IT employees are woefully unprepared to deal with the unprecedented number of upgrade releases and support terminations set to materialise in the coming months, according to The Training Camp.
Five upcoming projects are likely to require a high degree of training and knowledge from support staff, engineers and programmers if they are to be a success, according to Camp experts.
The key upgrades include the long-awaited launches of Microsoft Longhorn and the end of support for Windows 2000 which is still used by 48% of UK businesses.
ìMany IT directors are meticulous in planning for the technical ramifications of upgrading or changing systems, but give scant regard to the human factor,î said Robert Chapman, co-founder at The Training Camp. ìThese projects will only impact companies in a positive way if they are deployed by competent, well-informed staff.î
ìBy speeding up training schedules more people can get up to speed in less time, eliminating the ëskills gapí that can occur between the time your software is upgraded and the time your staff know how to make the most of it.î
The Training Camp has identified 5 key landmarks in the coming IT calendar:
Dates for the IT directorís diary
1. Clinging to the Windows ledge
June 2006: Support for Windows 2000 will be terminated, leaving those companies yet to upgrade to the 2003 version without external back-up
2. The long-awaited SQL
November 2005: From XML enhancements to improved security features, SQL Server 2005 will enable database technicians to work more efficiently, more creatively and at less risk of data loss
3. Exchange and part
End of 2005: Support for Exchange 5.5 will be dropped, posing problems for those yet to upgrade to 2003
4. Long time coming
2006: By the end of the year, we expect to see the launch of Microsoft Longhorn. From a new graphics engine to a Web services and communication architecture, staff will have a lot to get to grips with
5. The OS revolution
2006: Perhaps the biggest change of all. By this point Gartner predicts that more than 60 percent of the market for IT professional services will be based on web services standards and technology. This may bring down costs but it will also bring vast new security challenges
Speed up training to keep up with upgrade rush
Accelerated learning can plug skills gap in companies
