Without a crystal ball or time machine, predicting the future is usually an uncertain exercise at best. Ask nearly any expert to describe the future of IT these days, however, and their surprisingly confident and consistent answer will almost certainly revolve around the same five technology trends: cloud computing, analytics, mobile applications, social media, and data security.

In this executive Q&A, IBM’s Marjorie Tenzer explains how those five core technology trends are combining to change the face of enterprise IT, as well as the strategic role IBM FlashSystem products play in helping businesses thrive in the era those technologies are bringing to life.