6 technology things that WON’T happen in 2014

We’re three days into 2014 and I’ve had it up to here (waves hand over head) with 2014 predictions. Not to say we haven’t done one or two of our own (cough, cough). Rather spill more ink on one more list of what to expect, what do you say we take a different tack and list what WON’T happen in technology in the new year?

1. Google Glass won’t become cool or ubiquitous. Despite Robert Scoble’s proof that they can survive the shower, Google Glass will be too expensive and there will be too few apps to make the investment seem worthwhile. Even at the projected price of $500, a steep drop from the $1500 shelled out by early adopters, Google Glass will remain a curiosity more likely to inspire other wearables than sell well.

2. Our houses won’t become all that intelligent…or connected. We all know deep down in places we don’t talk about at parties (A Few Good Men reference) that tech loves to hype a trend, even after years without results. The unavoidable fact remains that there’s no single standard that would give a home a central brain. It’s a great idea that’s been around a while, but, as CNN reports, is a pipe dream.

3. ERP’s won’t die…yet. Despite Avon’s $125 million write off of their SAP rollout, Big ERP will continue to be rolled out, upgraded and maintained across enterprises the world over. As Mike Hart explains, the majority of ERP revenue comes from maintenance and there are essentially no startups (thus real innovation) in the space. Acquisition is the fate of most ERP products, and Oracle had cornered the market on buying up old ERP’s and keeping them alive. ERP’s have become the products everyone loves to hate, but they just won’t die.

4. While on the software topic, enterprise software won’t go away. Sure, it will be offered in the Cloud and the licensing models will have to change, but by and large it will continue to be an on-premise affair. Keep in mind that all of that Cloud ‘stuff’ needs to be provisioned from somewhere, which means the on-premise model lives, just more in a consolidated and shared fashion.

5. Apple’s iOS won’t lose to Android. Despite the media hype to the contrary, the consuming public doesn’t want an open platform that lets them do far more with their device. Consumers want simplicity and focus. Look no further than the reason the app rose so quickly in the first place… And don’t bother me with, “The developing world won’t pay for Apple.” They will if it provides a better, more reliable experience.

6. Television won’t lose to the cord-cutting Internet crowd. While Netflix and Amazon Prime are examples of a new marketplace, two players isn’t enough to generate the innovation that will finally kill off the television programming/advertising model. Besides, there are still enough TV zombies out there, drooling on their remote controls, to keep the old ways alive.

If you’re invested in any of these things happening, I’m sorry, but you’re up for a disappointment. 2014 will be a steady year where we continue to build on the power of data and analytics, automation and faster and better decision-making.