Career Opportunities in IT Infrastructure Management

For an organization’s information technology needs, managing systems, networks and storage are essential components of its infrastructure management.  IT infrastructure management is managing various operations to achieve strategic goals. Some of these operations are:

• Help Desk service
• Server management
• Storage management
• Monitoring of workstations and network devices
• Application Support
• IT Security management

A career in IT infrastructure management requires understanding of basic conceptual and technical tools and specialized training in developing competitive skills and regulatory processes. Multiple fields have lucrative job prospects in infrastructure management, such as multinational business consultancies, telecommunication companies, cloud service providers, and global financial institutions. Further, IT infrastructural professionals have high growth prospects in India with advancing technology and innovations.

Another important aspect of infrastructure management is the collaboration of public and private sector entities to overcome cyber security issues. The domain of security management is vast, given the amount of data and information which is present with public sector entities. Computer emergency response teams (CERT’s) and computer security incident response teams (CSIRT’s) are formed in public and private sector settings and play a crucial role in enhancing cyber resilience. Indian government has also realized the need for strong and attack proof secure IT infrastructure through measures such as the National Cyber Security Policy established in 2013; the Joint Working Group on Public Private Partnerships in Cyber Security established in 2012; and the National Cyber Security Task Force created by NASSCOM last year.

Various high profile companies, such as HCL, Wipro, and Tech Mahindra, provide IT infrastructure management services to businesses in multiple sectors. It is an effective alternative for companies seeking to optimize their IT infrastructure requirements. An interesting feature of IT infrastructure management is Remote Infrastructure Management (RIM), where monitoring and management is undertaken through global delivery centers, where skilled staff monitor and manage the infrastructure, confirming up times and availability 24X7. With technological developments in cloud computing, telecom services, and green data centers, RIM is accelerating at a fast pace in India.

According to Chairman of RIM forum, NASSCOM, Pradeep Kar, “Over the previous five years, the RIM segment has been on an accelerated growth pathway in India rising at a CAGR of 50 per cent. This sector is estimated to have accumulated export revenues of US$4.3 billion and employed 90,000 people in FY 2010. It is estimated that by 2020 RIM can contribute more than a third of total IT services revenues for India.”

Additionally, the government is highly focused on developing India as a technological hub. India Inc.’s initiatives such as Digital India and Smart Cities projects in place, the government is expecting an estimated investment of Rs. 4.5 lakh crore and jobs for roughly 18 lakh people across the country.  It is also inviting global giants, like Google, and Microsoft to invest in sectors like cloud computing.

Different jobs in IT Infrastructure management include assistant engineers and managers, project or operations managers, service managers progressing to senior roles such as deputy manager, division managers and more. Most companies offer high incentive packages to talented individuals. Generally, pay packages of fresh undergraduates or postgraduates range from 3 to 7 lakhs per annum. As one progresses in this field, gains exposure and valuable industry experience, packages as high as 16 to 17 lakhs per annum are offered by top notch IT service providers.