You read about it in almost every tech-related publication. Its advocates tout it as a no-brainer with its low costs, its flexibility, and its ease of use. Its detractors say it is not secure and jump on its flaws no matter how minor. It is impossible to escape it these days. It is Cloud Computing and it is here to stay.
Companies of all sizes are moving in greater numbers to the Cloud while Cloud providers continue to grow their operations to support more and more workloads. Both ends of the Cloud spectrum have big plans to hire talented people. An IDC report released in 2012 estimated a worldwide growth of 14 million Cloud-based jobs by the end of 2015. Navigating the waters of Cloud Computing jobs can be confusing as many roles have be redefined or replaced with new roles. With these Cloud Computing fundamentals, we are going to sample a few of those new roles and evaluate the redefined role of the System Administrator.
The job of a system administrator is changing in the face of Cloud Computing. As systems move to the Cloud, attention shifts from managing physical resources to managing virtual systems. Organizations will look to system administrators for leadership in architecting and rolling out Cloud environments. It can feel like a daunting task with so many Cloud vendors available. Instead of focusing on the vendors and Cloud technology, let's examine what this means for system administrators as they tackle these new initiatives.
Cloud Computing is changing the way developers build applications. Gone are the days of waiting for hardware to be provisioned and the time required to configure it. Developers in the cloud can take advantage of the speed and convenience the cloud offers. However, it does not just happen without gaining the proper knowledge. Let's look at some of the areas that cloud developers need to consider.
Whether they are small, medium, or enterprise size, businesses need help moving to the cloud, but they might not have the money in their budgets to spend on full time IT positions. Instead, they look for help to outside consultants. Whether the job requires SaaS or IaaS, an IT consultant should have strong knowledge of the top vendors. And besides the vendor, there are common qualities needed for moving systems to the cloud. Let's examine the role IT consultants can play in driving cloud adoption.
Chief Technology Officers (CTO) and Chief Information Officers (CIO) are at forefront of the cloud revolution. Companies look to their technology leadership for ways to implement their mission in a cost-effective manner. The challenge the CTOs and CIOs face is very real and can make or break their company not to mention their career. Let's examine the many ways the Cloud can be beneficial to the anybody serving as their company's CTO/CIO.
Every day, CEOs and other top executives are targeted with articles spewing the latest technology buzzwords. Lately, no word is buzzed more than “Cloud” - and with good reason. Cloud environments have changed the way many companies do business. Startups can get to market faster with a lower barrier to entry than traditional environments have generally allowed. Existing companies can execute faster and with more financial resources once they make the transition.
