Why tech pros still prioritise hybrid IT and security

SolarWinds released the findings of the SolarWinds IT Trends Report 2019: Skills for Tech Pros of Tomorrow.

This year's annual report studies the state of skills and career development for technology professionals, meaning anyone who manages on-premises or public/private cloud infrastructures, hybrid IT environments, or SaaS-based applications, as well as managed service, managed security service providers (MSP/MSSP), revealing they have one foot grounded in today's hybrid IT realities while also setting their sights on emerging technology.

Specifically, tech pros have prioritised systems and infrastructure, security management, and hybrid IT skills development in the past 12 months.

When it comes to the next three to five years, they are looking to develop skills in areas like artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics, while eyeing career paths such as data science and coding.

However, without improvement in time and budget constraints, the majority of tech pros (71 per cent) say they will be unable to confidently manage future innovations.

This reality ultimately puts businesses at risk of performance and competitive advantage losses, making the prioritisation of skills and career development for tech pros paramount.

SolarWinds VP Joe Kim says, "Recent history has proven that there is a direct correlation between technology and business performance.

"The results of this year's IT Trends Report highlight that businesses need to focus even more on developing these professionals charged with running and pioneering technologies for the businesses.

"By removing day-to-day barriers, arming technology pros with the right technology and management tools, and prioritising skills and career development in the IT budget, tech pros can be better equipped for the future and help with business growth.

"The findings are also in line with our view that the most critical problem we need to help tech pros solve today is the reality of the hybrid IT landscape—this applies to all tech pros whether on-premises, managing hybrid infrastructures, SaaS-based, or MSPs," added Kim.

"The way SolarWinds has always addressed and will continue to address these realities is through our deep connection to tech pros across the IT infrastructure. We are committed to understanding the needs of our customers and making their jobs easier as business technology continues to evolve.