In a field that is always changing with new technology, it’s important to keep on top of industry advancements. And so we present, trends in IT:
Green ITA host of trends—including rising energy costs, increasing environmental regulations, and rising stakeholder awareness—are inducing company executives to “green” their enterprises. Many are looking to the IT department for solutions—ways to more efficiently monitor computer use, restructure data for more efficient allocation of server functions, procure equipment from green suppliers, and dispose of or recycle older machines in a responsible way, such as through computer take-back initiatives. In many of these cases, the IT department can play a direct role in reducing a company’s overall CO2 emissions and, consequently, slowing climate change. At Washington Mutual, for example, CIO Deborah Horvarth’s championing of green IT helped lead the company to reduce its CO2 emissions from 24.5 metric tons to 8.6 metric tons in a single year, saving $3 million and garnering $230,000 in rebates from electric utilities.
The bottom line benefits are likely to grow once a new U.S. president takes office in 2009, when managing carbon is expected to become a bigger issue and federal mandates will likely be put in place.
VirtualizationVirtualization, which has been used since the 1960s but has become widely popular only today, helps to streamline resources by increasing the flexibility and utilization rates of computers. It does this by essentially allowing you to do more with less. Virtual machines share hardware resources so that you can run multiple operating systems and applications on a single computer.
Virtualization options for IT departments include multiplying encompassing open-source applications like Xen and Virtual Iron, Microsoft’s Virtual Server, and the venerable VMware products. Researchers at Gartner, a consulting firm targeting the IT industry, have noted that virtualization can make for a much more efficient and high-performing workplace, but “by themselves, virtualization technologies are simply enablers that help broader improvements in infrastructure.” Managing and implementing the increasingly varied virtualization that tools need can save time and money, but it requires the work of talented IT professionals.
Demand for these skills is increasing. In an interview with Computerworld, Tom Silver, senior vice president of marketing and customer support at Dice.com, cites virtualization as one of the fastest-growing areas he has seen on the job board. A word of caution: Many of the virtualization jobs cropping up require three to five years of experience, despite the fact that virtualization technologies were rare five years ago. If this rapidly developing area interests you, you’ll gain an advantage by getting work experience any way you can.
Web 2.0 and Real World WebTo IT professionals already in the game, the term “Web 2.0” is nearly passé; more current is the Real World Web philosophy. Meanwhile, many job seekers and laypeople still wonder: What exactly is Web 2.0 (never mind its successor)?
Coined in 2004 after a brainstorming session between O’Reilly Media and MediaLive International, the term “Web 2.0” is not a technology, company, or product. Instead, Web 2.0 is an evolved way of organizing information online that relies heavily on “the architecture of participation.” While the original conception of the Internet was based on a model of computer human interaction, Web 2.0 uses a model of person-toperson interaction that includes blogs, wikis, and social networking. Websites, services, and applications that draw heavily from user-generated or database-driven content qualify as Web 2.0, including well-known sites like YouTube, Wikipedia, and Facebook. By inviting all readers to contribute content (such as videos, encyclopedia entries, or content about themselves), these sites have grown quickly. Wikipedia, for example, quickly grew to overshadow Encyclopedia Britannica Online, and now is available in more than 250 languages.
As the idea ofWeb 2.0 continues to evolve, new job opportunities have emerged, many of which are very exciting to IT pros. According to Forrester Research, a technology and market research firm, there will be “strong demand” for Web 2.0 tools in the business world in 2008. While 42 percent of business enterprises surveyed claimed that adding Web 2.0 tools was not on their agenda in 2008, half of those are expected to change their mind.
Real World Web, in turn, draws heavily on Web 2.0, but is intended to support and enhance real-world activity, rather than replace it. For example, smartphone and GPS navigators have emerged as popular gadgets that utilize Real World Web, and Google’s highly anticipated Android phone is expected to expand this type of Web usage. (Geeks can check out www.code.google.com/android for details on Android.) Expect to hear this term a lot in the future, because the business of applying Web technology to everyday life is growing rapidly.
