What Will 2012 Bring?

“We’re at a very significant point in time,” said Justin Rattner, Intel chief technology officer. “It’s a time when technology is no longer the limiting factor. What limits us today is really our own imagination.” 

 

From big data to the “gamification” and “screenification” of everything, to security breaches in the cloud, Intel and industry leaders and technologists predict what trends will make headlines in 2012 and imagine the future of technology. 

 

Demand for Secure Computing, Connectivity Grows Exponentially  

“At Intel we view 2012 as another year of accelerated transition to intelligent connected systems. As connectivity becomes even more pervasive, intelligent systems will continue to demand more performance to bring richer experiences and become more fundamental to our daily lives.” – Ton Steenman, vice president and general manager of Intelligent Systems Group, Intel Corporation

 

“The Internet continues to be ‘it’ – with more and more ways to access it. As such, the mobile Internet will grow at a dizzying pace. Delivering great experiences from device to the cloud is the key to building a long-lasting relationship between consumers and the devices they choose to use in their daily lives. The economic uncertainty remains. Companies must do a great job of breaking through the fog. Expectations are high for Windows 8* as it will help bridge the millions of legacy apps that we all love and need, with new apps and touch experiences.” -- Doug Davis, Intel vice president, Netbook and Tablet Group, Intel Corporation

 

“As a top concern to organizations of all sizes and industries, security will be transformed across computing segments and the biggest trend in software for 2012.” -- Renée James, senior vice president and general manager, Software and Services Group, Intel Corporation

 

Creation, Screens Drive New Computing Experiences

“2012 is the year when consumers’ desire to make things goes mainstream – rather than the gamefication of things, we can talk about the ‘Etsy*-ifcation’ of things. Creating, DIY, making.” – Genevieve Bell, cultural anthropologist and director of interaction and experience research, Intel Corporation

 

“2012 will see continued ‘screenification’ of computational power. Computing isn’t just for computers anymore — it’s all about screens. We’re going to have even more form factors and choices of screens so that we get to pick how we want our computers to fit into our lives – not the other way around. We will no longer look at our smartphones, tablets, and Ultrabook™ systems as specific devices but as screens that can elegantly fit into our lives.” -- Brian David Johnson, principal engineer and futurist, Intel Corporation

 

Big Data Gets Bigger, Social and Changes Industries  

“2012 is all about data explosion — Big Data. Whether via people or machine, Intel is empowering data creation across billions of connected devices, analyzing it, storing it, moving it, communicating it, and sharing useful information from it to improve billions of people’s lives across the planet.” -- Kirk Skaugen, vice president and general manager of data center and storage group, Intel Corporation

 

 “The biggest trend for this next year is content creation and brand storytelling designed to be social -- the curation and sharing of stories.” -- Becky Brown, director of social media center of excellence, Intel Corporation

 

“The influence of social, search and community-building will be big in marketing in 2012. Clutter will be cut 50 percent, content updated in minutes instead of days and users can more easily search or browse for content.” -- Deborah Conrad, Intel Chief Marketing Officer

 

Manufacturing Technology Goes 3-D, Spurs Innovation   

“2012 will be the year of 22nm Tri-Gate transistors being introduced in various product segments, providing an unprecedented combination of improved performance and energy efficiency.” – Mark Bohr, Senior Fellow, Intel Corporation