As chief information officers put the finishing touches on their departments’ annual budget plans, they should take a little time to double check that they are preparing their operations for all that the new year is going to throw at them.All experienced IT professionals know well that their field is constantly subject to change. With each new advancement made, they have to be able to cope with solutions phasing out, as others gain momentum. This coming year is no exception, and CIOs have to prepare themselves to go with the flow of the changing tech tides.ComputerWeekly addressed some prime examples of this need to be malleable and make modifications to IT functions. If CIOs have not taken these factors into consideration, then they should try to account for these changes before they put their final stamps of approval on their yearly game plans.Ensuring OS supportOne of the first obstacles that some IT departments are expected to encounter is with their Windows operating system support. If companies rely on Windows XP for all of their functions, then they are going to have to prepare to adopt different programs at the start of the year to avoid incurring extensive OS costs..Come April 2014, Microsoft intends to cease providing support for its XP systems. This means that there will no longer be any updates made, nor will there be any new programs released for Windows XP. If CIOs employing this OS don’t make a switch to another system, then they subject their companies to a whole slew of risks.Perhaps the biggest concern on IT executives’ plate is that they would be making their businesses’ confidential information susceptible to security breaches. Without constant maintenance and support of their XP systems’ data defense programs, cyberthieves could have it easy when it comes to getting their hands on companies’ unprotected files.For this reason, CIOs should save themselves trouble by adopting a new operating system altogether. This should be done well before Microsoft’s spring deadline, ensuring that IT departments have their programs up and running prior to XP’s end. By doing so, professionals will prevent last minute scrambling and crises as they work to transfer all of their data and functions to a supported OS.This is not the only prominent technology phase-out that CIOs should anticipate and look to circumvent. As more IT executives incorporate mobile tools into their businesses’ repertoires, they should think long and hard about the OS in which they are investing in to ensure they’re not putting all of their tech eggs in one faulty basket.Make smart moves in terms of mobilityAccording to Forbes, companies may want to make a safe investment in mobile solutions by buying into Apple. The source explained that this powerhouse is expected to grow stronger over the course of the coming year, particularly in light of the BlackBerry’s iffy fate.In the last quarter alone, BlackBerry lost $965 million in revenue. Additionally, it has been cutting back its workforce, expecting the total labor reduction to be 40 percent as 2013 comes to an end.If the company continues on this path, there is no knowing where it will lead IT departments depending on its mobile functions. For that reason, CIOs hoping to integrate more mobility into their operations should try to make a more secure wager.As BlackBerry performance flounders, Apple’s proceeds forward at a strong pace. Forbes predicted that Apple may fill the void in the mobile market created by BlackBerry’s shortfalls. Bearing this in mind, IT executives may want to implement the secure and BYOD-ready mobile tools offered by Apple in 2014, which could be a better bet in terms of their mobile initiatives.Not to mention, Apple has been pulling out all the stop when it comes to trying to please their corporate clients. The tech company has been developing more of its programs with enterprises in mind. This means that they have kicked its mobile security measures into overdrive, in addition to giving users more control over managing their devices and applications. If CIOs have decided to tighten their budgets this year, then Apple could be even more appealing, as the costs associated with its mobile OS programs are price-efficient.