Top 7 IT White Paper Trends You Should Know About

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Business software is big business. And for good reason. In today's Internet age, when software snafus can affect customers all over the world, the difference between applications that perform and those that don't is the difference between success and disaster.

That's why you need that other precious commodity of the Internet age: information.

You also need information you can trust.

If you were the kind of person who put blind faith in marketing collateral, you wouldn't be reading this. Your company would have been wiped off the face of the earth long ago.

What you need is an objective, thorough, well-researched analysis of the issues that matter to your IT infrastructure. That's why informed managers make an IT white paper their first stop, whether their concern is security, IT governance, ITIL, IT outsourcing, or IT strategy.

Top 7 IT White Paper Trends You Should Know About

Analysis is based on the industry's most popular IT white paper downloads.

IT White Paper Trend #7: Network Security

Network security refers to the protection of networks through the adoption of infrastructure elements and policies designed to eliminate unauthorized activity and protect data integrity.

What's driving this trend: This is the oldest story known to mankind: if you build a wall, you can count on someone busting it down. And if you run a business—especially in the Sarbanes-Oxley age—you're accountable, not only for the wall, but for the bits of rubble left behind when it comes tumbling down.

IT White Paper Trend #6: .NET

The Microsoft .NET Framework is a managed code programming model for building software applications.

What's driving this trend: I don't have to tell you what you can and can't afford. You already know that falling one step behind the competition can wipe your business off the map. That's why real-time has suddenly become an IT white paper buzzword of choice. So what's .NET (pronounced "dot net") got to do with speed? The idea behind the framework is to be able to develop applications more quickly and easily, while reducing the security threats and vulnerabilities that can slow you to a snail's pace.

IT White Paper Trend #5: OS Virtualization

Operating system (OS) virtualization refers to a method of virtualizing servers on the operating system layer, thus reducing hardware complexity, power resources, and management costs. OS-level virtualization provides the possibility of running multiple programs (or multiple distributions of the same OS) on one server.

What's driving this trend: Are you suffering from software bloat? Tired of IT software vendors yammering on about the need to trash your legacy IT systems? Wait. While your legacy applications may not run on newer hardware or operating systems, virtualization can help create a unified execution environment that brings your legacy systems back to life. On a related note, virtualization can also ease the pain of software migration.

IT White Paper Trend #4: LANs and WANs

A local area network (LAN) is a computer network covering a local area, such as an office building or a home, allowing individuals to share information. A wide area network (WAN) is a communications network that connects a group of computers together over a large geographic area.

What's driving this trend: If a tree falls in the forest, and nobody's there to see it, does it make a sound? Answer: Of course! It is one of them WAN trees, isn't it?

IT White Paper Trend #3: Network Monitoring

Network monitoring is the deployment of a system that monitors computer networks for signs of abnormal system behavior.

What's driving this trend: Contrary to the wisdom extruded by just about every piece of software marketing collateral, the pace of business is not necessarily increasing at the speed of light. However, the complexity of business operations is certainly on the rise. What this means is that one small glitch can bring your company to its knees if you don't identify it in time. Stay ahead of the game. You don't want to become a practicing expert in disaster management.

IT White Paper Trend #2: Blade Servers

Blade servers are self-contained computer servers, designed for high-density use. One of the primary advantages of blade servers consists of savings in power usage and storage space.

What's driving this trend: This is one of those rare technologies that speaks for itself. Besides savings in space and power usage, other benefits include increased efficiency with respect to cooling, management, and networking.

IT White Paper Trend #1: Corporate IT Strategy

Your corporate IT strategy dictates your approach to guiding the development of reliable infrastructures across your organization—including convenient access to information and services, improved communications, and enhanced collaboration.

What's driving this trend: Corporate IT strategy management is one trend that's here to stay, for obvious reasons. As IT becomes more critical to everyday business operations, the need to manage your corporate IT strategy becomes a binding imperative.

How to Get IT White Paper Results that Matter

Quantity does matter. As with any research you do, the best way to ensure a thorough, balanced view is to consult a wide variety of analysis and opinions from a broad spectrum of IT analysts and vendors.

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