Many companies and corporations are eager to enter the world of Internet of Things (IoT) and enjoy a range of benefits like improved efficiency and reduced costs. While they might want to adopt this technology as soon as possible, their efforts to integrate IoT into their workplaces can be hampered by a shortage of tech workers with advanced IoT skills.
Tech workers are already exceptionally talented. However, they'll need to brush up on the following areas to help their clients take advantage of the interconnected web of systems making up IoT.
Big data describes complicated data sets that are typically too complex or large for traditional data processing application software to handle. Picture your average saddle stitch booklets filled with instructions for using a program and times it by many millions.
Big data is not something you can note in a booklet or calculate yourself. Data sets must be analyzed computationally to reveal any present trends, patterns, and associations. Even if the average company doesn't require the use of big data, any tech employee working with IoT will need to have at least a small amount of knowledge of it.
With most well-established businesses using IP-enabled devices, tech workers with cybersecurity skills are in high demand. The more IP-enabled devices we have, the more security vulnerabilities present themselves and the more effort we have to put into remedying them.
The average tech worker now has to do more than install anti-virus software on their clients' computers. They must also perform complex tasks like vulnerability assessments and ethical hacking and be skilled in public key infrastructure (PKI) and enterprise defenses. The digital world has never been more complex than it is today.
Most devices have sensors for the gathering, storing, and transmitting of data, but networks are required to move that data. Tech workers with infrastructure knowledge will need to expand their knowledge further to understand the necessary networks for the connection of IoT devices.
Those same workers will also need to fine-tune their software-defined networking technology knowledge, even though most companies are yet to explore this tech. IoT will result in more traffic crossing over the network, requiring them to virtualize their network and have more control over the traffic traveling through it.
The average IT worker likely already has programming skills, but they might require fine-tuning for IoT. IoT speaks multiple programming languages like Python, Java, Swift, and PHP. These all require IT experts to have experience in analytics, software hardware, and user interface frameworks. It's also important for IT workers to maintain these skills over their careers. The programming field is ever-changing, and failure to keep up might mean you no longer have relevant information.
We've made decisions based on data for decades, and IoT means we'll continue to do that. However, the collection process typically looks different. Now, and in the past, analysts use models, statistical programming, and simulations to provide predictive answers. After transitioning to IoT, you must collect data from multiple sources without understanding their relationship, which can be a daunting prospect.
As a result, IT specialists will be required to learn a whole new way of performing data science. Currently, we're experiencing a skills gap in this respect, with many companies not having the expertise in their own company or access to skilled professionals outside of it.
The average IT worker is more than happy to work behind the scenes and have minimal interaction with their clients. However, that might change with companies adopting IoT. As more companies start using IoT at a business level to make decisions, tech workers can be required to ensure their clients are tracking the right data.
It might only be a matter of time before tech workers visit businesses and have conversations about business goals regarding data collection so they can make the right decisions regarding how they use IoT to its full potential.
For some IT workers, the prospect of more face-to-face communication with their clients can be intimidating. Therefore, their skills upgrades might go beyond a technical level. They might also need to improve their soft skills, such as communication, organization, perseverance, and problem-solving, to be able to work with their clients more closely.
By 2025, 85% of businesses will be expected to utilize cloud computing. In 2022, just 32% of companies were still running their software on traditional servers. Therefore, IT workers have already had time to refine their skills and adapt to cloud computing being the new norm.
That has likely put them in good stead for helping their remaining clients transition to the cloud. As more businesses adopt IoT, they will outgrow traditional servers and need to transition to the cloud for more efficient data management.
IT professionals are knowledgeable experts who understand the many intricacies of their field. However, the IT world is ever-changing. If tech workers want to be prepared for a wave of businesses adopting IoT, they'll likely need to refine their skills in the areas above.