Business tech trends for 2013

A round up of the technologies and trends that are well placed to set the agenda in 2013.

We already know what one of 2013's key business stories will be: the launch of Office 2013 in Q1. It isn't just a facelift; it's a major revamp of the software that introduces a vastly improved user interface, more efficient workflow and cloud storage.

Office 2013 embodies several key trends that will shape 2013: it's designed for touch as well as keyboard and mouse input, enabling it to run on tablets and hybrids as well as 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s). A combination of mobility, cloud computing, social media and big data analysis, the third platform relies on cloud based services running on mobile devices.

The move to this third platform will provide security headaches for firms. It is difficult to keep company data secure as users access multiple networks, many of them public and potentially compromised, especially if users are also installing apps that might contain malware.

According to Symantec, where devices go, attackers will follow: as more firms deploy cloud and mobile technology, "the opportunities for an attack will also continue to increase; therefore, it is essential for [organisations] to adopt a defence-in-depth strategy in order to maintain their security posture".