Four IT Predictions to Kick Off 2019

January was named for Janus, the two-faced Roman god who could look backward and forward at the same time, seeing what had passed and what was still to come. That’s an apt metaphor for the month where we review the previous year and look at what lies ahead. In hindsight, it’s easy to see the ways in which technology was unpredictable and disruptive in 2018. And by studying those disruptions, we gain clues that will allow us to make solid IT predictions for what 2019 has in store.

Arun Murthy, chief product officer and co-founder of Hortonworks, offered four of his own IT predictions for 2019 in Big Data Quarterly.

1. Edge Data Governance Will Become More Urgent

As more data is generated at the edge, Murthy believes there will be a greater need to manage, secure, and govern it. Enterprises will require global data management teams on their premises that cover the edge and the cloud. Businesses will need to capture data lineage, track data provenance, and ensure security and governance to every platform, workload, and application.

2. Data Integrity Will Emerge as a Central Issue for AI/ML

As more organizations rely on AI and machine learning, Murthy says data integrity will become critical in 2019. Trustworthy data is the only foundation on which machine learning can be built. This mindset takes the strategic view of data—that data is a business asset that must be protected and preserved just like any other asset. Protecting data integrity and value must be central to any CEO’s AI strategy.

3. The Cloud and the Edge Will Learn to Live in Harmony

Through IoT devices, more data is being created at the edge, and the cloud is becoming the go-to data collection point. Harmonizing the two will be a key step for organizations this year. Murthy says data must be accessible, no matter where it resides or where it was created. From the edge to the enterprise, a data fabric helps enterprises create uniformity and consistent control from on-premises, to multi-cloud platforms, to the edge.

4. Open-Source Architecture Adoption Will Accelerate

To prevent vendor lock-in, businesses sometimes turn to open source models—a competition trend Murthy predicts will continue to heat up in the coming year. Hortonworks, which has always been an open source advocate, demonstrates how the approach spurs business growth and innovation.

While no one can predict the future with certainty, we can—like Janus—observe the past and learn lessons for the future. The trends that began to emerge in 2018 are likely to shape 2019 and beyond, so businesses that want to put their best foot forward should start by taking a glance behind.

Read all the details of Arun Murthy’s IT predictions for 2019 in Big Data Quarterly.