Although there's weeks to go until the Year of the Dragon, the new calendars have arrived and we're getting used to writing "2012" on various forms. Happy New Year to all our loyal readers!

2011 saw seismic shifts—literally—in the tech landscape. The March quake/tsunami near Japan's coast first and foremost caused tragic loss of life and property. But it also stopped factories from operating, and some of those factories were the main or sole supplier of a critical part, halting entire supply chains for Japanese companies. This was compounded when floods destroyed factories and industrial estates in Thailand—taking out (among other things) a significant portion of the world's hard-disk-drive production.

Response to these tragedies was heartening: the world came to Japan's aid, and after the Thai floods, Japanese companies (not known for bending visa-rules) allowed a number of skilled Thai workers to work at plants in Japan, providing a lifeline to Thais who had lost their jobs and whose houses were often flooded as well. I recall watching an NHK World report where a Japanese factory-floor supervisor, wearing the classic hard-hat and spotless uniform, talked excitedly about learning Thai so he could communicate with his new co-workers. And yes: the additional labor helped produce the essential parts to keep supply chains functioning and help Japan regain its balance. Sometimes tech-manufacturing can be a win-win.

Japan's technical prowess has made them a world-leader in technology for decades. But recently, their strong currency has driven even more outsourcing—especially as Asian countries develop their infrastructures and become better able to handle complex outsourcing tasks like tech-manufacture.

2011 saw Asian nations draw together as never before. Even Myanmar (the country formerly known as Burma) enacted reforms that drew visits from top-level Western diplomats—the country is scheduled to assume the rotating chairmanship of ASEAN in 2014, and wants to polish its image. Neighboring Thailand has announced plans for Special Economic Zones along its border with Myanmar, so hopefully the country will use its proximity to China and Thailand to help improve its image and economy. If Intel can build a US$1 billion manufacturing plant in Viet Nam, what might we see in Myanmar in a decade?

Enterprise-level tech in Asia, with its varying degrees of competence/infrastructure, is never boring. But as part of the "global village" spawned by the Internet, we won't be immune to the problems technology will introduce in 2012.

The perennial problem: computer security. 2011 saw more malware and online scams than any previous year. The ubiquity of social-networking sites like Facebook has made personal communication easier, but has also introduced new avenues for privacy intrusion. The worst aspect of social networks is "social engineering": complex scams aimed at gaining the trust of the victim in order to gather personal information for nefarious purposes. Another trend to watch out for (literally) in 2012 is malware for mobile platforms—Android is on the hot seat, but don't assume your iPhone is invulnerable.

As always, stay alert in the online and mobile worlds. The new year presents many possibilities, and we'll be sure to keep you posted!