Cloud Computing Architects: The Foundation of a New IT Order?

Companies are in need of new IT experts: cloud computing architects. These technology professionals are adept at weaving together multiple cloud solutions to form a cohesive whole, one that allows businesses to tap into new data sets and maximize resources. But are these architects really the foundation of a new IT order and can midsize companies afford this future?

Whole in One?

Research firm Gartner notes that one critical misconception about cloud computing is that the technology is a singular "phenomenon," according to Data Center Knowledge. More accurately, it is an amalgamation of solutions, including public, private and hybrid clouds, along with purpose-built tools that take advantage of cloud resources while avoiding single-use functions. The complete IT structure of a business often includes multiple cloud and non-cloud services working in unison to tackle complex projects.

Enter the cloud computing architect, an IT expert trained to merge these unique components and create an environment of success and simplicity. Forbes points to initiatives such as analytic performance and workload flexibility that can benefit from consolidating disparate resources into a single purpose. It is no surprise, then, that tech and retail giants alike are now hiring these architects and paying big money. The salaries of cloud computing architects range from $90,000 to $170,000.

Building the Midsize Business

For midsize businesses, this kind of spend may not be possible; indeed, smaller firms often employ only one or two full-time IT professionals to manage corporate technology. In some cases, the push to bring in local help in an effort to manage off-site resources appears counterintuitive. Cloud solutions are often sold as problem solvers, not creators.

So how do companies build their own future in a world where cloud and in-house technologies must interact and overlap? They'll need to start from the ground up and build into a joint effort. Instead of paying an architect to build the future, midsize businesses have the opportunity to raise their own ceiling using three cornerstones: expectations, evaluation and evolution. Here's what these three criteria entail:

Cloud computing architects have a bright future in the technology industry. Even so, midsize companies can fashion the same building blocks through collaboration and the realization that the cloud is more than the sum of its parts.

This post was brought to you by IBM for Midsize Business. Dedicated to providing businesses with expertise, solutions and tools that are specific to small and midsized companies, the Midsize Business program provides businesses with the materials and knowledge they need to become engines of a smarter planet.

More here:
Cloud Computing Architects: The Foundation of a New IT Order?