Cloud computing has permanently altered business infra-structure and continues to evolve at a rapid pace. Nobody feels that shift more acutely than IT professionals. IT is a competitive field that requires a proactive personality and mastery of a rapidly expanding set of skills. Gone are the days of the singular IT skillset; today, the most valued IT professionals are able to handle the whole cloud stack. In order to maintain—and expand—your role in IT, you must become an indispensable part of your organization and the changing technology landscape. Start by educating yourself on how the role of the IT professional is evolving.

We asked a group of IT thought leaders exactly how the IT career path is evolving and discovered five essential skills that every IT professional should add to their toolbox.

The Five Cloud Skills

that Make or Break an

IT Career

2. UNDERSTAND BIG DATAThe cloud has disintegrated the boundaries that once limited compa-nies’ computing and data storage capabilities, making anyone who can manipulate and interpret huge amounts of data essential. An understanding of database tools like Hadoop, MongoDB, NoSQL and Cassandra is invaluable. “These technologies have changed business processes,” says markITwrite’s Butters.

Where is Big Data having the biggest impact? Seemingly everywhere. “Big Data and analytics are seeing an increasing role and impact for the entire IT organization, no matter which area of technology focus,” says Collaborative Consulting’s Featherston.

Rather than concerning themselves with physical server infrastruc-ture, IT professionals can also help their company parse data and derive powerful insights by utilizing cloud-based Big Data analytics solutions. Big Data tools can model which products or services are most likely to perform well in a given territory or guide designers in the selection of colors or styles that are most likely to be popular among users. The result? IT enables more proactive marketing and strategy that helps raise the profile of information technology in the boardroom.

“IT has now become more a part of the senior decision group”, says Steve Prentice, Senior Writer for Cloudtweaks.com. “CEOs, VPs and other top-level managers are recognizing that information technology is not merely a cog in the machine, but is an integral part of a compa-ny’s strategy and life. As such, the IT department has earned a seat at the executive table as an indispensable part of corporate planning.”

The result is a more agile enterprise. “Big Data and analytics have changed the business to a moment-by-moment situation,” Prentice notes. “Both concepts,” he says, “require constant maintenance and highly agile solutions.” The impact on your career can be dramatic; when asked which nontraditional IT skills are most important today, Vishal Kumar, CEO of analyticsweek.com said, “analytics, innovation and data-driven decision making.”

1. BECOME A SERVICE BROKERThe cloud’s role in business is becoming increasingly complex. The barrier between public and private cloud is rapidly disappearing as companies learn the value of the hybrid cloud. Organizations can now build and manage a hybrid cloud that allows them to utilize computer resources on both sides of the corporate firewall. The hybrid cloud requires an understanding of the basic models of cloud computing, including Software as a Service (SaaS), Platform as a Service (PaaS), and Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS). It also necessitates a comprehension of the balance between internal and external cloud services and how to utilize each to best serve the overall goals of your organization.

SaaS solutions for key business functions such as CRM continue to grow in popularity, while an increasing amount of IaaS deployments demand a new set of IT skills. “IT leaders now need skills in negotiating service level agreements and ensuring they are mission focused,” says Bob Gourley, editor of enterprise IT website CTOvision.com.

2 THE FIVE CLOUD SKILLS THAT MAKE OR BREAK AN I.T. CAREER

“Mobility is the greatest revolution since the creation of the computer. Changes have just begun.”

“When it comes to non-traditional IT roles, cloud brokerage is becoming very useful to both the IT worker and to organizations themselves.”

IT professionals need to be able to handle the negotiation between the public (external) and private (internal) cloud. For example, if a sales team decides that the Salesforce CRM is right for the firm, IT will need to ensure that Salesforce can access any cloud-based internal customer records. “When it comes to non-traditional IT roles, cloud brokerage is becoming very useful to both the IT worker and to orga-nizations themselves,” says Kerry Butters, Editorial Director for digital content agency markITwrite.

These skills are only effective if IT professionals are able to describe the features of the cloud services to the business units that use them. “Develop your business communication skills,” says Ed Featherston, Sr. Enterprise Architect at Collaborative Consulting. “Communicating with the business, being able to translate technology features, risks and benefits in the language of business is key to individual as well at IT organization success,” he adds.

BOB GOURLEYEDITOR, CTOvision.com

KERRY BUTTERSEDITORIAL DIRECTOR

MarkITWrite

3 THE FIVE CLOUD SKILLS THAT MAKE OR BREAK AN I.T. CAREER

John Engates, CTO of Rackspace, sees this as a big year for Big Data skills. “Enterprises are catching on to the big data wave, but they don’t have the skills needed in house to pull necessary value out of that data,” Engates says. “The explosion of connected devices will further fuel the flames, creating more data that needs to be extracted and analyzed. Data scientists will be a hot commodity, but much like the DevOps revolution of 2014, top data talent will be difficult to come by and expensive to hire.”

3. HONE INFORMATION SECURITY SKILLSKnowledge of the evolving threat landscape and how to keep a company safe are key skills in a world where the security perimeter now includes the cloud. Gaining a growing understanding of the threats that can come via technology is one of the three biggest changes CTOvision.com’s Gourley sees in IT, but he’s afraid many SMBs aren’t taking that threat seriously. “The bad news is that there have been too few changes in cyber security. Too many organizations do not really care,” he says.

The accelerating growth in the number of Internet users and the emergence of web-scale applications have lead to an increasingly complex IT security landscape. “[Security] is a bigger and more serious threat now. With evolving technologies, keeping tabs on secu-rity is becoming more and more challenging,” notes analyticsweek.com’s Kumar.

