Five major technology trends will likely transform the federal government over the coming years, says market research firm Input. Driven by the need to implement cost-saving initiatives, technologies such as cloud computing, virtualization, service-oriented architecture, open-source software and geospatial technologies will be implemented on a broad scale.
The study projects the federal cloud computing market to grow from $370 million in 2009 to $1.2 billion in 2014 at a 27% compound annual growth rate (CAGR). The virtualization market, meanwhile, is poised to increase from $800 million to $1.4 billion over the next five years.
Federal government spending on open-source software is expected to grow from $290 million to $430 million, a rate of 8%, while the federal SOA market will grow from $330 million to $660 million, at a rate of 17%, and the federal market for geospatial technology is expected to increase from $860 million to $1.4 billion, at a rate of 8%.
"Nearly half of federal and IT industry professionals surveyed by Input believe these technologies will have a major impact on their technology environment despite concerns over security and up-front costs," the reports states. "[President Barack] Obama administration initiatives, along with efforts to save costs and energy, will [spur] government decision-makers to increase adoption of emerging technology projects."
