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Data teams bridge the gap between IT and business

CompTIA’s IT Industry Outlook report makes predictions on five trends that will impact data management and data security. This includes a more strategic role for database administrators. “As the demands on data grow (in both quantity and complexity), database administrators will move out of the development function, where many currently sit, and will join with other data specialists to harness the power of organizational data. These data teams will focus on aggregation, analysis, and visualization, and they will be the most likely to interact directly with business units, perhaps operating in a matrix style in order to most effectively connect the dots.”
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The tools of the cloud era emerge

“Moving forward, new elements built from a cloud mindset will play larger roles,” CompTIA says. “Software-defined components will lead to hyper-converged infrastructure. Blockchain will redefine database architecture. Artificial intelligence will provide a new layer for technology interaction. These changes, as with cloud, are primarily focused on the backend and will see initial adoption at the enterprise level before moving downstream into the SMB space. For all companies, though, the technology stack is growing, and there will be additional work in figuring out how to integrate the necessary pieces of a digital strategy.”
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Security gets worse before it gets better

“The headline-making breaches of the past three years have not put companies out of business, and research studies show that most firms are not fully prepared for a cyberattack,” CompTIA notes. “Unfortunately, the event that creates a tipping point will need to have greater consequences before there is a broad shift in transforming security technology, processes, and education. Perhaps that event will come in the fallout from Russia's alleged intrusion into the U.S. political process. Until the tipping point comes, though, mega-breaches will still make headlines as businesses play catchup on recent technology moves and try to stay ahead of the adoption curve.”
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IoT transforms physical environments and social conventions

“Beyond the buzz and the backlash, the Internet of Things is primed to be a massive disruptor,” CompTIA says. “As physical objects gain intelligence and connectivity, new opportunities will rise across all industries. The transition will take time, though. The pace of technology has accelerated, but the complexity of IoT and the regulations and protocols required for integration will drive a long adoption cycle. The breadth of potential applications has allowed many companies to get their feet wet in this space, and the lessons learned from cloud initiatives will help businesses consider security implications and hidden costs as they continue discovering the benefits of connected systems.”
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Opportunity spikes in cloud management arena

“Despite all the talk of consolidation, the number of vendor-based cloud companies is proliferating today,” CompTIA says. “Telecom providers, thousands of SaaS ISVs, and public cloud behemoths such as Amazon Web Services, among others, count among the ranks. For the channel, this voluminous market is expanding opportunity for vendor management. While seemingly obvious, a vendor manager acts as liaison between end customers and cloud-based vendors/service providers. The indirect channel is accustomed to this role, but today the task holds new meaning as customers navigate potential travails of the cloud world.”