The application development & support market has remained in a positive position throughout this year with only the upcoming holiday period stalling the slow but steady momentum. We have seen demand in the usual areas predominantly led by .Net & Java but we are seeing most demand and probably the shortest supply in tier one ERP skills (mainly SAP & Oracle), Microsoft SharePoint, Front End Web and Mobile Development. With that in mind the demand for contractors skilled in Agile development methodology continues to rise, as companies move away from large scale in house software development programs in favour of quicker rapid deployment of products and services. When companies do commit to large scale software programs they are looking to utilise a combination of in house resources, contractors, local specialist service providers as well as global outsourcers. This creates greater spread of risk on key deliverables, flexibility with resources but major challenges in vendor management, accountability, communication and ultimately decision making.
Companies are increasingly looking at consolidated ERP systems with Oracle and SAP taking a majority market share but we have also seen a number of companies committing more capital expenditure to JDE, PeopleSoft and Seibel upgrades as in most cases they offer a much more cost effective solution rather than the larger investment needed to implement Oracle or SAP. You will see from our salary review that SAP Basis & Oracle Database Administrators have experienced the largest rate & salary increases due to high demand and increasingly low supply. We have also seen a similar trend in demand for HR/Payroll consulting skills across most of the major ERP products. Due to the shortage of available skills in this area we have seen companies bringing resources from overseas to meet demand on critical projects. As with any technology skills shortage there has been a large push from candidates looking to enter the contracting market in order to take advantage of higher daily rates, this in turn has led to a large number of permanent positions being left open for 6-12 months.
What Next?
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So I may not be the most outspoken when it comes to gadgets compared to my fellow co-workers (you know who you are) but I do like my gadgets. The countdown to Christmas has begun and what better way to get into the Christmas spirit than writing your Christmas wish list.
After a quick poll of my more geeky colleagues, visits to the major electronics retailers and some online research, I have compiled my predictions for the top selling tech gadgets this Christmas.
If you are not sure what to get your loved one or if like me you selfishly want some of these on your wish list, then hopefully this will be of use. If there is something that I have missed or if you have feedback on any of these products, please do let me know.
P.S. can someone please forward this to my wife?
Tablets
The iPad has taken off with a bang, but isn’t it just a bigger i-phone? Well yes is the short answer but it has so much more going for it if you give it a try. Appealing to everyone from kids to senior executives and everyone in-between, there is an application for almost every multimedia need (games, music, photos, browsing, video, email etc). It is easy to use, lightweight and with a big screen it is very easy on the eye and even more eye catching. For people who like to be different, the Samsung Galaxy tablet also seems to be taking some market share and most reviews are giving it a big thumbs up.
E-books
Further evolution in the way we access information is demonstrated by the massive increased in demand for E-books. The Amazon Kindle and Sony Pocket Edition seem to be the front runners but there are other manufacturers who have cheaper alternatives. They are particularly useful for people on the move, students and book collectors who don’t have room for all their favorites. They can store up to 3000 books and will guarantee you are never stuck for something to read on long journeys. Read more…
As a specialist in IT infrastructure recruitment, we have taken some time to review the salaries and rates within this sector in the year so far.
The IT industry was one of the strongest sectors during the GFC and has also been one of the quickest to regain momentum during the recovery. This has led to quicker than expected competition for IT resources, with pressure growing on both salaries and contract rates.
Some key points to note are:
- Competition is rife at more junior levels as company’s look to gain value for money.
- Contract rates have accelerated at a faster pace than permanent salaries.
- High demand for specialist skill sets in storage, security, virtualization and cloud computing.
- Management salaries experiencing a slower increase as companies focus on technical resources.
- Very high demand for project staff with a number of delayed IT investments now under way.
- High demand for IT infrastructure transition, consolidation and integration skills.
- IT service providers driving demand for infrastructure architects, pre-sales and delivery professionals.
The figures are to be used as a guide only, these figures have been taken from placements that we have made, candidates we have on our database and jobs that we have recruited for this year. The correlation between years experience and salary is based on the skill level, performance and ability of individuals and is not necessarily a direct reflection of the number of year’s experience.
If you would like a more tailored indication of salary and rate information specific to your business, one of our Infrastructure specialists would be happy to arrange a meeting to discuss.
Questions or comments can be directed to our Blog site or directly by email to Rory Herity directly at rory.herity@ambition.com.au
One of the most common questions being asked right now is “are salaries and contract rates going up in line with the increase in demand for IT resources?” My initial reaction is a resounding, ‘yes’, however looking a little deeper there are some interesting points of note starting to occur across the Technology Industry.
Using the relatively widespread salary benchmark reports that pop up on the internet from a variety of sources, I was surprised at how low some of the average salaries were being reported. They certainly didn’t match up with what I was seeing day-to-day but with any statistical data you cannot read too much in to it without carefully examining the small print i.e. Scope and reach of the survey and the number and class of respondents.
So digging a little deeper I used a matrix of tools to see if there really was any truth to the rate changes being reported. Using a number of major job boards and cross referencing our own candidate database information and job placement data I was able to refine my findings. Finally to add a further layer of reference I spoke to other IT recruiters and a number of my current clients. Read more…
As the economy returns to a more positive state we are seeing a return to good fortune for most Senior IT Managers in relation to their IT budget for 2010. It is still surprising however to see how much scrutiny exists on infrastructure spend compared to other areas of IT.
Despite many years of significant cost savings driven by the IT Infrastructure teams, still the cry is for more with less. An after effect of the GFC perhaps, but the continued search for ways to reduce operating costs whilst often significantly under-staffed , creates a real challenge to ensure systems uptime and meet Service Level Agreements
More visible and consequently more favoured areas of the business still see the bulk of IT investment because quite simply Senior Management (non-IT) perceive them to be the areas where most value can be added. This has lead to many IT Infrastructure Managers having to “make do” with what they have.
How do you compete for a slice of the IT investment pie and how do you overcome the age old perception of, ‘out-of sight, out-of mind?’
The application development & support market has remained in a positive position throughout this year with only the upcoming holiday period stalling the slow but steady momentum. We have seen demand in the usual areas predominantly led by .Net & Java but we are seeing most demand and probably the shortest supply in tier one ERP skills (mainly SAP & Oracle), Microsoft SharePoint, Front End Web and Mobile Development. With that in mind the demand for contractors skilled in Agile development methodology continues to rise, as companies move away from large scale in house software development programs in favour of quicker rapid deployment of products and services. When companies do commit to large scale software programs they are looking to utilise a combination of in house resources, contractors, local specialist service providers as well as global outsourcers. This creates greater spread of risk on key deliverables, flexibility with resources but major challenges in vendor management, accountability, communication and ultimately decision making.
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