The calendar may have changed, but IT professionals are working in the same technology categories as in previous years: BYOD, cloud, mobility, and, of course, security.

More providers will offer midsized-friendly cloud options across a broader spectrum of services, freeing up IT to focus on more business-critical services, such as customization, mobile applications, and increased corporate social adoption. Companies such as IBM, Cisco, and Microsoft have developed solutions for internal collaboration, but IT must craft the infrastructure, storage, security, and training that allow organizations to reap the fullest benefits.

Midsized organizations (those with 100-999 employees) spent 11% of their budget on hosted/cloud-based services in the first half of 2013, a Spiceworks study found (registration required). Firms with fewer than 20 employees allocated 19% of their IT spending to these services. In 2014, experts predict cloud outlays will increase among both types of companies Read more