Mobility is a key driver of the uptake of cloud solutions and requests for software on a subscription basis.
So says Keith Fenner, senior VP of sales for Africa at Sage ERP Africa, who suggests the uptake of solutions in the cloud, from both a consumer and enterprise point of view, and the drive towards mobility will continue to gain traction well into 2013. This prediction is supported by Gartner research, which notes that mobile devices, applications, cloud and big data will be the top technology trends for 2013.
"Devices, applications and social media are revolutionising the way we communicate and it will have far-reaching effects on the South African IT industry going forward," says Fenner.
"The sales of our solutions in the cloud have doubled in the last year, which speaks volumes," says Fenner. The uptake of cloud in the last year is also attributable to a decline in bandwidth costs, he adds. "A cloud solution can be tailored to meet the needs and pockets of the user, which makes it adaptable to suit the needs of the organisation."
According to him, demand for connectivity will continue into 2013, especially around service, sales and stock. He predicts the methods used to compile data and debug Excel formulas will become simpler.
"Clients want to know what their key performance indicators (KPIs) are at the touch of a button. With a host of cloud-enabled enterprise resource planning (ERP) and customer relationship management (CRM) solutions, you literally need an Internet connection and a laptop, tablet, PC or smartphone to review your performance," he explains.
Vendors with modern architecture have been able to adapt to the challenges associated with mobility, says Fenner. He notes, however, that some solutions do not allow for a rapid response to changing market conditions, adding this is something the industry will need to work on in 2013.
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