It comes as no real surprise that Big Data Quarterly recently stated that cloud computing is changing the way businesses manage data environments today. In fact, cloud computing has become the number one solution for most businesses looking for an efficient way to manage their data, but what of data management skills?
The cloud computing revolution has been swift and many of those serving in the IT field are finding that their specialised services are no longer a necessity for businesses as cloud computing is relatively quick and easy for the average person to set up. However all is not lost for those with specific skills.
Cloud Computing Offers Business Owners A Quick & Easy Data Solution
In the recent past, specialists in the IT field were generally needed to set up networks, ensure core systems are operational, keep backup servers secure, incorporate storage access networks and more. It goes without saying that skills and technical knowledge were required for any business hoping for a truly efficient and secure IT system.
All of this has changed though as cloud computing has eliminated the need for an extensive technical IT team to assist with most of these functions. Most online backup systems and cloud computing systems are designed to do it all for the user.
What business owners and the public really want to know is what sort of skills are still needed to run a cloud computing system and what does this change essentially mean for existing IT and IS administrators.
Wait, Some Skills Are Required!
While many businesses think that the user-friendly interface of cloud computing systems means that no IT experts or skills in the field are required, that’s simply not the case.
Don’t be misled into thinking that the click-and-go ease of cloud computing means that you can do it all yourself. There are skills required to ensure that the cloud system remains fast, efficient and highly functional – long term.
IT skills are needed in fields such as planning, cloud migration that’s secure and efficient, automation, and data governance in accordance with the PoPI Act (Protection of Personal Information Act). This means that administrators may still be required, but they will be tasked with designing systems for specific outcomes instead of doing all of the legwork along the way.
The Skills Your Cloud Computing Administrator Should Have
An effective cloud computing administrator must be able to design systems that are beneficial to your business and its needs. The administrator must be able to manage and move data while being able to monitor, manage and control systems to ensure that the budget is not exceeded.
In addition to this, administrators must help the business to avoid potential risks and ensure the security of data at all times by implementing a secure data governance process that’s customised to the needs of your specific business. The administrator must also be able to recognise any data gaps and ensure platforms and technologies are implemented to fill those gaps while still complementing the cloud systems capabilities.
The Value Of Cloud Computing For The IT Administrator
Cloud computing certainly makes things more interesting for IT administrators.
There’s no denying that there’s not much to get excited about zone changes, server builds, virtual machine moving, and data backup monitoring. Cloud computing however changes all of these administrative tasks and provides a more design-focused task for the administrator.
The main task of the cloud computing administrator is to understand the business and what it’s data requirements are. They can then design systems to cater to these. In many ways, an IT administrator working in a cloud computing environment is a data scientist.
Are you thinking of switching to cloud computing? We highly recommend it. Let us know if we can help you with your data migration and backup in any way. We would love to hear more about your plans.