SaaS revenue is set to increase 14 per cent this year with a total revenue of $US 8.5 billion worldwide expected.

Unsurprisingly, cloud computing tops IDCs' 2010 technology predictions after a year where it was hyped and pushed and almost bludgeoned into the mindsets of IT professionals across the industry. While coming a close second was business analytics, which from the past few years is seemingly never far from the top one or two priorities of CIOs.

Dr Giles Nelson, director of strategy at Progress Software, says 2010 is the year location-based services finally become mainstream.

Dr Giles Nelson, director of strategy at Progress Software, looks forward to innovation firmly coming back onto the agenda as the global upturn begins.