The beginning of the year for some is a time for new promises and resolutions. For the technology industry, the chance to look back on how new systems have performed over the past 12 months and to track trends to follow into the New Year. Cloud technology might be on minds of the best businesspeople in the UK, yet job security is firmly at the front of their minds for most ICT industry employees.
Considering the economic situation across the globe, first the US and then the EU have put their faith in cloud computing as a money saver and boost ICT employment. The EU announced in September 2012 the launch of a cloud computing scheme which will produce 2.5 million new jobs, with an estimated total GDP increase of €160 billion by 2020. Ireland has also been one of the first countries to embrace cloud technology and a year on experts can see the impact that the new technology has made.
Richard Bruton, Ireland’s Minister for Jobs, Enterprise and Innovation commented: “It is important that Ireland has ambition in this field. We are one of the countries most affected by the financial crisis, it is obligatory on us to pave the way to the new economy and I believe we are succeeding in paving that route. Ireland is well positioned to be a capital for the cloud-computing sector. We have established companies here who are the leading thinkers in cloud – HP, EMC, Microsoft, Dell and newer companies who are coming in and exploiting the opportunities. This is very exciting and we’ve built a strong infrastructure.”
Slightly less confident in the result of cloud computing are employees and those searching for work in the ICT industry. It may be a case for people needing to see job opportunities increasing to actually believe it. SAP recently produced a survey where 46% of their respondents believed that cloud computing would limit job opportunities rather than create more of them. Jobs across the industry, from marketing to telecoms jobs, were affected by the recession but ICT industry experts are adamant that these areas will benefit from cloud computing.
There are other elements also preventing many businesses from investing in cloud technology. ISACA completed a worldwide study, named Risk Reward Barometer, based on the opinions of 4,500 professionals in the IT industry. The findings discovered that businesses are concerned over the level of risk involved and a number of unknown elements such as the technology’s future, its true value and how to budget effectively for its introduction.
ISACA International vice president, Marc Vael elaborated on the study’s findings: “What is apparent from this study is the perception of control. Private cloud scores better than both public and hybrid cloud, when asked if the benefit outweighs the risk, yet take up is still relatively low. My thought is that enterprises are facing a similar dilemma as they did when first contemplating outsourcing—it is the psychology of relinquishing control that needs to be addressed… I also believe that is why there is more faith in private cloud services, where the enterprise retains management over both hybrid and public alternatives; however, this solution offers less advantages.
Researchers agree the results should greatly differ in a year when the studies are repeated and more knowledge has been gained. Potential employees consulting a salary checker may find the values largely varying while companies are still unsure of its worth and whether to invest.
The year ahead is open to opportunities and advancements in technology, hopefully the promised success of cloud technology from last year will prove true for all concerned.
to telecoms jobs,
