If there is one area that has undergone profound transformations in recent years, it is Information Technology (IT). When we look at IT applied to companies, we have even more changes to point out, because, more than ever, corporations of all sizes and segments are turning to technology to improve their processes, produce more and better, reduce costs, etc. So much so that, according to the IDC consultancy , even in a year of low growth in the Brazilian economy, IT is expected to grow by 5% here, generating around 165.6 billion dollars.
Content
Companies are benefiting from the third IT platform
Cloud computing
Mobility
Big Data
Internet of Things
Concerns about information security increase
Changes in the IT sector require professionals with a new mindset
Companies are benefiting from the third IT platform
The history of information technology can be divided into three major periods, which IDC calls the 'three IT platforms'. First, mainframes emerged, large computers that occupied entire buildings and were used to process data from several companies (in so-called technology bureaus), mainly adopted by banks.
The second platform began with the arrival of personal computers (PCs), which helped to “democratize” computing. This was the time when companies began to use more computers to process their data. Soon after, the Internet came along, allowing the creation of computer networks, both internally and with the market; this marked an unprecedented leap in the capacity for communication and business generation, in line with the acceleration of the globalization process of the economy.
Finally, we have reached the moment we are living in, called the third IT platform, which is marked by the emergence of new technologies such as cloud computing, big data, mobility, the Internet of Things, among others. All these new technological approaches have allowed companies to enhance their IT infrastructures with low investment, exploring services ranging from server virtualization to the acquisition of systems and applications on demand, paying only for what they use and no longer needing to purchase usage licenses.
Cloud computing
Sharing computing resources instead of having local servers, which is known as cloud computing, is already a reality for companies of all sizes.
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It expands technological capabilities, brings cost reduction, scalability, among other benefits that are changing the relationship between businesses and technology.
Mobility
According to IDC, mobile technology, that is, all the infrastructure and cpa email lists applications for creating and making products and services available for mobile devices, is currently responsible for 40% of the amount of IT investment in the world.
Companies are increasingly creating and acquiring applications and making them available for their teams to use on their devices (tablets, smartphones, etc.). This also creates the need to manage corporate mobility: structuring networks, controlling access, creating and enforcing rules of conduct for users, etc.
Big Data
As the amount of data generated by companies and ordinary users has increased significantly, there has been a need to deal with this unstructured data in order to extract relevant information from it for decision-making. Data analysis practices and tools for organizing, interpreting and structuring large amounts of data have emerged.
Big data techniques and tools give businesses more power to capture information from their customers to improve marketing and sales actions, among thousands of other possibilities.
Internet of Things
Also, the number of objects that can be connected to the web, capture and send data through applications and sensors, is an ongoing revolution, which is called the Internet of Things and is generating the birth of businesses, products, services, in a surprising way.
Concerns about information security increase
While, on the one hand, companies benefit from increased technological capacity and possibilities for using technology, concerns about information security also increase.
Logically, the more technological applications, the more people without good intentions act to intercept communications, steal and damage data. According to McAfee , 2015 will be a record year for cyber fraud, especially due to the increase in connected mobile devices.
Changes in the IT sector require professionals with a new mindset
On the one hand, despite the security challenges, it seems simple for companies to improve their processes and keep their operations up to date with more technological equipment. It's not that simple. And the key to dealing with all this is the new IT professional, a professional with a new mindset.
If before this professional was very technically oriented, now, in addition to knowing what is behind the IT systems and infrastructure, he or she needs to have a more consultative role, more focused on finding solutions. This new profile includes: the ability to update with new technologies, relationship management with suppliers and service providers, negotiating power (with company management, users and also with suppliers and staff), project management, etc. Also, the ability to deal with users who are more knowledgeable and, therefore, more demanding is a challenge for the new IT professional.
The change in mentality has a lot to do with the capacity for resilience in the face of challenges, but also with the ability to recognize how technology can enhance business – the new IT professional needs to understand the business as much as their colleagues in the controller or finance department – always considering the corporate strategy and dealing with deadlines and budgets.
And there are many opportunities. To give you an idea, a Cisco survey revealed that there is currently a shortage of more than 117,000 qualified professionals in networks and connections, among other functions. The demands are also growing: in this same study, it was discovered that 75% of employers seek professionals certified by hardware and software manufacturers; 87% of the companies interviewed said they had difficulty finding professionals with sufficient knowledge to deal with aspects of information security.