It is expected that technology, like smart phones and websites, will be Always-On and available, 24/7, in this hyper-speed, hyper-connected world. But what about the people who support that technology? Do they have to be Always-On as well? Are some more Always-On than others? These questions inspired Emerson Network Power to survey IT professionals worldwide in search of answers.
Survey respondents confirmed the hunch that IT professionals must be as Always-On as the data center. When asked to describe an aIways-on situation, typical comments included “I have to be on, the same way the system is required to run 24 hours every day,” and “There are strict timelines to finish projects while still working to put out fires.”
“IT is a hugely demanding profession,” said Blake Carlson, vice president of the IT Business Segment, Avocent Products & Services, Emerson Network Power. “They need to be smart, flexible and quick – a lot like the technology they work to support. And, they must be able to handle multiple tasks at once and figure out how to get things done with limited or inadequate resources. In my experience, IT professionals are a breed apart.”
“IT professionals make it possible to deliver best-in-class technology services to clients round-the-clock,” said Pratik Chube, country general manager for products and marketing at Emerson Network Power in India. “They are under pressure to perform, at times even before they enter the workplace. And they do a marvelous job of navigating projects through conflicting priorities and meeting commitments with limited resources.”
Overall, the Emerson Network Power survey found:
· All IT jobs are highly Always-On, averaging a score of 71 on a 0- to 100-point Always-On scale.
On average, IT professionals are required to be available to work 119 hours in each 168-hour week.
In general, the higher level the job, the more Always-On.
Respondents ranked the top 10 most Always-On IT jobs as:
1. Executive Director/Administrator
2. IT Procurement
3. CIO
4. IT Manager/Director
5. IT Operations
6. Data Center Manager
7. Engineering
8. IT Security
9. Applications/Software Development
10. Database Management
IT pros in the number one slot have the job titles administrator, leader, department head and director. All survey respondents performing this high-level role agree they work on many projects at once, and that their work requires a high level of intelligence. Only 25 percent agree or strongly agree that success depends on things out of their control. In other words, they are accountable for success, and that translates into taxing job demands. As one director put it, “I must always be available for any emergency, on alert and pushing the limit so we can deliver results to our clients.”
The requirement of continuous availability was common among the group. One respondent summed it up best: “Always there, always there, always there.”
The online survey was conducted during February 2012 with IT professionals selected randomly from a list provided by sample supplier EMI. The sample was balanced and weighted by industry and company size to represent the real population of IT professionals in Asia, Europe, Latin America and the United States. Responses were received from 792 individuals representing 17 work roles, 18 industries and businesses of every size.
For more information about the demands on IT professionals, download Emerson Network Power’s report, “The Most Always-On IT Jobs” or view a slideshow of the results. For information on Emerson Network Power’s products and solutions, visit www.EmersonNetworkPower.com.
About Emerson Network Power
Emerson Network Power, a business of Emerson (NYSE:EMR), delivers software, hardware and services that maximize availability, capacity and efficiency for data centers, healthcare and industrial facilities. A trusted industry leader in smart infrastructure technologies, Emerson Network Power provides innovative data center infrastructure management solutions that bridge the gap between IT and facility management and deliver efficiency and uncompromised availability regardless of capacity demands. Our solutions are supported globally by local Emerson Network Power service technicians. Learn more about Emerson Network Power products and services at http://www.emersonnetworkpower.com/.
About Emerson
Emerson (NYSE: EMR), based in St. Louis, Missouri (USA), is a global leader in bringing technology and engineering together to provide innovative solutions for customers in industrial, commercial and consumer markets around the world. The company is comprised of five business segments: Process Management, Industrial Automation, Network Power, Climate Technologies, and Commercial & Residential Solutions. Sales in fiscal 2011 were $24.2 billion. For more information, visit http://www.emerson.com/.
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