The shipments of app-capable, non-PC mobile devices are expected to outnumber PC shipments within the next 18 months. IDC expects about 25 billion mobile apps to be downloaded in 2011 and says over time, the still-emerging apps ecosystems may fundamentally restructure the channels for all digital content and services to consumers.

IDC marks 2011 as a year of consolidation as the major software vendors acquire social software providers to increase their social business footprint. The use of social platforms by small and medium-sized businesses is also set to accelerate, and more than 40 per cent of SMBs are expected to use social networks for promotional purposes by the year's end.

"What really distinguishes the year ahead is that these disruptive technologies are finally being integrated with each other -- cloud with mobile, mobile with social networking, social networking with 'big data' and real-time analytics," said Gens. "As a result, these once-emerging technologies can no longer be invested in, or managed, as sandbox efforts around the edges of the market. Instead, they are rapidly becoming the market itself and must be addressed accordingly."