Twelve Predictions for 2012

Friday, December 23, 2011 by Larissa Fair

One thing is for certain: no matter the industry, all associations are facing a need for massive change because of the immense technological advancements in human communication. After consulting my runes, chicken bones, and tea leaves; I believe I’ve arrived at the future.

1. Organizations will work at communicating in sound bites – thinking of the critical information to get across in their mobile apps, social media outposts, podcasts, and video.
2. Activity-based apps will track user’s actions and will adjust, self-learning on their own.
3. Associations will begin demanding social sign-on for their private and public online communities.
4. Video will receive more attention as organizations try to make the most of their members’ preferred formats for data consumption.
5. Social and multimedia training for staff will become mandatory for more organizations.
6. More associations will store information in the public cloud and look for help with security questions.
7. Associations will either have an app or will investigate developing an app.
8. HTML5 will be focus by year’s end – moving into 2013.
9. More association staff will use mobile devices for work (iPads over laptops).
10. Move towards “app store” on the desktop following mobile and gaming console model.
11. The first flexible screen device will be mass produced (tablet or smartphone – not sure which)
12. The value of check-ins will be questioned and only apps that provide some type of value for checking in will survive.
13. The line between social media and online learning will continue to blur as blended learning experiences continue to gain traction.
14. The higher comfort level with SaaS programs will lead to their increased use among associations.
15. Associations will begin/continue to shift their technology staffing and structure to accommodate some of the above trends.

Associations should be planning on making some serious changes and updates to their technology. It is no longer acceptable to imagine every member is old and not using a mobile device to access your site. It is no longer acceptable to throw your youngest employee at social media (nor was it ever really acceptable to do that). The time for poor tech excuses is over for associations – now it’s time to get the work done.

Guest post by KiKi L’Italien, DelCor, part of a series of predictions for 2012.