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What is ‘Rugged’ Technology?

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What is Rugged Technology?

Rugged Technology

Rugged Technology is a marketing term for hardware that is designed to operate in extremely harsh environments and conditions. There are three generally accepted levels of ruggedization:semi-rugged, fully-rugged and ultra-rugged. The levels describe a product’s ability to survive drops, vibration, dust, immersion and extreme temperatures.

Semi-rugged devices, which are increasingly being called business-rugged by marketers, are usually enhanced versions of commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) hardware. The components are the same, but they are protected better.  For example, a semi-rugged laptop might have a thicker case, a gel-mounted hard disk drive and a spill-resistant keyboard. Fully-ruggeddevices are designed from the inside-out to work in extreme temperatures, to be impervious to being dropped, to resist shocks and vibrations and to be dustproof and waterproof. A fully-rugged laptop may have a solid state hard drive, which has no moving parts, runs cool and doesn’t need for a fan. (another moving part that adds weight to the device.)  Ultra-rugged devices, which are usually designed to meet precise specifications for military use, are made to handle the harshest environmental conditions. An ultra-rugged laptop can be left out in a sandstorm, frozen in a blizzard or sent on a vibrating rocket into space without any detrimental effects. 

If you already know this information then why not check out our latest new job where your mission will be to assist organisations optimise their mobile productivity with rugged technology that can enable C4I.

– whatis.techtarget.com

What datacentre experts must do to stay relevant

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As datacentre operators focus on converged infrastructure to cut costs, IT professionals should keep their CVs aligned to the workplace!

A growing need to make datacentres more efficient and easier to manage has driven the use of converged infrastructure (CI) in recent years. According to 451 Research’s recent study of adoption trends, 40% of IT buyers said they planned to increase their spending in CI during the final quarter of 2015; just 17% said they plan to invest in traditional servers.

The trend has prompted a shift in how operators manage their facilities, with 40% of respondents to the survey reporting difficulties while attempting to source staff with CI skills. Whereas the older, siloed approach to datacentre design required separate administrators to manage the network, server and storage resources, a facility kitted out with CI appliances often calls for a slightly different approach.

CI appliances are often marketed as having been tested and configured before installation, which eliminates much of the manual work. And with the datacentre’s network, storage and computing elements all housed in a single appliance, the need for separate administrators to manage these resources is reduced.

While this is great news for operators looking to cut costs by reducing headcount, the trend may require some urgent re-skilling for datacentre-focused IT professionals, to ensure they know how to manage all parts of the CI stack, rather than just the individual components.

This is the view of Emma Fryer, associate director for climate change programmes at IT sector trade body TechUK, who works closely with the datacentre industry to promote sustainability.

“At the very commoditised end, the datacentre engineer needs to be able to span power, network, compute, storage and process skills. And when it breaks – fast track response and 24/7 availability for an ‘always on’ client base,” she says.

“Datacentre technicians in many environments will increasingly be expected to be generalists, but the real question is what the balance between them should be – or even whether we are seeking a general requirement or lots of different specific requirements.”

Industry views on the IT skills gap

At present, there is mixed industry opinion about how much demand there is for IT professionals with these types of skills.

Rick Vanover, senior product strategy manager at virtualisation management software supplier Veeam, claims the demand for IT professionals with CI skills is beginning to rise.

“Over time, the need for a converged skillset has developed. We saw it happen in the virtualisation space, and now a new offering of technologies has come in to address them with hyper-converged technologies,” says Vanover.

He says the key to success with CI lies in IT staff understanding how the technology can be applied to solve real problems of scaling-out and datacentre performance.

Market watcher Forrester Research supports this view, based on the contents of its August 2015 Vendor Landscape: Hyperconverged Platforms report, which cites anecdotal evidence as proof of the rising demand for CI-savvy datacentre workers.

“For several years Forrester has been hearing anecdotal evidence that early adopters of first-generation converged infrastructure – such as Cisco, HP, and IBM – have already collapsed some of their infrastructure and operations silos,” the report states.

“Forrester believes the adoption of hyperconverged systems will accelerate this trend, because it further abstracts the underlying management complexity – particularly in the storage domain.”

However, Scott McGlinchey, chief operations officer of IT consultancy Exception, says that – with so many enterprises still operating legacy, siloed datacentre setups – demand for CI specialists has not hit its peak just yet.

“I don’t think we’ve really hit the real demand for converged infrastructure skills yet. You can see that, for organisations that have got a handle on their legacy estate, convergence skills could be the next step, though,” he says.

“What we are seeing is an increased demand for architects.  However, the skillset expected has moved, from principle formulation, policy, strategy and governance, to that of experienced technical delivery lead with multi-platform experience across several technology silos.

“DevOps, server and app virtualisation, and cloud experience are in higher demand too at the moment.”

