Cloud computing will not render IT pros redundant

The rise of cloud computing need not mean that in-house IT staff become redundant, it has been claimed.

According to Microsoft cloud evangelist Simon May, the skills needed by tech workers will change, but they will not become redundant.

He commented that IT professionals are "really, really intelligent" individuals, who continue to add value to UK organisations….



"It doesn’t matter if you work for one of the major vendors or out there in the field for an organisation, what you provide is a localised level of intelligence that tailors a solution to the customer’s emerging needs," Mr May stated.

He suggested that the need for this specialist IT expertise will never go away, however far cloud computing innovation goes.

"You’re always going to need people that are able to be a guide or a gatekeeper, who are able to guide people through the technological jungle that is out there," Mr May stated.

It is very difficult for non-tech staff to understand the ins and outs of the latest solutions, Mr May added.

So while skills are set to change, there is little danger of IT professionals being driven out of jobs, he claimed.

Back in 2009, at the height of the global economic downturn, Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer predicted a bright future for the UK’s IT sector.

He claimed that businesses and organisations would continue to spend on IT to keep ahead of their rivals, and as a result, they would need to hire technology professionals to manage their in-house IT and outsourced contracts.

Mr Ballmer forecast that 78,000 new IT jobs would emerge in the UK between 2009 and 2013.