Think back just 10 years ago. Smartphones and tablets (as we know them today) didn’t even exist yet. Social media was a new concept. Mentioning the term “Big Data” would just bring you awkward stares.

My, how the times have changed.

Fast forward to today. Businesses are currently experiencing some of the most rapid technological changes since the rise of the web. Smartphone and tablet adoption have exploded. PC usage is on the decline. Cloud computing is on the rise.

With all of these changes, which areas should your IT department focus on in the next few years?

I’m curious to hear your opinions. What do you think are the biggest strategic issues facing IT departments going into next year? While I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments, I’ve created my own list of 6 issues that every IT strategy must include going into 2013:

1. Adapt to the new mobile reality

It’s time we stop referring to mobile as a trend. Let’s face it: Mobile is a reality. PC shipments just dropped by their largest margin since 2001. Meanwhile, smartphone and tablet usage continues to skyrocket.

Don’t get me wrong–the PC isn’t dead (I certainly don’t want to start that argument). The point is…mobile devices are supplementing (and even replacing) the PC for many tasks.

What does this mean for business? You can no longer control how users access your site or your applications. Maybe they’ll use one device. Maybe they’ll use all three. There’s no way to know and you can’t control it. Your IT strategy must address this new mobile reality.

2. Embrace consumerization/”Bring Your Own Device” (BYOD)

Do you remember a few years back when the RIAA tried to stop music piracy? They spent a bunch of time and money tracking down and suing alleged “pirates.” Meanwhile, Apple swooped in and capitalized on the situation. How? They gave the public a simple, legal way to download digital music…and made loads of money in the process.

I view the consumerization/BYOD trend in the same way. Companies could spend a bunch of time and money trying to stop this trend…or, they could give employees a safe, simple way to use their own devices. If you’d like to learn how, this article outlines a great way to embrace BYOD.

3. Future-proof your IT architecture/Prepare for the cloud

In the past, applications were inflexible. They were built for a single platform and database. This worked well…until your company needed to switch to a new platform or database.

Applications of the future must be flexible. They must deploy to any database or platform–on premise or in the cloud. Even if your company has no plans for cloud computing in the near future, who knows what will happen even 5 years down the road? Whatever the future holds, your business applications shouldn’t hold you back.

4. Bridge the skills gap

Business users want modern applications from their IT department. Chances are, the IT department wants to provide modern applications. But, here’s the problem: Modern applications require modern skill-sets, which many IT departments lack.

For many companies, hiring new IT professionals with modern skills is out of the question. Even if they could hire new employees, finding good IT professionals with up-to-date skills in modern areas like mobile development, cloud architecture, and web development is a tall order.

This problem is only getting worse. The distance between a typical IT department’s skills and the ever-changing “modern” skills is widening. A good IT strategy must address this growing skills gap in one of two ways: Either bring in IT professionals with modern skills, or bring modern skills to the current staff.

5. Break free from the 80/20 spending trap

As technology becomes even more important, businesses will rely on the IT department for innovation and business growth. The problem is, many IT departments are caught in an 80/20 spending trap: They spend 80% of their resources supporting/maintaining existing systems, leaving just 20% of resources for new projects.

For IT departments to provide more business value, they must break free from this spending trap. A modern IT strategy must give the IT department a way to devote more resources into projects that drive business growth.

6. Align IT with the business

Modern technology is no longer restricted to the IT department–it now permeates the entire business. Unfortunately, most IT departments can’t keep up with rising technology demands and expectations of the business users.

As mentioned in this article, this creates something of a problem. When IT can’t meet the user’s needs, they find alternative solutions. What does that mean? These days, business departments regularly bypass the IT department altogether, finding SaaS options that meet their needs.

A modern IT strategy must address this new reality. It must outline a plan that lets the IT department control the company data and systems, but also lets business users access self-service options. Without addressing this issue, the Shadow IT problem will spiral out of control.

Wrap up

Businesses are currently facing some of the most significant and rapid technological changes since the rise of the internet. IT departments must adapt to this technological evolution if they hope to provide value to the business. How so? I believe that the 6 strategic elements listed above are crucial to any innovative IT department going into 2013.

Need help?

I know…the elements listed above represent some pretty significant changes. How can any IT department expect to address every one of those issues in 2013? If your company is serious about addressing the important strategic issues listed above, you should check out m-Power. The m-Power platform adds the “how” to your IT strategy. It gives you a single answer to each and every one of the strategic elements listed above. To learn more, check out this page.