The 2009 Global Predictions for the technology industry provide an in-depth look at the emerging issues that will have an impact on the technology sector in the coming year. The Predictions are intended to kindle debate, inform possible direction, and identify potential actions for your company.

Emerging themes unveiled in this yearx92s report include the arrival of netbooks as a competing PC platform, the explosion of social media networking for both business and personal use, and the rise of smart grid technology.

Download the pdf Deloittex92s Technology Predictions for 2009:Download 2009predictions_technology.pdf

Among highlights of Deloittex92s Technology Predictions for 2009:

• Making every electron count: the rise of the SmartGrid – In 2009, electricity is expected to account for more than 16 percent of all energy used. However, the average efficiency of the worldx92s legacy electricity grids is only about 33 percent. Enter SmartGrid technologies. SmartGrid companies add computer intelligence and networking to existing electrical grids, yielding a consumption savings of up to 30 percent. SmartGrid solutions providers enjoyed 50 percent revenue growth in 2008  and may generate $25 billion in revenues in 2009.
• Disrupting the PC: the rise of the Netbook – In 2009 the momentum behind netbooks should grow, with new models offering better processors and improved hard drives. Although netbooks have the potential to threaten PC and other subsectorsx92 margins, careful market development and expanded applications offer significant opportunities as well.
• Social networks in the enterprise: Facebook for the Fortune 500 – It looks as though 2009 will be the breakout year for social networks in the enterprise. Large information technology (IT) companies are planning on spending significant dollars in 2009 on social network applications and are building research centers that focus exclusively on enterprise social networking (ESN). Some major telecommunications companies are already deploying social networking solutions internally and as part of their global service offerings. Wireless carriers and original equipment manufacturers also see a strong future for ESN tools. Even governments are likely to deploy ESN, both internally and to interact with constituents. But while ESN looks like an easy way to capture value at a relatively low cost, applications are still being refined.