Cloud computing and mobile devices remain ever-present in Gartner top ten technology predictions.
Analyst firm Gartner has 
issued its top ten technology trends in Channel Info, with cloud computing and mobile devices remaining predicted areas of growth and change for the technology industry.
Noting that “by 2013, mobile phones will overtake PCs as the most common web access device worldwide and by 2015 over 80 percent of the handsets sold in mature markets will be smartphones”, the current trend of smart device proliferation looks set to continue despite businesses failing to capitalise on mobile technology across the UK and Europe.
The personal cloud also featured prominently, “gradually replac[ing] the PC as the location where individuals keep their personal content” and has been a persistent area of focus as both a threat to the print industry as well as an area of potential growth.
Smart devices and cloud computing – as part of the mobile market and individually – have each been attributed to the decline of the industry, to the celebration of some, and the spectre of the printer-less office looms ever closer.
However others in the aftermarket remain upbeat regardless of technology trends, with Cartridge Express’ Michael Harrison confident that the aftermarket will weather the latest changes and the demand for hardcopy photos and documents will remain high.