Information SecuritySophisticated and frequent cyber-attacks have private companies and governmental organizations scrambling to secure their networks and databases. A 2008 study by the Computing Technology Industry Association found that spending on security technology, training, assessments, and certification accounted for 20 percent of organizational IT spending. This represents a 15- percent increase since 2005.
No wonder, as cyber-threats continue to multiply. Worms and viruses prey on networked systems. Remote workers expose vital company data to industrial spies through holes in their less secure remote systems. “War drivers” (people who cruise around and identify businesses with insecure wireless links) access networks for free online activities.
A large part of information security is rooted in compliance—ensuring that employees are following IT protocols that keep company data safe. Firms such as Microsoft and SAP have entered the compliance field, and numerous consulting services, such as OpenPages and Paisley Consulting, offer specialized compliance solutions. In addition, many large firms have created a senior IT position, the chief compliance officer (CCO) to oversee compliance. Insiders agree that while the scope of current regulations might be vast, additional regulations will undoubtedly follow.
After years of lagging behind the private sector in technology and other resources, the U.S. government is beginning to officially recognize the need for increased IT security spending. President Bush’s proposed budget for 2009 includes $7.3 billion for cybersecurity efforts—a 9.8 percent increase from the 2008 budget and a 73 percent increase from fiscal year 2004.
While information security is by no means new, it is entering a period of “maturation,” according to Andrew Jaquith of Yankee Group, a research firm. “In a lot of ways security is becoming more boring,” Jaquith was quoted as saying in Computerworld. “But boring is good…[B]oring means you’re seeing large companies like IBM have a really rounded out security story. This is good for the mainstreaming of security.”
Rise of the Business-Savvy TechieThink you can cruise through your future IT career on genius alone? Think again. According to a 2008 analysis by Computerworld, strong business skills and communication abilities are the top-two most desired qualities in IT employees today.
The oft-romanticized notion of the solo engineer plodding through the night to create a code masterpiece, then, is more of a myth than a model. More often than not, IT workers are encouraged to work together. Certain IT development philosophies specifically emphasize teamwork, so that programmers find themselves paired side by side at the same machine. Observing one another’s work can result in better and more accurate design, testing, and code.
Even in the more traditionally individualized role of information systems administrator, strong people skills are paramount. One lone-wolf systems administrator for a book publishing company notes, “There is a disconnect between IT people and the average end user. Concepts that IT workers grasp easily are completely foreign to the average computer end user, and that disconnect sometimes manifests itself as a conflict.” By cultivating strong relationships with coworkers and taking the time to learn the business of your company, you’ll give your career a boost.
Shipping OutOutsourcing has become a stark reality in the IT field. As of March 2008, 42 percent of IT executives projected that outsourcing, which involves subcontracting foreign firms to replace domestic labor, is part of their staffing plan.
Naturally, outsourcing is good news for workers in geographic areas where skilled workers need good work— but for those given the pink slip, it’s no good at all. Yet the very practice of outsourcing also creates jobs in the IT sector, stimulating the need for innovative and progressive strategies to connect workers from continent to continent. Companies known as global IT infrastructure providers are on the rise, growing 14 percent globally and a stunning 71 percent in India. Help-desk services (including caller-profiling software to speed the efficiency of phone calls), data-center services, desktop management, mainframes, and even onsite support are these companies’ primary offerings.
Is it possible that what goes around comes around—that a few of the outsourced jobs could eventually make their way back to the U.S.? Politec, a Brazilian outsourcing provider worth $300 million, has just 50 employees in the U.S., but plans to send a total of 800 jobs into the country by 2010. Indeed, if the dollar continues to fall against other currencies, foreign firms may find it more appealing to set up operations in the U.S. Also, keep in mind that one good thing about government IT jobs—both contractual and full-time positions—is that they are less prone to outsourcing, because such jobs often require security clearance. No matter who’s outsourcing where, however, the goal is the same: finding inexpensive but highly skilled information technology workers.
