Virtualization as the technology foundation of cloud computing has ushered
in new challenges, new day-to-day responsibilities and, now, new roles for IT
professionals as business leaders within their organizations. A recent
survey
by
SolarWinds
Inc., a leading provider of powerful and affordable IT
management software,indicates that IT departments plan to invest in key areas of
business in order to play a more competitive role.
“IT’s role of creating and maintaining infrastructure is transforming to act
as more of an intermediary or broker in addition to those traditional roles,”
said Jonathan Reeve, SolarWinds’ senior director of product management.
“IT professionals will need to demonstrate their expertise by identifying
and implementing the most appropriate virtualization and cloud tools that fit
their company's needs. Investing in areas such as competitive analysis,
marketing and product management will help them on their way to becoming
successful business leaders.”
Survey Findings:
SolarWinds recently conducted a survey in December 2011 and received
responses from nearly 65 IT professionals. As part of the survey, SolarWinds
asked each IT professional a series of questions related to their predictions
and organizations’ plans regarding cloud and virtualization.
Survey findings include:
- Nearly 65 percent of respondents plan to invest in competitive analysis vs.
external services.
- More than 60 percent plan to invest in marketing IT services back to the
business.
- Nearly 60 percent plan to invest in product management for those IT
services.
“IT departments looking to stay competitive should ask themselves what
direction their company is heading, identify the goals and determine IT’s
strategic role,” continued Reeve. “The good news is that IT departments already
have the upper-hand in understanding the unique requirements of the businesses
they support.”
Three Tips for IT Pros Developing a Competitive, Business Skill
Set:
1. Embrace the evolution of virtualization. First and
foremost, IT professionals need to be up-to-speed on the evolution of technology
and know how to manage a virtual infrastructure, including its performance,
availability, capacity and applications. A core understanding of virtualization
and cloud technologies has become table stakes for IT leaders.
2. Develop partnerships. IT professionals will need to
identify and collaborate with vendors that are making it easier to adopt
features that enhance virtualization and facilitate the transition to cloud
computing. Start experimenting early and often. This will simplify the process
for IT professionals whose companies are looking to move into a cloud
infrastructure. Another advantage is that this will demonstrate their ability to
develop and manage vital partnerships that provide the right enhancement
features for their companies' needs.
3. Become a successful business leader. This is the defining
piece. IT professionals need to become prominent leaders and advise their
companies on the right infrastructure needs to drive the business forward.
Skills such as marketing and product management are not only for vendors, they
are becoming increasingly important for IT departments whose delivery of IT
services is inevitably going to be compared to outside service providers.