The face of the IT workforce is changing rapidly as skill and business requirements and technology trends are all shaping the new IT landscape, say Gartner analysts.
Speaking at the opening of the three-day annual Gartner ITxpo conference in Cape Town today, Gartner Africa MD Renee Jacobs said the business need for IT will be created as recovering economies and regulatory disruption will require technology-enabled innovation and change in most companies.
"The role of IT will change as large enterprises` IT departments will deliver more value by managing business information, processes and relationships."
Jacobs also said there are longer term social consequences of technology development and the harsh reality within Africa of the digital divide, the overall lack of skills and diversity add to the overall mix.
"For example, 55% of local IT employees are thinking of changing their jobs within the year. The average time that it takes to fill a job has increased to more than 50 days. And companies spend one to 2.5 times an annual salary to replace and retrain new employees."
Jacobs said future success in the IT industry will be defined by strategic use of the enterprise`s human resources.
Gartner analyst Andy Kyte said South African organisations have more experience than their overseas peers in handling change.
"The changes that South African companies have had to manage over the past 13 have been huge. But they must not rest on their laurels."
Kyte said many IT professionals do not have the right skills set to go into the future.
"Traditional IT people are not able to read a balance sheet or understand the competitive nature of their businesses."
He said that in the future, IT professionals would have to spend as much time on those skills as they spend tracking technology.
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