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IN DEPTH: Technology

The division from ever-bigger phones to tablets and laptops is continuing to blur. “We do see a consolidation among devices coming,” says Tom Spillane, marketing director for Computer Associates.

“Salespeople won’t want to carry different devices to meet different needs. As smartphones get larger, they begin to blend with tablets—but lots of people don’t want a large smartphone that doesn’t fit in their pocket.”

Those using laptops may downsize, says Greg Renner, vice president of marketing at MiTek. “We’re anticipating that there will be a shift to tablets in the future, especially as Windows tablets grow and people familiar with the software begin to use them. They offer more versatility.”

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The demand for energy efficiency, performance, and resilience has never been higher in the home remodeling and building materials industry.

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Cloud Computing Momentum

Mobility is aided by applications that work in the cloud—but dealers remain wary. “Cloud computing is gaining interest, but this industry still wants to own its servers,” ECi’s Harkness says.

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“And cloud programs can be more expensive than servers over time. Cloud solutions will gain traction at some point, but it depends on the company’s needs and attitudes.”

Spruce’s Maiuri agrees. “There is more interest among customers in cloud- or hosted-computing. If current trends are an indication, we anticipate that cloud/hosted systems may become the deployment preference for many.”

Adds Epicor’s Rigby, “Three years ago, people were hesitant about moving to the cloud. Now, more than half of our new customers are realizing the benefits it can provide. We expect to see the number of customers utilizing cloudbased services to continue to increase within the next three years.”

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