McGlinchey’s comments seem to suggest time is on the side of IT professionals willing to retrain in anticipation of the rising demand for CI skills.

 Skilling up

Colin Lynch, principal consultant at Computacenter UK, embarked on a supplier-backed training course to build out his CI knowledge, as part of his ongoing push to keep on top of emerging IT trends.

“You can’t afford to be an analogue person in a digital world, otherwise you’ll go the way of the dodo. You have to adapt with the times and the VCE Certified Professional Programme certainly provides you with the skillset you need,” he says.The course is not just about learning how to manage what’s inside the CI box – but also how to integrate it with the company’s wider IT strategy.“Not only do CI professionals have to manage converged infrastructure, but they also have to manage or at least be aware of the cloud management platforms that bind all these elements together – and that’s where the training comes into its own, because it ticks all these boxes.”For IT professionals just starting out, Nigel Moulton, CTO for Europe at CI supplier VCE, says specialising in CI may have to wait until they have completed their university or college courses.

“Here in the UK, most universities and higher education colleges tend to teach students broader industry skills and then, when graduates enter the industry, employers train them. They are often taught the basics of virtualisation and networking – but won’t know specifically how suppliers implement this,“ he says.

From here, professionals may go on to undertake a supplier-specific course – such as Cisco’s Academy course or VCE’s Certified Professionals Programme – to fine-tune their learning.

“It’s run this way because all suppliers have different approaches. This gives graduates a wider choice of career paths and doesn’t hinder their chances of securing employment,” Moulton adds.

Robert Rutherford, CEO of IT consultancy Quostar, says IT professionals should look to build out their integration skills.

“There’s opportunity in the areas for development focusing on hanging different platforms and providers together – moulding and adapting services between datacentres and different suppliers,” he says.

“This in turn will lead to increased security and compliance requirements, creating demand for in-depth cloud security and compliance skills and experience.”

 The importance of soft skills

Meanwhile in addition to their technical skills – CI specialists are increasingly expected to be well-versed in business matters too. As IT recruitment consultants “We tend to look for candidates who can demonstrate a mix of cross-skilling and with experience of more than just technology – candidates who are able to explain and translate technical language and concepts to business stakeholders are always in high demand!”

If IT teams cannot communicate effectively with business teams so that they understand the potential benefits, it is likely that many crucial projects will struggle to get off the ground.

 

Software Development could be the perfect job for you – Find out why?

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Software Development could be the perfect job for you!

Have you ever thought that Software Development could be the perfect job for you? Software developers design, build and test computer systems that help organisations and equipment to work more effectively. Examples of work of software development include information databases, programs that control robotic systems, and cloud and mobile applications.

If you are keen on computing, can pay close attention to detail and enjoy solving problems, software development could be the ideal job for you.

Employers look for other personal attributes and skills, beyond academic credentials, when assessing candidates’ suitability, for instance creativity, a collaborative approach and an entrepreneurial spirit are as important as aptitude and experience.

So to help present the skills needed for software development in a different light, here are 10 signs coding could be right for you; signs that aren’t always accounted for in academic tests.

  1. You’re a problem-solving pro

Lots of people will simply tolerate problems without looking for a proactive way to solve them, particularly if tolerating the problem is easier. If you don’t take this approach, but actually enjoy the challenge of solving problems of all kinds, then that’s a great sign that you could be suited to software development. If, in your desire to solve problems, you also take into account realistic constraints – such as timeframes and budgets – then this could be a real asset in your search for a career.

  1. You have a passion for strategy games

Yes, it can be true that gaming is good for you, particularly where strategy games are concerned. These help hone your ability to make decisions based on a number of relevant factors, taking into account both short and long-term consequences. As well as computer games, those who enjoy offline games like chess, bridge or risk, could also have an underlying aptitude for programming.

  1. You have a musical mind

While the evidence for the correlation between music and maths is still in debate, it seems commonplace for those with musical talent to have mathematical abilities too. You often find some IT buffs and coders have additional interests such as composing music, singing, or playing an instrument.

  1. You have a talent for winning arguments

No, we’re not talking about full-blown shouting matches. But if your logical approach to arguing your points in a structured way means that you frequently win over your opponents, this could be a sign that you have the systematic thinking needed for software development.

  1. You love making things

You can get the same sense of satisfaction from making something in the virtual world as you can in the physical world. Indeed, in the digital world, you aren’t constrained by practicalities like materials and space, so imagination is your only limit. Having a natural curiosity for how things work, and how to make them work better, is a good indication of a nascent software developer.

  1. You’re a people person

Contrary to the stereotype of the IT team hidden away from the rest of the company, working as a developer can actually involve a great deal of interaction with others across the business. This means that an enjoyment of communicating and an ability to explain things in a way that is easily understood by others are both really important.

