What MSPs Need To Know About The Impact Of Cloud Computing On Clients' IT Departments

By Rick Delgado, contributing writer

As cloud computing has gained in popularity over the years, many within the IT industry have been understandably excited and wary about what it would mean for them. Using more technology certainly opens up new opportunities for IT workers, but their roles and positions would likely change as the cloud was adopted by organizations around the world. Essentially, cloud computing brought about change and with change comes uncertainty on what the future holds. Now that the cloud has become mainstream and a common tool used by numerous businesses, we can get a better view of its overall impact on the IT industry. So far, the results have been promising, with cloud computing expanding the industry and opening up new opportunities for IT departments.

Of course, one of the overriding fears regarding the rise of the cloud was the effect it would have on IT jobs. With more organizations using cloud services, the worry was that they would need fewer IT workers on-premises, leading to reductions in IT staff. Luckily, that worst case scenario hasn’t happened. If anything, cloud computing has re-emphasized the need for IT experts on premises. Just because companies are offloading some of their work to cloud providers doesn’t mean the on-premises workload has decreased. Businesses still have a great need for workers to engage in programming, systems configuration, and integration to ensure internal infrastructure is still running at peak performance. The company’s own technologies still need to function properly, and IT workers are the ones to turn to for that.

Not only have IT jobs been preserved as businesses adopt the cloud, many of their roles have changed for the better. Many IT leaders are now sought out by company executives for their advice on major technological decisions. Some are even brought to the same level as executives, managing business tasks while becoming advisors and consultants at the highest reaches of the organization. The cloud has made this possible since it has become so integral in the day-to-day operations of a business. If companies truly want to take advantage of cloud computing, they need IT experts close at hand so they can chart a correct course for the business well into the future.

All of these developments are reflected in the growth of IT jobs related to cloud computing. According to jobs data from WANTED Analytics, of the millions of jobs connected to the cloud in the U.S., more than 380,000 of are in IT alone. These jobs aren’t just big in number; they’re impressive in the wages they pay. The same jobs data shows that the median salary for IT workers who have experience with the cloud stands at just over $90,000. These numbers show the demand is there, and businesses greatly value IT professionals who know how to make the cloud work for their organizations.

Part of the need for on-premises IT workers has come because organizations aren’t simply adopting the cloud and letting a provider worry about the specifics. Most businesses are, in fact, using a hybrid cloud, which essentially combines the aspects of a cloud-based service with on-premises operations. This mixes many of the benefits of cloud computing that come from both strategies. The hybrid cloud and the ease with which organizations can use it has led to the mainstream adoption of the cloud, in turn increasing the demand for capable IT workers. So as the cloud market itself expands over time, the IT industry is expanding with it.

Also of note is how many organizations which might not seem technology-centric have turned to the cloud for their own business solutions. Some of these industries include healthcare, finances, travel, sales, and others which see lots of potential in cloud computing and need IT experts to ensure that potential is reached. The cloud has led to more technology spreading to areas where IT would normally be used for basic tasks. Now IT plays a more crucial role with the cloud becoming so crucial to regular business operations.

The trend of cloud adoption is only expected to continue. As a result, more IT jobs will be sought by business leaders, which will create an expanding industry. While at first the cloud was looked at with unease, it has actually turned into a real boon for IT workers as their skills are in more demand than ever before. More cloud computing is a good thing, and the positives greatly outweigh the negatives for IT departments.