With 2011 drawing to a close and 2012 on our doorstep, many predictions and trends for the new year are beginning to emerge in the media and on the Internet. From consumer trends, to economic trends, everyone has something to contribute about what they think 2012 will bring. IT is no different of course, with Gartner releasing its Top 10 IT trends for 2012 last month.

And as IT continues to evolve and push new boundaries, the list is definitely exciting. From cloud computing to developments in social media and collaboration tools for business, IT in 2012 will consolidate and build on trends from 2011 and push us further forward by changing the way we work.

One such company already embracing the trends in collaboration and file sharing is tech firm Atos, which has eliminated all internal employee email communication, instead opting for online collaboration tools. The positive response from employees and the fact Atos has managed to cut down on email spam shows a more collaborative framework in our working life is not only a trend that will stick, but also one that could bring big improvements to the way we communicate and operate in teams at work.

Of course, IPM users will not be left behind in 2012 either. IPM’s compatibility with Microsoft’s collaboration tool Sharepoint means users can create websites to share content, manage documents and publish reports online. IPM’s Microsoft Dynamics CRM framework also means users can take advantage of the developments in social media tools and social CRM that Microsoft has been making this year and will continue to move forward with in 2012.

So even though social media and online collaboration started out as consumer oriented applications, all reports suggest 2012 will be the year this kind of technology will start to impact on the way we conduct business and how we communicate in our offices and project teams. And at IPM, we can’t wait to see what the year will bring.

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