August 6, 2009, 11:17 am
Last week, Datamation published an article on the rise in value of Linux job skills in today’s economy. Linux system administration skills are now the number 2 hottest IT job skill. In the last year, the value of Linux skills has risen 50 percent, an astounding rise in a tough economy.
Many pundits who have seen this data have postulated that the economy is actually the source for this rapid rise in valuation, as companies are flocking to open source software due to budget constraints. Anecdotally I have seen this as well, and our members tell us they are seeing it too.
Some drivers contributing to the rise in Linux value:
- There is a surge in Unix to Linux migrations happening in the enterprise. The economy is partially responsible for this, as is some of the natural fall out of aging applications and hardware and the uncertainty in the Unix market as a whole.
- Linux clustering has rapidly evolved in the last year, delivering great value to companies who make use of this.
- The rise of Linux in embedded devices of all kinds. You have phones, GPS units, TVs, watches and many other devices all using Linux. That means there are many more companies needing to hire Linux talent.
- The economy pushes companies into consolidation mode, as consolidation means more leverage with vendors and easier hiring. Right now, the server OS market is a two horse race with Linux and Windows.
The need for Linux talent is so acute we created a Linux training program, at the behest of our Technical Advisory Board. This program offers in person and online training on a broad range of topics, especially Linux development. The need is obviously out there for qualified Linux professionals and developers. Our training program — and others from Novell, Red Hat, etc — can make it much easier for individuals to find and retain good jobs, even in this economy.