4. Quest for Simplicity

Although technology grows more sophisticated, users expect it to remain simple to use. The market success of delivering software as a service over the Internet is an example of the trend toward simplicity. It is also a precursor of cloud computing. By purchasing a service rather than buying software outright, a company uses up-to-date software without the complexities and costs of managing or upgrading it.

Cloud computing brings similar simplicity to the entire range of IT. Some cloud-computing platforms will be hosted externally and purchased as a service. This is appealing for smaller firms that have limited technical staffs. However, many companies, especially larger firms, are likely to opt for internal platforms, especially in industries, such as finance, with security and privacy issues.

5. Structure Out of Chaos

The Web enables fast access to an immense quantity of information, but sorting it is a challenge. The success of search technologies, such as Google, attests to the need for order and structure as information expands faster than the human mind can assimilate. Google has more than 141 million visitors per month to its search site in the U.S.

Every day huge numbers of Internet users contribute data, pictures, audio and blogs to websites around the world. Without the ability to find the data users need, fast and accurately, the Web's value as a productivity tool could begin to wane.

Cloud computing is tailor-made for bringing order out of chaos. It offers the ability to integrate widely diverse kinds of information, more computing power for handling massive amounts of data, and a simpler infrastructure to manage complexity.

As an emerging technology, cloud computing will transform over time. Its real value is its ability to respond to major business and market trends that will remain in our technology landscape for years to come.

Willy Chiu is vice president of high-performance computing at the IBM Software Group.