With more companies moving to Office 365 and other cloud based products companies are able to leverage economies of scale to gain access to tools that they couldn't afford in the past.

Multi-Factor Authentication

A single username and password is no longer strong enough to keep hackers at bay. By using 2 or more factors to verify a person's identity and grant access to software and systems is more secure and will be more widely adopted. An example of this type of added security that banks have been using for years is an ATM machine. The ATM requires the combination of both a card and a pin# in order for any transaction to be allowed. Any easy way to employ a 2 factor authentication is sending a Pin# to a cell phone. We all carry cell phones all the time so using them for a second authentication point is simple and effective.

Cloud Based Communications

The benefits of moving away from a centralized traditional phone system have been touted for years but the abundance of cheap fiber and high speed bandwidth along with the drop in pricing among VoIP providers we expect to see more and more companies migrating to a cloud based hosted VoIP system. Its much easier to connect multiple offices and manage remotely. Collaboration tools inherent in VoIP solutions is also a powerful productivity tool that companies will benefit from. In addition to these functions the added flexibility of a hosted system gives companies more control over changes in their workforce, easier ability to support remote workers and the added ability to support video without hassle or expensive hardware.

What are your predictions for 2020 in the IT world? We would love hear what you foresee coming in the twelve months!