Les évolutions liées à la virtualisation des réseaux sont conséquentes. Elles bouleversent déjà les organisations et les modes de travail de façon pérenne.
Aurélie TOBOLA
By transforming a hardware-based infrastructure into an application-based operation hosted in data centers, network virtualization could significantly reshape staffing needs and required skill sets. As early as 2016, AT&T's executive committee estimated that virtualization could allow the company to “operate with one-third fewer staff.”
Beyond this headline claim, it is worth examining the potential HR impacts of network virtualization.
A crucial trio: virtualization, automation, digitalization
It is important to clarify from the outset that network virtualization cannot function in isolation. It is inherently connected to automation and the digitalization of customer relations.
Automation aims to avoid human and/or manual interventions that could disrupt processes. Digitalization, when combined with virtualization, helps fulfill the promise made to customers:
- diversified marketing offers,
- personalized services,
- usage-based billing,
- real-time service delivery,
- network service management via digital interfaces,
- etc.
This system will primarily rely on technologies such as Cloud, SDN (Software-Defined Networking), NFV (Network Function Virtualization), APIs, Big Data and Data Analytics, and Open Source.
Impacts of virtualization on workforce
Design vs. operations: same impact?
The resource impact will vary depending on whether we are discussing network design or operations. Major trends include:
- In design, the traditional network architect role will evolve into an end-to-end solution architect, combining network and IT skills.
- In operations, there will eventually be reduced demand for network administrators. Problems will become either simple enough for network technicians or so complex that network engineers will be needed. Currently, the time saved through automation is offset by solving new, complex issues not previously encountered.
Winners and losers in job roles
Overall, workforce in network-related jobs may either shrink or shift. In some cases, virtualization will simplify tasks that previously required multiple people but can now be handled by one.
However, integrators and technicians could benefit. Integrators will play a critical role in data centers, and technicians will remain essential due to the growing importance of customer experience. We already see integrators gaining influence in organizational shifts—for example, Orange recently created an “on-demand integration center” to support virtualization projects.
What about skills?
No new jobs, but enriched existing roles
Skills will inevitably evolve to fully harness the benefits of virtualization.
Some speculate about the emergence of SDN engineers. Matthew P. Davy, Director of InCNTRE and Network Architect at Indiana University, considers this unlikely.
However, he also notes that “fewer and fewer network engineers will be able to get by without fundamental knowledge of servers, storage, hypervisors, system administration, and scripting languages.” In other words, IT fundamentals will become essential for network experts—beyond specific SDN skills, for which certifications will soon be available.
This shift in competencies and closer collaboration is already reflected in the formation of software development teams within network engineering departments.
Skills for network design and implementation roles
For those involved in network design and implementation, the key required skills will include:
- an abstract vision of the network as a data model,
- collaboration between NetOps and software engineering,
- provisioning of Cloud infrastructure,
- deployment of network management tools to automate tasks,
- and telemetry-based data analysis.
IT teams will also be impacted. In addition to the abstract view of networks, they will need:
- an API-based approach,
- deployment of Open Source components,
- familiarity with DevOps and NetOps principles,
- and agile collaboration with marketing. Infrastructure teams increasingly rely on product owners for each virtual network function and software component.
Skills for network operations roles
On the operations side, changes will differ:
Network experts will need to:
- manage more complex systems,
- work closely with software engineering,
- monitor Cloud infrastructures,
- and use analytics and machine learning tools.
IT professionals will need to strengthen their skills in:
- incident analysis,
- trend monitoring based on telemetry,
- and Cloud infrastructure management.
They may also take on advisory roles regarding service offerings and configuration options.
What skills for support functions?
The technological shift should not overshadow the fact that non-technical functions—such as marketing—will also need to evolve, especially because virtualization is intertwined with the digitalization of customer interaction.
Support, marketing, and sales teams will need an end-to-end understanding of solutions. They must be capable of selling multi-technology, virtualized offerings.
To better meet customer expectations, marketing teams will need to work more closely with network architecture (due to complexity and frequent updates) and develop API sensitivity.
Network virtualization is already disrupting organizations and working methods in lasting ways. Studies show that agility and cross-functional collaboration will become more central to operations. Still, Brent Salisbury, Lead Network Engineer at the University of Kentucky, offers reassurance to network experts: “SDN is an evolutionary process—network engineers are not going away. Even in data centers, there are still physical components. It’s wrong to think that in ten years we’ll expect them to be developers [though] knowing some programming and API integration will be essential.”
At this stage, what we are observing is more a skills enhancement for network engineers and architects toward IT than a full shift in responsibilities. Increased collaboration is already blurring the line between the two roles. This marks not just a transformation of jobs and skills, but also of work culture and practices, and the transition will take several years.
Further reading:
https://searchnetworking.techtarget.com/feature/SDN-jobs-Skills-network-engineers-should-focus-on
