Trendmill
"IT sector will need more network security experts"
Gayatri Rajwade

SOFTWARE professionals will need to constantly upgrade skills to keep pace with rapid changes in technology, feels Lokesh Mehra, Regional Manager, Corporate Responsibility, South Asia, Cisco Systems (India) Pvt. Ltd. Excerpts from an interview:

Every field in the software industry requires trained personnel. With rapid changes in technology, there will be a consistent requirement for manpower to cater to the expansion. Indians are more adept scientifically and analytically, there is no question of this.

Networking was considered to be a male bastion but we find that 34 per cent of over 6000 students participating in the Cisco Networking Academy Program are girls. This ratio, when compared to the numbers in developed countries like Hong Kong and Singapore, is very high.

This is a philanthropic education initiative developed by Cisco Systems in alliance with governments, educational institutions, leading technology companies and non-profit organisations around the world. It is an e-learning model that delivers web-based, multi-media rich, educational content to students and working adults on the principles and practices of designing, building and maintaining computer networks. Students are provided with relevant IT skills and hands on experience which prepares them for international certifications like the Cisco Certified Network Associate. These certifications are a global passport for students to work anywhere in the world.

Why do most MNCs only look towards the IITs for talent?

The resources at the IITs are larger in terms of exposure and facilities but there are a lot of good students in other universities as well who were perhaps not able to get into IIT for a host of reasons.

What engineering colleges and universities need to do is encourage their students to think out of the box and upgrade their own curriculum to match the changes in this sector.

There is a dearth of security professionals. The Internet needs constantly upgraded security features and there is a tremendous need to programme new security products and features along with a host of related activities.

Also, people trained on wireless technologies are in short supply.

He or she should be empowered to take decisions, should shoulder the responsibility of tasks and activities and the customer should always be first priority. Above all this, the person should have fun while working-live, work and learn that is our mantra.