Kicking off a new year often inspires wishes for good luck and good fortune, and in business, that means budgeting, forecasting and planning.  For information technology, your business must plan for “change.” 

So, to keep you lucky in ’07, here’s my list of seven trends to monitor:

1.      It’s all about the Internet:  We thought the power of the Internet seemed boundless, but no, it might be getting crowded …look for Internet 2.0 standards and connections for better, stronger, more robust and reliable IP (Internet Protocol) traffic.  The Internet is how business communication is done, and increasingly, the way to reach to your customers.  Which brings us to…

2.      Buzz Marketing:  Some call it viral marketing, but that sounds so infectious, I much prefer Buzz – and it is a great way to use affordable technology.  Maybe by posting a video on You Tube and having people write about it on a blog…emails with links, news coverage… you start a buzz, it grows fast!  Don’t tell anyone now, but you’ll see lots more Buzz Marketing campaigns locally, nationally and globally for small and mega-size businesses in 2007 … spread the word.

3.      Integration:  Buzz marketing is actually very sophisticated, requiring planning and developing a message that works across different platforms -- video, web site, newspaper, graphics and text, music and audio -- all have to work together to support the product.  Linkages between websites, tv shows, direct mail brochures and podcasts need to be carefully planned.  Integrate technology with product, marketing and customer contact pathways.  Be ready to handle the traffic.

4.      Video:  Video is a lot more than television, and as it becomes digital, it is a lot more accessible on different platforms: like cell phones, iPods, computers.  The appearance of video in unexpected places will surge in 2007.  And while high definition is rolling out to improve the viewer experience, low definition is also very acceptable:  look for more citizen journalism, and clips on sites like Google Video  and You Tube, they’ll surge in popularity and social importance. Websites will have on-demand viewing, more corporate messages, advertising and talking heads.  The clever company will make videos entertaining, worth viewing -- they can start a buzz!   

5.      Mobility:  If IT (information technology) fits in your pocket, it’s good and will get better, cheaper, faster, and smaller!  Flash memory sticks with gigabytes of storage are now smaller than a steak fry and cheaper than a business lunch -- they eliminate the need to carry around laptops, projectors, and power supplies; a blessing to the business traveler.  Cell phones are for more than just talking – they are integrated into a unit to meet all your communications needs: phone, voice mail, internet access, email, cameras for still and video, and playback units for viewing photos, video, music, and playing games, even tracking your kids with GPS… all in the palm of your hand. 

6.      Wireless: A cute little PDA (Personal Digital Assistant) really wouldn’t be helpful if it had no service.  Be thankful that wireless networks are improving.  WiFi hotspots, often free, allow for computer Internet access, and may now be the fastest growing technology service in the world.  WiMax, which uses a radio frequency that covers greater distances, is also growing quickly.  An even more expensive option, the cell phone service called EV-DO (you don’t even need to know what it stands for!) is being more widely deployed by more carriers – imagine driving around in the car with your laptop connected to the Internet sending and receiving emails (no drivers please, back seat passengers preferable).  This stuff is happening now and will become more affordable soon.

7.      Computer Operating Systems:  Operating systems and applications are keeping up with the more sophisticated

users:  look for major product launches from the big daddy, Microsoft, with its new operating system Vista, and an upgrade to its business suite Office 2007.  Competition will continue with Apple, but applications will become more flexible between theses two major platforms. 

Be sure to plan for IT investments for your lucky 2007 – there’s a lot happening out there quickly in an increasingly competitive world of digital voice, video, and data transmissions. Make sure your business plan is flexible for this future.  Have a happy New Year!

Brenda J. Trainor is the President of Frontier Trail, Inc. a communications technology consultancy based in Monrovia, CA.  She can be reached at Trainor@FrontierTrail.com.