IT departments lack internal cloud knowledge

The use of cloud technology in the corporate world has been one of the more talked about trends of the last few years. The innovation has impacted several additional aspects of business including the remote workforce, disaster recovery and bring-your-own-device policies. It seems clear that the demand for cloud computing is growing, unfortunately the available talent to manage it is not.

A recent study from IDC that was sponsored by Microsoft, found that the demand for IT professionals with cloud skills will increase by 26 percent annually through 2015. This factors out to as many as 7 million cloud-related opportunities worldwide. On top of that, 66 percent of enterprises are planning on, or are already implementing some form of cloud technology.

However, the supply is nowhere near the levels needed to match the demand. IT executives reported to having as many as 1.7 million open cloud computing positions that had been posted at some point in 2012. A lack of training, certification or experience are the top three reasons why cloud jabs have gone unfilled and the report cites that cloud need is moving much faster than IT departments can get prepared.

“Unlike IT skill shortages in the past, solving this skills gap is extremely challenging, given that cloud brings a new set of skills, which haven’t been needed in the past,” wrote Cushing Anderson, the author of the report. “There is no one-size-fits-all set of criteria for jobs in cloud computing. Therefore, training and certification is essential for preparing prospective job candidates to work in cloud-related jobs.”

It is becoming increasingly difficult for businesses to find IT talent that can manage cloud technology internally. That is why companies should start leaning on IT consulting firms that have experience in the cloud. This provides IT departments with access to a resources that has the cloud knowledge they may be lacking.

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