  1. You’d like to know more about the theory of computer science

While you may not have digested the full history of computer science, an interest in the theory behind software engineering is an important aspect of a coder’s skillset. You don’t want to spend your time re-inventing the wheel, so being interested in what others have discovered, and being prepared to build on those foundations, will fast-track your potential achievements.

  1. You’re a team player

Coding itself is a very collaborative process; continuously reviewing and redefining code with others helps you to shake out bugs, makes your work more likely to meet users’ needs and is one of the best ways to learn. Developers therefore need to enjoy working together and should be prepared to study, critique and improve one another’s work.

  1. You are intrinsically motivated

Putting some amateur psychology to use, it seems to be true that the best developers are intrinsically motivated. This means they take their reward and motivation from the process of finding a solution to a problem, or creating something innovative in itself. In other words, developers often do what they do for the love of doing it, rather than just being paid to do it.

  1. You love technology

This is fairly obvious, but it is worth re-iterating that if you want to work in software engineering, you need to have an appreciation for the amazing possibilities that technology brings to the world. Being interested in how you can harness the potential of technology, for whichever company you want to work in, will definitely stand you in good stead, and is a sure sign you are on the right career track for success in coding.

Job opportunities for software engineers are expected to grow much faster than the average for all occupations. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the overall employment of computer software developers is expected to increase by 30% percent from 2016 to 2020. The demand for software engineers is increasing because of the Internet’s expansion and the growing complexity of data-processing systems used in business, telecommunications, healthcare, and government.

So what do you do now?

Check out your local Colleges, Universities or online courses to find out how to get started in software development. Further information can be found below.

e-skills UK 
1 Castle Lane
London
SW1E 6DR
www.e-skills.com

British Computer Society 
1 Sanford Street
Swindon
Wiltshire
SN1 1HJ
www.bcs.org.uk

Institute for the Management of Information Systems
5 Kingfisher House
New Mill Road
Orpington
Kent
BR5 3QG
Tel: 0700 002 3456
www.imis.org.uk

Institution of Analysts and Programmers
Charles House
36 Culmington Road
London
W13 9NH
Tel: 020 8567 2118
www.iap.org.uk

Skills Framework for the Information Age 
www.sfia.org.uk

Microsoft UK
www.microsoft.com/uk

Sun Microsystems
www.uk.sun.com

Oracle 
www.oracle.com

Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW)
www.ciwcertified.com

Developer.com 
www.developer.com

Or you can contact us to have a chat about your options and jobs available in your area, get it touch now we would love to here from you: Contact Us

 

13 Hottest IT Jobs for 2016

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13 Hottest IT Jobs for 2016

If you’re thinking about switching jobs this year, here’s a guide to the hottest IT jobs that are expected to earn the biggest salary increases in 2016. If you’re a CIO or an IT leader and you’re planning on doing any IT hiring in 2016, you’ll want to factor this information into your budget plans.

Salaries are rising throughout the UK, and the biggest salary growth is in IT. While average annual salaries of all the professional fields studied the UK are expected to rise 4.1% in 2016 compared with 2015. A lot of IT jobs are going to do much better than that, with some expected to see average salary increases of as much as 9% this year.

So, which IT jobs are the hottest?

We’ve identified 13 IT jobs where the average salary increases in the UK are expected to outpace the rest of the IT field. The data is collected from thousands of IT job searches, negotiations, and placements done by recruiting and staffing offices, as well as from local offices in the UK.

Not surprisingly, some of the hottest IT jobs have to do with big data and analytics. What is surprising is that there’s only one security job on the list. There are some surprises. Check out the list to see how your IT job stacks up. Even if you aren’t worried about your raise for 2016, one of the best ways to stay employed is to stay employed in the hottest IT jobs.

13. Data Modeler

Percent increase (est): 6.2%

12. Business Intelligence Analyst

Percent increase (avg): 6.2%

11. Applications Architect

Percent increase (avg): 6.4%

10. Data Architect

Percent increase (avg): 6.4%

9. Web Developer

Percent increase (avg): 6.4%

8. Senior Web Developer

Percent increase (avg): 6.6%

7. Lead Application Developer

Percent increase (avg): 6.7%

6. Developer/Programmer Analyst

Percent increase (avg): 6.8%

5. Chief Security Officer (CSO)

Percent increase (avg): 7.0%

4. Mobile Applications Developer

Percent increase (avg): 8.2%

3. Big Data Engineer

Percent increase (avg): 8.9%

2. Data Scientist

Percent increase (avg): 8.9%

1. Wireless Network Engineer

Percent increase (avg): 9.7%

 

Clearly, working with data or doing something mobile is the best way to get a big raise.

There are other areas of tech that are poised to present new opportunities. For example some technology reports have noted that wearables will become a hot new place for IT professionals in the next two to three years. Start thinking about how you can apply your skills to wearables in the next few years, and your job may land on this list in 2020 and beyond.

To check out some of our latest HOT IT Jobs click here now: IT Jobs

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