What role will IT play in your business in 2009? With a proactive approach, it will help you manage social media, professional networking, the bottom line and much more. And, of course, we can’t forget the ongoing shift to more mobile, earth-friendly solutions. Here’s a look at what to expect.

Increase in Innovation

We’re all looking for silver linings to the economic downturn, and this is certainly one. History shows that when business slows, innovation is put on the fast track. Companies will use technology internally to build competitive advantages and reduce costs, eager to protect market share and pick up new business. This internal focus will also have an external sibling – companies will look at available tech solutions that can help them work smarter and cut costs, like Unified Communications and virtualization, and move to adopt them quickly.

Getting Social

Large companies are already on the social media bandwagon, and 2009 will see more small- and medium-sized businesses joining their rank. LinkedIn and Facebook are leading the charge, with companies trying to figure out how to use them most effectively as marketing tools. The answer may lie in another 2009 trend to watch – the emergence of targeted social media channels. While online groups that share a common interest are nothing new (remember listservs?), the tools they use to communicate are. Narrow communities – students, Hispanics, women business owners, etc – will connect in new ways with Web 2.0 technology. Smart businesses will join in, building marketing and networking strategies that include social channels.

More Mobility

Our love affair with the work-from-anywhere lifestyle will continue to be fueled in 2009. The expansion of Wi-Max and robust technology like smartphones are giving us lightning-fast access to rich content in more places than ever. This year more businesses will move toward “working in the cloud”, and will also think about how mobility trends should affect their outbound communications, paying attention to how websites and email look on mobile platforms and exploring follow-me technologies like Twitter.

Green Growth

Green technologies will continue to get attention this year, shedding their “buzz word” status. Why? Because going green is often the best business decision. Reduced reliance on localized IT by shifting to cloud computing and SaaS saves money, makes work more flexible and keeps businesses focused on core competencies, rather than spending time and money troubleshooting technology. These solutions also happen to be earth-friendly, decreasing the amount of hard-to-recycle equipment that hits our landfills and requiring less energy to operate. They also support seamless telecommuting, increasing the likelihood that more people will work from home this year, reducing environmental damage from automobiles.