Using newer disciplines like Big Data analytics, an IT professional can drive the creation, testing and implementation of new security products and services to combat malware and exploitation schemes. But endpoint security isn’t enough; application security, detection and remediation of persistent threats are critical. Security’s role in companies is also changing, moving from a back-of-house operation to becoming integrated with every aspect of the business, including mobile strategy and UX. And when cloud providers are involved, security becomes a partnership across platforms and networks.

markITwrite’s Butters sees the need for cloud skills in facing the newest threats: “Data security over the past five years has become more high profile, and due to this, many businesses are now better protected than they have been in the past. The cloud has enabled more agile security, and the rise of the managed services sector has meant that many businesses now have much better risk manage-ment,” says Butters. This higher-profile responsibility often rests squarely on IT’s shoulders, making it an essential skill to master.

4. ADD VDI TO YOUR BYOD REPERTOIREAdoption of mobile technology has been rapid, largely due to the top-down introduction of smartphones into business. Executives and mobile sales professionals immediately saw the value of these devices, demanded IT give them access to corporate email and data, and everyone in the organization wanted in. Now that sales of smartphones and tablets have exceeded laptop sales, there is little doubt this is a long-term trend. “Mobile technology has changed my job,” says markIT-write’s Butters. “It’s now possible to access information from wherever I may be, enabling me to work faster, connect with clients all over the world from anywhere and perform research tasks instantly.”

“Mobile technology has changed how we all work, whether in IT or outside. They key is to remember the user is mobile; technology is just a conduit to provide access to business information.”

“Big Data and analytics have changed the business to a moment-by- moment situation. Both concepts require constant maintenance and highly agile solutions.”

ED FEATHERSTONDIRECTOR/SR.

ENTERPRISE ARCHITECT

STEVE PRENTICESENIOR WRITER, CloudTweaks

Gourley and Featherston both put mobility atop their list of the biggest changes impacting IT. “Mobility is the greatest revolution since the creation of the computer”, says Gourley. “Changes have just begun,” he adds. “Mobile technology has changed how we all work, whether in IT or outside. They key is to remember the user is mobile; technology is just a conduit to provide access to business informa-tion,” Featherston says. “Mobility has raised the stakes and expecta-tion of response time issues and problems. As an IT professional, you are always connected and need to understand the expectations and boundaries that mobility implies.”

4 THE FIVE CLOUD SKILLS THAT MAKE OR BREAK AN I.T. CAREER

Cloud platforms provide the underlying support for today’s bring-your-own-device (BYOD) phenomenon, where multiple platforms and OSs are used to both view and enter business data for a growing number of applications. IT needs to support the growing cadre of laptop, tablet and smartphone users who access company data on the device of the day, and this requires a very agile and informed team.

To achieve this “any device, any place, any time” goal, many busi-nesses are turning to virtual desktop infrastructure (VDI) that supports a broad range of iOS, Android, Windows and Mac clients. This eliminates the need to create native applications for an ever-changing array of devices and usage models. Taking the VDI route can also enhance a company’s security profile and lower the risks for mobile devices and users; in most cases application data continues to reside on the VDI servers, and only screen changes, keyboard strokes and mouse or touch gestures are sent over the connection between user and virtual desktop server.

As more organizations shift desktops from physical to virtual, profi-ciency with VDI will grow in importance, complementing the IT pro’s expertise in mobile and cloud technology as essential skills.

5. BUILD BUSINESS SKILLS THAT TRANSFER BEYOND I.T.All of our experts agree that a higher degree of business acumen and knowledge of the company are extremely important in the IT-as-broker world of cloud computing.

“The cloud requires all IT staff to be thinking about the big picture, understanding the impact their work has on the overall system,” says Featherson. “Now, more than ever, it is imperative that IT staff under-stand the language of the business. This allows all IT staff to under-stand the business needs being addressed and translate those needs into technology solutions that provide value to the business.”

“It once may have been enough to know how to apply security patches and fix hardware issues, but we are now seeing more IT workers manage cloud providers and teach end-users how to use cloud applications,” adds Butters. “Coders have also seen a change, in that they are expected to be more active in developing applications for the cloud.”

IT also needs to have a more comprehensive understanding of its company and industry in order to thrive, according to Prentice. “Don’t put too much focus on the technology and not enough on the company,” he suggests. “A candidate should do some serious homework on the company, the industry and the company’s key people and competitors, and should describe his or her skills in terms of how they will better address large, non-IT related challenges such as increasing sales. The candidate’s IT skills are there to support the company. It is essential to demonstrate up-to-date-technical knowl-edge of course, but it should always be framed in the context of the greater corporate strategy.”

CONCLUSIONThe adoption of cloud computing has forever changed the way IT approaches business challenges. IT professionals are being called upon to broaden their skillsets and collaborate across firewalls and team boundaries. Leveraging on-premise and external cloud compo-nents, embracing Big Data analytics and supporting an increasingly mobile workforce—all while keeping users, applications and data safe—will be the hallmarks of tomorrow’s business-savvy IT staff.

“[Security] is a bigger and more serious threat now. With evolving technologies, keeping tabs on security is becom-ing more and more challenging.”

VISHAL KUMARPRESIDENT/CEO, AnalyticsWeek

To learn more about the cloud skills that can help advance your career in IT, visit CloudU from Rackspace or learn more about the Rackspace Managed Cloud.