December 8, 2009
IT Job Trends Foreshadow Talent Shortages
Network World
Robin Gareiss writes that according to a study by privately-held Hackett, over the next three to five years, there may be a loss of “nearly two million back-office infrastructure jobs, including help desk and data centre support staff.”
“That aligns with ongoing Nemertes’ research. Organizations have slashed IT staff by an average of 17 per cent in 2009, and are projecting increasing movements towards managed services. Downsizing’s not the whole story, however: Nemertes also finds growing shortages in key areas; fully 60 per cent of IT shops say they’re experiencing skills shortages, particularly in applications development, VOIP/UC convergence, network and storage infrastructure, and security. And there’s ongoing demand for folks who are skilled cross-functionally, with expertise in architecture, strategic planning, and project management.”
Will Chrome netbooks really be competitive?
ZD Net
John Morris writes about netbooks and Google’s Chrome operating system.
“Google is clearly taking the time to make sure that Chrome has the basic performance, security and features that users expect in a netbook by the time it ships sometime in the second half of 2010. And it is working with a broader group of PC manufacturers including not only Acer, but also Asus, HP, Lenovo, Toshiba and, it seems, Dell. Though they are refer to future products as netbooks, Google says it is pushing for slightly larger displays–most likely ranging from 11.6- to 13.3 inches–and full-size keyboards to improve usability, which means they’ll probably look similar to the low-cost, ultra-thin laptops that are becoming more prevalent. All of this should add up to a more competitive product.”
Tandberg: Customizable Telepresence?
The VAR Guy
Charlene OHanlon writes about Tandberg’s Telepresence T3 Custom Edition solution.
“Tandberg’s … Telepresence T3 Custom Edition, (is) a fully customizable solution that offers a level of flexibility traditional videoconferencing systems don’t offer … The T3 Custom Edition offers the same features as its counterparts the T1 and T3, including touch collaboration display and standards-compliant technology, without the furniture and lighting of the T3. Plus, the T3 Custom Edition doesn’t require a minimum number of seats like the T3 – and that’s good news for solution providers with customers who just don’t have the room or the capacity for a traditional videoconference room setup. In creating a fully flexible solution, Tandberg is opening its doors to a whole new audience of users.”
