In 2015, we will ditch our desktop computers thanks to the cloud, the desk phone might live on but legacy systems will die, and smartphones will become the critical element to Big Data and the Internet of Things (IoT). This is all according to Kira Makagon, Executive Vice President of Innovation at RingCentral, a provider of cloud-based phone systems for businesses.

Makagon’s predictions about emerging technologies are all part of our second annual Technology Predictions series in which industry experts share their predictions with us about the hot tech trends that they think will take center stage in 2015. We’ll be sharing all of their predictions with you over the next several days. Read on for more from Makagon.

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Prediction No. 1: Thanks to the cloud, we will ditch our desktop computers

The cloud will dramatically reduce our reliance on desktop computers and laptops. According to a recent survey (commissioned by RingCentral) by online market research firm uSamp, 36 percent of workers rely on their smartphone most often for business communication and 32 percent of them use three or more devices to communicate in the workplace. The cloud gives us access to all applications and data on remote servers in the cloud. This means we will no longer be dependent on a specific device to get work done, as the information is available anywhere at any time. I believe we will become less reliant on computers in 2015, and depend more on smartphones and tablets to complete business tasks.

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Prediction No. 2: Business communications will finally become more human-like

Instead of remaining siloed between phone calls, email messages, text messages, etc., business communications will evolve to unified interaction where natural human communication is replicated. Instead of forcing an adjustment of communication habits to fit on-premises platforms, unified communications will allow for smoother communication processes. Modes of workplace communication will becoming increasingly more connected.

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Prediction No. 3: The desk phone will live on but legacy systems will die

According to a December 2014 survey (commissioned by RingCentral) by uSamp, 81 percent of workers still use their desk phone, which proves that it is here to stay—at least for a while. Cloud communications and voice over IP (VoIP) will replace larger, legacy on-premises PBX systems as they prove more agile and cost-effective. But 2015 won’t be the year the desk phone dies.

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Prediction No. 4: Smartphones will become the critical element to Big Data and the IoT

Smartphones will become the critical element to leverage an immense amount of data from the IoT movement. Executives, engineers, workers and consumers will rely on smartphones for their apps, markets and functionality. Across healthcare, enterprise business, automotive and nearly every other industry, smartphone functionality will determine what we do with massive amounts of data in 2015. The smartphone will be what gives us access to leveraging the data that comes from our smart houses, cars and other devices.

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Prediction No. 5: There will be a greater fight for security

As legacy systems continue to be compromised (like those of The Home Depot, Target Corporation and JPMorgan Chase & Co. were in 2014), there will be a greater focus in security, especially for vendor relations. Businesses will need to ensure all elements of their infrastructure—from unified communications to storage to security—are delivered as a service.

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2015 Technology Predictions graphic courtesy of SiliconANGLE