Top 10 SMB Tech Predictions for 2011

The SMB Group has published its Top 10 SMB technology predictions for 2011, with mobile computing and social media looming large for small businesses in the coming year. In a summary of its predictions, the research firm cited mobile commerce as one of the biggest changes SMBs will face:

"As big retailers and companies invest to make mobile commerce easier, more convenient and more secure, the pressure mounts for SMBs to develop mobile commerce capabilities to stay competitive," the firm reports.

1. Mobile commerce lifts off.
2. SMBs demand that vendors bring order to social media chaos.
3. App stores become a key information source and channel for SMBs.
4. The shift to cloud computing and software-as-a-service (SaaS) becomes irreversible.
5. A new cloud channel model forms.
6. The transition to the insight economy gets a bit easier.
7. Tablets add fuel to the mobile applications explosion.
8. Better, faster integration becomes a key business solution differentiator.
9. Hybrid computing requirements accelerate virtualization adoption.
10. Unified communication and collaboration suites continue to converge.

Read more in a PDF that describes each prediction in more detail.