Top IT Networking Skills

Virtualization, Green IT, Unified Communications and Security in High Demand

Here is a list of some of the most important IT networking skills you should have under your belt.

This information is based on the results of a 2010 survey by Cisco, which asked holders of itsCCIE certification what they thought digital infrastructures will look like in the next five years, and which types of skills they think will be in most demand.

1. Virtualization and Green IT: These skills are likely to be in high demand as more than two-thirds of respondents predicted virtualization would top the list of networking investments, with chief information officers (CIOs)continuing to focus on reducing IT costs. Respondents also predicted that data center energy efficiency would be the top green IT initiative impacting networks — so if you want to increase your value in the workplace, you should look into learning more about this area of green IT.
2. Unified Communications (UC): The survey responses suggest that specializing in unified communications, particularly video-based collaboration, would also be a smart career move. Forty-seven percent of respondents said UC will pave the way for increased collaboration in the workforce, and 30 percent predicted that CIOs will focus on accommodating the needs of a highly collaborative, global workforce. Real-time video solutions were also cited by 52 percent of respondents as one of the top green IT initiatives that will affect networks and network engineers, and 25 percent said video would be a top networking trend.
3. Security and risk management: 64 percent of respondents predicted that these would be the most in-demand networking skills. Furthermore, one-third of respondents said they expect network and information security breaches to remain a top concern for CIOs.

Posted in: Skills