Are you ready to be a Mutable Business in 2018?

The Oxford English dictionary gives a very simple definition of the adjective, mutable; liable to change. So, as we enter 2018, you have to ask yourself, is my business liable to change? Given the uncertainties caused by Brexit, new technological advances, shifting patterns of consumption, changing demographics, ecological challenges and concerns, to name just a few… the answer must surely be yes.

At Bloor, our view is that you have to be mutable to even survive, never mind grow. If you are in any doubt about that, our light-hearted look (PDF) at those individuals and businesses that failed to heed the Darwinian message of evolution, and those that did, should convince you.

There are many facets to ensuring the success of a Mutable Business: cultural change, funding, technical skills availability, vision, risk appetite etc. As research director for our I.T. (Information Technology) Infrastructure practice, I am particularly interested in how I.T. infrastructure does, or does not enable the Mutable Business.

Cloud, DevOps, software-defined everything, low code and no code developments, automation, machine learning, cognitive computing and the proliferation of open APIs (Application Programming Interface) enabling new micro-services architectures, have all contributed to the sharply raised efficiency (sharply lowering the costs), flexibility and responsiveness of compute operations.

This all sounds positive and exciting, particularly if you are a well-funded, tech savvy start-up. The reality for most CIOs however, is the age-old challenge of managing legacy applications and infrastructure while trying to develop and integrate new applications, technologies and delivery models. Even when a clear picture emerges of what applications can be migrated to the Cloud and how to surround, and ultimately retire those old applications that can’t be migrated, the architectural and deployment choices are more numerous than ever, with consequences that are both potentially damaging and hugely beneficial.

In 2018 the continued growth in IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity will call forth a new understanding of location for storage and processing at the Edge. The wealth of data from these devices will put a premium on business intelligence technology and people. Global Interconnectivity over private networks developed by the major co-location and telecommunication providers, into software driven grids will enable digital global supply chains and collaborations to be set up and taken down almost at will.

During the course of the year we will highlight these new developments and trends. We will help you address the traditional ‘buy vs build’ decisions. We will identify potential ways in which you can manage the performance of this increasingly heterogeneous, mutable, hybrid-cloud based infrastructure to ensure continued survival and success… to become a genuinely Mutable Business.