Constantly evolving technology means that IT roles are changing to reflect this increasing dependency. In 2017, it’s out with the old and in with the new as we predict a shift in the role of the IT professional.
Traditional, siloed IT roles—network administrators, storage administrators, systems administrators, database administrations, and more—are already changing.
And in 2017, we will see IT pros taking on new responsibilities, such as working with cloud service providers in hybrid environments, prioritising new technologies like containers and micro-services, and acting as IT liaisons for business leaders.
These skill sets are not only required, but in demand, so employers will want to ensure their IT teams can adapt to the changing IT environment. This involves a return to the age of education and certification.
2017 will be the year of the IT generalist
The ability to quickly learn new IT concepts and skills will soon become one of the most important attributes of an IT pro. With the workplace becoming more interconnected, the traditional structure and boundaries of IT roles are beginning to blur.
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Being an expert in one technology won’t be enough anymore. Employees who are a jack-of-all-trades, solution-focused, and can communicate the impact of technology to the organisation will see their demand grow.
More specifically, the introduction of new machine-based technologies, alongside the continued adoption of a DevOps culture, will require IT pros to focus on developing new skill sets and certifications to operate and manage next-generation data centers.
In 2017, two things will impact the role of the IT pro: the rise of the machines and an increase in the adoption of DevOps.
The rise of the machines
Just like how androids have been depicted as evolving and going rogue in sci-fi films, new machine-based technologies are going to become better and more sophisticated over time.
Next year, there will be further integration of bots and intelligence, which will automate some basic functions.
An IT pro who may have previously undertaken these processes will begin to see their responsibilities shift to managing and monitoring functions that machine-based technologies are now performing.
With organisations looking to embrace and leverage these types of technologies, IT pros will find themselves taking a more strategic role—providing advice to senior leadership on what products to invest in, who and what team should deploy and maintain them, and what monitoring and security processes will need to be applied to maximise and safeguard the investment.
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Be aware of DevOps
DevOps is here to stay, and in 2017, it will begin to permeate more of the IT sector.
For the uninitiated, DevOps is a collaborative culture and mindset geared toward software development, which takes into account the intelligence of how an application runs to help and improve how the application is built.
In 2017, it will be normal to see companies use DevOps to streamline their approach to troubleshooting, with a clear goal of improving their end-user experience. 2017 will open new doors for IT pros who are able to embrace the DevOps culture and work collaboratively across their departments.
Gone are the days when IT pros sit behind a screen. Now they are in the boardroom helping make and shape the business. By staying relevant, boning up on new skill sets, and getting certified, IT pros will be setting themselves up for success in the years to come.
Sourced by Destiny Bertucci, head geek, SolarWinds
