FierceCIO:TechWatch's top stories of the year

Though it seems like I became editor of FierceCIO:TechWatch just yesterday, it has been over half a year now. With the last few days of 2008 now upon us, as I pen the last issue of FierceCIO:TechWatch for the year, the foremost question on everyone's mind is: What will 2009 bring?

Attempting a perfect forecast of 2009 is impossible. Still, by reflecting upon the news and happenings of 2008, we can at least chart some trends and developments that will likely come to pass in the year ahead.

For one, spam will continue to be a problem. No surprise here, though you might want to mentally prepare yourself to see spam on your cell phone too. In case you think that's all, other unwelcome traffic--in the form of giant scale DDoS attacks will probably only get worse, as well.

If 2008 is described as the year of virtualization, then 2009 could well belong to cloud computing. As Microsoft faces increasing pressure due to the unpopularity of Windows Vista, it will likely launch its cloud-based Windows Azure operating system on time.  Despite some healthy skepticism of cloud-based computing from the likes of HP, the number of strongly-backed cloud-like services already launched or in beta this year is a testament to its rapid maturation--this includes big names like EMC, Amazon's Windows beta and others. Of course, just as virtual server implementation is no guarantee of actual cost savings, moving to the clouds is not a one-size-fits all solution too.

On a more consumer-centric front, digital photo frames will be common, if Samsung's decision to create dedicated processors aimed for these devices goes as planned. In addition, the first USB 3.0 devices might just see the light of day toward the second half of 2009.  And of course, we will get to see whether U.S. firms manage to regain the tech lead in making advanced batteries.

Do check out the articles below, for some of the top stories from FierceCIO:TechWatch for 2008. As usual, feedback and suggestions are welcome. In the meantime, we'll see you again when we resume publication after the holidays, on January 6, 2009. Happy Holidays and a Happy New Year! - Paul