TALKING business
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Gijsbert Janssen van Doorn , Technology Evangelist , Zerto
gatekeepers of IT resilience , so it ’ s important to recognise the role they play .
" It ’ s a tough job and most Systems Administrators are all too familiar with the middle-of-the-night call to come in and fix things when the systems mysteriously go down . Organisations looking to support their SysAdmins should ensure that they are spending enough on resilient infrastructure – across backup , disaster recovery and cloud mobility . This will allow your SysAdmins to focus on building and managing systems for always-on and agile services , rather than constantly fighting to get the systems back online ."
Steve Armstrong , Regional Director UK , Ireland and South Africa , Bitglass , also commented : “ Cloud adoption is on the rise across the globe as more organisations transition from premises-based tools to secure , flexible , easy-to-use cloud solutions . Because of this widespread migration , the role of the System Administrator has changed considerably . Today ' s SysAdmins are often focused on configuring , monitoring and managing organisations ' cloud infrastructure far more often than patching and administrating on-premises applications . As the role of a SysAdmin is evolving , the best in the field are like human Swiss Army Knives , equipped with every skill needed to keep systems up and running while ensuring that all services are secure and properly configured ."
Paul Parker , Chief Technologist of Federal and National Government , SolarWinds , said : " SysAdmins can be some of the most underappreciated employees in any organisation and yet they are , arguably , some of the most vital . For the public sector , their role is particularly important , as the services they maintain – such as in hospitals – are needed for the wellbeing of the general public . Working tirelessly to ensure that IT systems run smoothly and consistently , SysAdmins manage and monitor the systems , watching for any issues and working to make sure they can be resolved before they have an impact .
" In the NHS in particular , these administrators are crucial for the health service to function efficiently — when lives are on the line , downtime isn ’ t an option . SysAdmins maintain existing infrastructure , implement new technology and coordinate these sometimes-contrasting systems . This enables medical staff to concentrate on the patients and the care they need , without worrying that their technology might not be up to the job . To help SysAdmins deliver these services , IT decision makers should ensure they are provided with the tools and resources that will streamline the background processes the NHS relies on ."
Mat Clothier , CEO , CTO and Founder , Cloudhouse , commented : “ SysAdmins , defined by their distinct ability to configure , troubleshoot and optimise IT infrastructures , can play an important role in an area of IT that is often overlooked – legacy technology . As the problem of outdated IT becomes more and more prevalent in the run up to the upcoming end of life ( EOL ) of widely-used platforms , SysAdmins are perfectly positioned to support a business in its transition away from unsupported systems and towards newer , on-premise or cloud alternatives . This transition , in its most simple and cost-effective form , is made through the use of innovative container technology that provides portability for applications where it might not otherwise be possible . The mobility of applications in an ever-changing IT landscape should be a focal point for any organisation looking to thrive and the role of the SysAdmin is to help route out and push through this evolution of infrastructure in the ways that make most time and monetary sense .”
Gregg Mearing , Head of Managed Services , Node4 , said : “ SysAdmins fulfil a vital role that is growing in importance . For many organisations , the impact of cloud and the increasing investment in managed services means IT teams in general need to work more effectively with external providers on a regular basis . For these organisations , SysAdmins are really important experts in the delivery of an effective cloud-based IT strategy . From the Managed Service Provider point of view , SysAdmins often become part of a wider co-operative team – their intimate knowledge of their company and its IT infrastructure remains as important as ever .”
Jon Lucas , Director , Hyve Managed Hosting , contributed : “ When it comes to hosting , SysAdmins are central to both our own business and that of our customers . With this in mind , the question shouldn ’ t be what do they do for our business – it should be what don ’ t they do . SysAdmins handle all aspects of IT , keeping systems up and running and minimising downtime , meaning people in this role are required to have a very broad range of skills and knowledge . Obtaining and nurturing talent of this kind is something we take very seriously , as suitable candidates for the job are often hard to find . Consequently , not only should we be taking time on SysAdmin Day to appreciate all of the work they do , we should also be considering how we can continue to nurture future generations to ensure that the job is always a lucrative and rewarding one .”
Though SysAdmin Day comes around just once a year , it is obvious that from the amount of work these employees deliver in the background , businesses should ensure that they appreciate these crucial members of their IT teams all the year round . •
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