What to Expect in '06
Datamation: Year-in-review and look-at-the-future lists are as much a part of the holiday season as tinsel and crowded malls. This list, from "Happy About Knowing What to Expect in 2006" author Mitchell Levy, predicts increased momentum for a number of already hot trends, including blogging, instant messaging, offshoring and VoIP. An increase in offshoring will make the project manager one of the most mission-critical jobs in IT, Levy says. Experienced workers in general will become harder to find, as baby boomers begin to retire, he predicts the workforce will be 10 million shy of the skilled employees it needs within a decade. Perhaps Levy's most interesting point is that there will be no "next big thing." Rather, he says, "The next big thing is something we already have, but it will be utilized more effectively."
