Earlier this year, the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) and Protect Intellectual Property Act (PIPA) rocked the Internet world as major groups like Google and Wikimedia expressed opposition. The hearing – and eventual passage or junking – of these two acts in the Senate and in the House respectively can change investor behavior as well as affect international business marketing and startup success in 2012.

On a more positive note, the year 2012 is also rife with opportunities and avenues for growth and exploration in the IT industry. Software startups can expect investor interest in tech, especially in specific fields and services. With the move to tech globalization, IT startups in digital data and records management can expect expansion in terms of business and services. Social media and cloud computing are also changing the scene for business and software strategies in established companies and startups alike. Below are the top trends and industries that can expect a boom this year.

  1.  Multimedia and Social Medi
    After Spotify went on a partnership with Facebook, the music streaming site experienced huge numbers in membership. Social media keeps on changing the way people share content they enjoy, from photos to music. Music and media startups and services have a lot of potential this year. As noted in The Telegraph, even TV viewing is open for improvement in this area through social media integration.
  2. Big Name / Celebrity Investment
    The Telegraph also mentioned a growing interest among celebrities to invest in tech. Big names who have invested in startups include Lady Gaga, Kanye West and Ashton Kutcher. Justin Timberlake took on MySpace as well.
  3. Healthcare IT
    Stephen Fleming, Georgia Tech vice president, observes that IT services for the healthcare industry will continue to expand this year. Because of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, electronic medical records (EMRs) will be in greater demand. Business and software strategies should address both patient and physician needs to compel healthcare providers, he adds.
  4. Big Data
    Cloud computing platforms and software as a service (SaaS) will also take center stage in 2012. Companies are going global and employing the Cloud for international business marketing and operations will become crucial. Big data and cloud computing can change business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-consumer (B2C) ventures, says Mike Eckert, Executive Chairman of Atlanta Technology Angels.
  5. Mobility
    The onslaught of smartphones and tablets for mass consumers has increased demand for mobile applications. This area has great potential for software startups. Mobile services can also look into marketing automation, going directly to consumers through their mobile devices. Ecommerce will also see the need for integration in payments and security, notes Spence McClelland of Noro-Moseley Partners.

 

Other notable ventures include mobile payments, automated and social media marketing strategies, targeted social networking sites and opinion mining. John Nesheim, author of High Tech Start Up, cautions software startups that this year will be a rollercoaster ride. The not-so-positive outlook on the world economy may pose challenges and keep investors and partners avoid startups. But IT landscapes are quickly changing as well, providing several roads to success for this type of enterprise.