What are the most pressing issues facing your business as we head into 2014? What technology problem(s) is your company facing that you plan to address in the coming year? I’m curious–feel free to share in the comments.

That being said, working in the IT industry, we see many of the most pressing issues facing companies on a daily basis. Over the past year, I’ve seen certain problems mentioned time and time again. For example, going into 2014, many companies are currently dealing with issues like these:

• Mobile: From what we’ve seen, many companies are still trying to figure out how they can best take advantage of mobile apps. They’re trying to determine which approach works best for their needs.
• Data accessibility: Another common issue, many companies still can’t easily access the data stored in their database. They need better reporting and BI tools that makes their data more accessible to even end users.
• Legacy applications: An all-too-common issue, many companies are stuck to outdated applications and systems. They’re looking for ways to modernize their legacy applications, or breathe new life into their existing systems.

If your company is dealing with any of those issues, or plans on addressing them in 2014, I’d like to help. I’ve compiled some of our most popular white papers and guides that relate to the common issues mentioned above, and outlined them below. Here are 6 free white papers and guides that might help you address your company’s pressing issues as you head into 2014. I hope you find them useful:

Native mobile apps: The wrong choice for business?
Native mobile applications are popular among consumers, but how do their advantages translate to the business world? Not as well as you might think.

If you’re considering mobile apps for your business, you’ll want to read this white paper. It explores each mobile app option, and explains why businesses should think twice before taking the native approach.

Crash course in modernization
Many companies approach legacy application modernization from the wrong angle. They aim for modern-looking applications rather than truly modern applications.

Of course, when dealing with modern underlying architecture, this approach works just fine. However, that’s rarely the case. Legacy applications in need of modernization are typically built on at least 10 – 15 year old (or older) architecture.

The problem this creates: Much has changed in that time. Programming methods have changed. Databases have changed. Application structures have changed. That’s just the beginning.

With all of these changes, you can’t simply build a new interface on top of old architecture and expect it to fit your needs. These changes require a fundamental shift in application architecture and development as a whole.

If your company needs to modernize your aging applications, this paper is for you. It will help you better understand modernization and explain which modernization method is best for your company.

21 ways m-Power will improve your enterprise systems
Many companies face the same issue: They’re stuck to an outdated enterprise system (like an ERP). The reasons vary. It could be the

• high cost to upgrade,
• the high-degree to which they’ve customized the package,
• the risk involved in switching ERP systems, or
• the fact that their application vendor is out of business.

But the problem remains. These companies are locked into their current software. Meanwhile the world is changing at an ever increasing rate. Their applications are looking and feeling dated, and the company is falling behind their competition.

If your company is in this boat, this guide is for you. It outlines m-Power’s unique approach to enterprise system integration, and explains what types of modern features it lets you add to your existing system.

m-Power: The Modern CIO’s Trump Card
The expectations placed on the modern CIO are at an all time-high. CEOs and business executives now demand more business value from the IT department. Tech-savvy end users now bring personal devices and consumer applications into the workplace. All the while, technology continually evolves at a quickening pace.

This paper explains how m-Power can solve many of these current challenges facing the modern CIO. With m-Power, current CIOs can:

• Deliver solutions quickly
• Improve existing systems
• Give end users self-service options
• Address the BYOD trend
• Future-proof their architecture
• Bridge the skills gap
• Adapt to a mobile world
• Break out of the 80/20 spending trap

And that’s just the beginning. How can the modern CIO address every issue listed above, while maintaining their company’s existing technology? Here’s one option: More and more CIOs are opting for development platforms, which help them solve each of the issues listed above. If you’d like to learn how, this paper explains everything in detail.

mrc’s 15-point Reporting Checklist
What makes for good reporting software? How do you know which option is best for your company?

While the answer to that question largely lies in your company’s needs, all enterprise-class reporting solutions must include certain essential features. In this checklist, you’ll find 15 such features that any enterprise-class reporting solution must include. For your convenience, it is broken up into three sections:

• Essential Applications
• Essential Security Features
• Essential Software Features

Essential features of a good Business Intelligence solution
Business Intelligence (BI) solutions come in all shapes and sizes. Some emphasize architecture while others tout their flashy interface. Some cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, while others cost hundreds. With all of these options, how do you separate the good from the bad?

This free BI guide will help you do just that. It outlines which essential features and capabilities make a good BI solution, and even separates each feature into 4 different categories:

• High-level features
• Security features
• Must-have applications
• Advanced features

There you go–6 free white papers and guides that will hopefully help you in the coming year. If you’d like us to create any helpful guides or papers on any other topics, please feel free to share.