By Mina Lim
Cloud computing is changing the business and social landscape across Asia Pacific. Commercial enterprises and government agencies have become big consumers of cloud services, and they are offering a multitude of services in the cloud to eager consumers who are hungry for the latest innovations.
The cloud is changing lives daily, and, as this happens, it?s become a great opportunity for the next step in technology and business careers.
? You already live in the cloud, so why not work in the cloud?
The most fulfilling careers are lifestyle jobs, meaning you live and breathe your work. People who live in the APAC region are constantly connected and use the Internet and mobile phones as an integral part of their daily lives, which means the gap between work life and personal life is already being narrowed by technology. So why not go that extra step and become immersed in the cloud? It?s where the latest technology is being developed and integrated with modern lifestyles, from the most innovative online commercial companies, to the most connected and vibrant social media platforms, and the opening up of state and city governance. When you work selling cloud solutions, you will help shape the future. And the opportunities are booming. Leading cloud provider Oracle alone recently announced plans to hire 1,000 cloud sales professionals in APAC.
? Intelligent infrastructure across APAC is expanding ? be part of the growth.
Cloud services and infrastructure are expanding in every direction, and, as they do, so are career opportunities. In APAC, new cities are springing up across the region, built with the most modern communication networks and wired up as smart cities. The cloud is at the center of these advances. Intelligent infrastructure will continue to expand, and state and local governments are using the wired city model to make life easier with smoother transportation and more efficient and cost effective utilities. National and local governments are opening up their services to connected citizens, getting them to contribute to the development of smart cities and collaborate in their planning. Cloud careers put you at the center of these exciting developments.
? If cloud companies sell state-of-the-art systems and services, you can bet they?re using the latest technologies and best practices internally, as well.
Cloud companies benefit from their own technologies, and, if you work for a cloud provider, so will you. For example, companies offering the latest Human Capital Management applications also use those same capabilities in the recruitment, development, and retention of their own staff, as well as to engage prospective employees on social media. So they select great candidates, have the smoothest on-boarding procedures, and have career-tracking systems that help guide personnel along the optimum path for training and development.
? Cloud companies offer the deepest and broadest tech platforms.
Working for a cloud company gives you the potential to be exposed to every aspect of technology and choose the right path to follow. The cloud consists of three layers: infrastructure as a service (IaaS), software as a service (SaaS), and platform as a service (PaaS). The IaaS layer includes computers, servers, storage, network connectivity, and other hardware. The more visible software applications at the upper layer, the SaaS layer, are delivered as customer-facing services. In addition, the most advanced cloud companies, such as Oracle, complete the cloud stack with PaaS, a platform developers can use to customize applications and tailor them for mobility, innovation, and differentiation. Analysts have predicted that globally, all provider-based (public and private) cloud services combined are forecast to reach $115 billion by 2017, and the ?components supply? end of the cloud opportunity – selling gear and services for public cloud, enterprise private cloud, and hosted private cloud – will reach $65 billion in the same period. Cloud careers are bound to follow the same upward trajectory.
? It?s about people, not just technology.
When selling cloud, you?re dealing with how people use technology, not just tech deployment. You must be social, mobile, and ?always on? to respond to customers working in the fast-paced cloud environment. You must have, or develop, the people skills required to assess customer needs and match those with the most appropriate solutions. The best cloud sales people understand their customer?s perspective, and use business analytics and problem-solving skills to complement their sales, marketing, and consultancy roles. Cloud sales professionals can become part of an extended team of people who are working together to devise and deliver cloud strategies that have a transformative impact on their customers. Cloud careers open up an environment of creativity and diversity, and offer a lead role in shaping the future of business as part of a dedicated, motivated workplace.
The author is the country managing director of Oracle Philippines
