New Roles for Cloud Computing

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New Roles and Skills for Cloud Computing

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Cloud power means that you have the most comprehensive solutions for the cloud available:Microsoft Office 365, Windows Azure and Windows Server Hyper-V. Familiar tools that are simplymore expansive, more accessible, more compatible and more user-friendly to more users. Giving yourbusiness everything you need to be what's next. That's Cloud Power.

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This article is commissioned by Microsoft Corp. The views expressedare the authors own.

Clearly, cloud computing requires new skills inside of organizations that are moving to the cloud. Weall get that. However, many companies have difficulty understanding exactly what those skills are, thescope required, and the timing. According to a recent survey covered by NetworkWorld, cloudadoption can run into resistance when stakeholders within an organization are unclear about howtheyll be affected by the migration.

There are several ways this can play out. Many companies take the position that cloud computing ismuch the same as traditional computing, and that their existing teams and skillsets will suffice. Thatsa huge mistake. Others will rapidly retrain their existing staff to the use of the cloud. A few are on

cloud computing hiring sprees, offering signing bonuses and big salaries.

My take on all of this is that before we ignore the problem, or toss money at it, perhaps this a goodtime to put some lines in the sand around what skills are required as the cloud creeps into our ITuniverse. (My colleague Jeff Vance recently outlined how CIOs and IT workers can repositionthemselves for a cloud-based future.)

When considering what skills are needed to thrive in the cloud, I like to use a role-based approach,with the new roles being:

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Cloud ArchitectCloud Security SpecialistCloud DeveloperCloud Infrastructure ManagerProvider Specialist

Cloud architect is the No. 1 job posting that I see from any company or consulting organization

looking to move into cloud computing. While the job descriptions vary widely, typically the cloudarchitect has an understanding of enterprise architecture, SOA, and the new directions that cloudcomputing can take both of those disciplines.

More simply put, the cloud architect is a jack-of-all-trades, but master of cloud. They should have adetailed knowledge of PaaS, IaaS, and SaaS, including the players and solutions that are available onthe market. This means working with developers and existing IT leadership to progress toward the useof cloud computing, making the right decisions along the way.

Cloud security specialist is perhaps the most important role and skillset youll need in moving to thecloud. He or she should understand the new security models and enabling security technology thatsrequired to keep you out of trouble as you relocate core business processes and data to private, public,

or hybrid clouds.

Core skills here are an understanding of what changes with regard to security issues when you moveto cloud. Ive found that cloud security specialists need to understand newer security models andtechnologies, such as federated identity management and the ability to support data encryption both inflight and at rest in and between clouds. They typically work with existing security staff, so thisperson needs to have some people skills as well.

Cloud developer core skills are an understanding of core PaaS platforms, private or public, and howapplications are designed, developed, and deployed on those platforms. This is a creative andinnovative position, if you ask me; one that really requires people who can learn on their own and are

willing to experiment with new technology that is rapidly emerging.

I find that cloud developers are typically self-taught. They work with cloud computing by leveragingfree trial accounts to create applications on their own time. While that may seems scary to you, thoseare the types of developers you want on your side.

Cloud infrastructure manager seems like an oxymoron considering that were looking to pushprocesses and data outside of the firewallwhat infrastructure needs to be managed? However, thisperson has a rather important role. Cloud computing requires special attention to networking andremote or local server monitoring. Thus, somebody needs to pay close attention to the management oftheir infrastructure in support of cloud, else youll find your clouds are not as reliable as they shouldbe.

Skills required here would be knowledge of existing network, application, and database managementapproaches and technologies, and a deep knowledge of the cloud providers and/or technology youreleveraging. I would suggest you target those better infrastructure managers in your IT organizationand retrain them.

Provider specialist is the person who understands the details around the cloud providers youreleveragingpublic, private, or hybrid. This means that his or her skills are all about being the go-toperson in terms of questions that need to be answered and problems solved around a specific provider.

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While you can hire these people if you can find them, I find that, in most cases, they are createdwithin organizations through extensive provider training programs. You find the smarter people in ITwho have an interest in diving deep into a product or service and then spend some budget to get themthe skills. Huge ROI there.

The fact of the matter is that were always changing the skillsets required to support IT. The use ofcloud computing is not much different. What is new is the degree of change that needs to occur in a

relatively short period of time.

Leveraging cloud computing to the fullest is all about the talent you have around you. Investing intraining, consulting, mentoring, and even paying through the nose for a few highly desirable skillswill be the way of the world for the next several years. However, the return to the business easilyjustifies the investment.

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