CompTIA: IT Professionals Face New Challenges as Organizations Become More Digital
Information technology jobs are not as simple or easy as they used to be with ever-changing new technologies.
IT professionals are being more burdened in their job responsibilities because of technology becoming more digitized according to a recent report published by IT industry association CompTIA.
IT professionals are being forced to re-evaluate their duties and responsibilities as more diverse new technologies options emerge in organizations. CompTIA’s report also shows that new cloud computing and mobile technologies in companies are leading this change.
IT teams are discovering that the construction and organization of business systems like data storage, mobile devices and apps have become more complex.
“This is true on both the back end of the IT architecture, where applications are hosted and databases crunch numbers, and the front end, where users interact with the back end and perform day-to-day operations,” explained Seth Robinson, CompTIA’s senior director and technology analysis. “Cloud computing and mobile devices have transformed both of these aspects, with cloud changing how systems are constructed and mobile devices driving new experiences and workflows.”
Out of all the new challenges IT professionals face with modern technology, digital data and cybersecurity are considered the most problematic. In the past these areas were a very important part of IT operations, but recently their significance has amplified due to organizations embracing the new cloud and other mobile elements.
“New threats have emerged as a result of cloud and mobility, so understanding these threats is a top priority for the IT team even as traditional threats continue to be effective,” Robinson said. “It’s no simple task.”
Cloud-Driven Changes
The most notable change with IT function brought on by cloud solutions is the way that storage space is managed. Cloud solutions like databases and analytics services allow companies to create powerful plans that go farther than simply storing data.
“Backup and disaster recovery is a good example of a process that has been re-imagined, especially for companies in the SMB segment that previously had little activity in this area,” said Robinson.
Sixty-one percent of IT professionals surveyed by CompTIA stated that the most important challenge for managing back-end architecture is keeping costs low. Although several companies have found cloud to be cost-neutral, there is still an expectation among clients for a lower price.
IT professionals noted that other challenges with back-end systems involve the complexity in dealing with multiple models such as selecting the correct model. CompTIA research also shows that IT security along with data solutions and services are two areas in which a small number of SPs have well-developed skills.
“It’s time for channel partners to double-down and …
… expand their skills in security and data,” said Robinson.
The Impact of Mobility
Close to half of the companies surveyed reported having trouble with controlling the cost of front-end systems due to needing support for the expanding number of devices. Another difficulty companies reported having was creating and managing the new applications required for mobile devices as well as being able to guarantee users are correctly able to get the most out of their new devices.
“Many companies discover that the traditional desktop development experience does not perfectly translate to mobile app development,” said Robinson. “Many more find that they’re adding new development efforts were there were none in the past. IT teams feel greater pressure to deliver on workflow efficiency.”
