Experts believe that we are at the beginning stages of an IT landscape transformation. The predictions are being made that legacy solutions will be replaced by larger, more dominant vendors of SaaS and consumer-driven apps. According to the IDC FutureScape 2016 report, “By 2020, more than 30 percent of the IT vendors will not exist as we know them today.” This stems from a greater demand for cheaper software and applications that meet the needs of a growing mobile user market. This shift in the IT landscape also includes an even bigger demand for specialized IT skills – a factor which could put more strain on IT recruitment.
More Need for In-House IT Staff
As a whole, the IT industry has traditionally managed staffing shortages by outsourcing certain skills to other nations where trained workers are more readily available. However, the focus is moving to a more globally blended group of IT professionals who are cross-trained to handle multiple projects and tasks. In just the last few years, as online education has emerged, there has been an explosion in boot camps and other training initiatives to prepare workers to enter IT positions in the market. This trend is expected to continue to drive the job market in the coming year.
Big Data is Leading the Shift
The IT industry is also facing a demand for big data like never before, both from large enterprises and smaller companies. This is a roll-down from cloud computing and the ability to share and aggregate data from multiple sources at reduced costs. Third-party data warehouses are giving way to companies preparing and releasing their own data sets. Data is becoming the go-to source for making operational decisions that filter down to all areas of the business, from HR to marketing. This will increase the demand for data scientists, business analysts, and those who can translate data into meaningful formats.
Internet and data security are also transforming the face of IT, and the need for skilled knowledge workers. The IDC report above revealed that, “By 2017, over 50 percent of organizations’ IT spending will be for 3rd platform technologies, solutions, and services, rising to over 60 percent by 2020.” As companies spend more money on IT solutions, they will require capable IT personnel to manage things. Software developers and database managers are among the top in-demand jobs across all industries.
