Is it just me or is this a weird time of year? A time simultaneously filled with nostalgia and reflection paired with hopes and predictions for what’s to come. It’s the holiday equivalent of the last three months of high school where suddenly everyone gets along and wishes everyone a great summer. And you know what? I’m okay with that; in fact, I get it. We have been conditioned to turn a page this time of year to look forward to the possibilities of what we can collectively accomplish in the months to come, and to learn from our mistakes and wins over the past year.

It’s this sentiment that brings me to my last article of 2018. However, in this particular case, it’s not about predictions or refections—more so, it’s the realization that in my world, the world of IT, everything is simply going to continue to evolve, and so must we.

This past year as I look at the 40+ articles we have published, along with those in our quarterly magazine, the one theme that resonates the most is evolution. From the Internet-of-Things (IoT), to Artificial Intelligence (AI), to security, to data growth, and to new ways of doing business—all of it’s continually evolving.

For instance, take the topic of data center readiness for the new digital economy. Though the amount of data that is being created every day is in many ways both astounding and overwhelming, it’s essential to continually evolve to meet the needs of our rapidly changing data centers in 2019 and beyond.

When we talk about security, we have all learned to evolve as have the bad guys that prey on all of us daily to steal information, shut companies down, and so on. But this has been around since the dawn of time. Criminals evolve their techniques and the rest of the world learns to keep pace.

Then, of course, there is the “new cool”—AI and IoT and all things related to digital transformation. But is this really new? Or is it simply an evolution in our own technology that has been happening over time? It’s not like the internet or cloud is new—just evolving to meet the wants and desires of the world.

So, what’s the point of all this? As all of us around the world cross over into 2019, the prediction for what is to come is simple: evolution. Nothing from 2018 to 2019 is going to change so drastically that the world will skip a beat in its wake. The goals that all of us have been so diligently working towards, whether strengthening the data center for what is to come or creating new and wonderful products and services, what everyone must remember is simply to work towards bigger and better things.

My hope for everyone is that 2019 is a year that sees great successes for all. And whether that’s the completion of new projects, the launch of a new product or service, or simply continuing to meet personal and professional goals—let’s all continue to strive to evolve into the people that we all hope to be.

And with that, sing along with me, “Should Old Acquaintance be forgot, and never thought upon… something, something, something…” Those are the only lyrics that anyone really knows of Auld Lang Syne!

Happy New Year Everyone!