Network management is changing. Trends such as the convergence of telecommunications and data over IP networks, the drive to enable flexible working, and the outsourcing of network provision mean the consummate network professional today needs a broad understanding of everything from security and service management to software and supplier relationships.

Robert Chapman, chief executive of IT training company Firebrand Training, has watched the blurring of network and systems management during his 20 years in IT.

“In our business, we meet a broad spectrum of the IT community and in all sectors we are increasingly seeing the bleeding of understanding between disciplines,” he says.

“I used to talk about departmental solutions to problems, but as they have been integrated everybody has to have understanding and appreciation of everything else. You can no longer talk about point solutions to point problems.”

Richard Rutherford, senior systems engineer at utility Scottish Power, agrees, and says skill sets are converging. “Traditionally we had a number of discrete networks with experts and management systems for each of them,” he says.

“Convergence has driven us down the single IP network route, and as such the skill sets and the people have to combine too. Everyone has to have a better understanding of what impact anything on this single, converged network has on the rest of the business as a whole.”

The growth of mobile and flexible working is also having a big effect on network management skill sets. Network management teams not only need a knowledge of the different devices proliferating on their networks, but they must also understand and manage the implications in terms of security and demand for bandwidth.

“For example, the latest version of Microsoft Exchange seamlessly integrates with lots of mobile devices and suddenly huge chunks of your data can be easily transferred externally. You do not know how people are using that data – ­ but you have to manage that infrastructure effectively,” says Chapman.

But veteran networking industry watcher and consultant Peter Cochrane, chief executive of Cochrane Associates and former chief technology officer and head of research at BT, says the skills to give users freedom on the network will be equally vital.

“Increasingly you find people on the periphery of the network doing just about everything, and one of the biggest impediments to progress on this planet is IT departments and network departments that try to throttle capacity and control what people are doing,” he says. “If there is a future for us, it is a future of freedom.”

Another driver for networking change is outsourcing. More companies, particularly small and medium-sized ones, are outsourcing not only their network, but also management and monitoring. Such activity is freeing up IT personnel, who are often multi-skilled, to engage in more business-focused activities, although they still need to retain the skills to manage suppliers effectively ­ – see Top skills, below.

One such organisation is Control Risks, a growing international business risk consultancy with 18 offices around the world and six project offices. Chief information officer Martin Joy has overseen the transition to a fully-managed, outsourced AT&T wide area network (WAN).

“For a medium-sized company, strategic outsourcing seems like a very sensible way to tackle things,” he says.

“Now, rather than having to do the work themselves, my team needs the skills to understand the business drivers ­ – which they do because they have been with the organisation a long time ­ – as well as the ability to work with vendors.

“This is to ensure the business is getting the service it demands and to pull all the disparate parts together and get them working as effectively as possible.”

Joy says his team is also able to innovate much more for the business. “It is about looking at the capability of the new network and saying we can now layer on top all these value-added applications that previously we were unable to,” he says.

“These folks are taking a lead in that. They have played a key part in rolling out some global applications, including customer relationship management. They are also looking at how we can deliver business continuity coverage and better email. They now have the ability to do a lot more for the business, and they like that.”

But some smaller companies are just glad to be rid of the messy business of networking. High-street and online retailer the Marvellous Group has a fully-hosted Easynet multi-protocol layer switching (MPLS) network linking its head office, call centre operations, 14 stores and third-party warehouse.

IT manager Innes Murray says he needs a good relationship with the supplier, not in-house skills. “We very much rely on our supplier’s input. I do not think we view network management as a competence we would want to invest in internally,” he says.

“There are only four people in our IT team. Small businesses tend to have more generalists because of the nature of what they are. Retail always presents new IT challenges. The core competence you look for in staff is common sense ­ – troubleshooting skills, knowing the right escalation path, whether that is to a network provider or elsewhere. It is not about knowing the answer as such.”

The Marvellous Group believes its MPLS network provides a good platform for the future. “You cannot anticipate everything but this is a pretty good solution and it is scalable,” says Murray.

“That was key ­ – as we grow and our needs develop, the network can expand to meet them. We have a half-year review where we meet with the supplier’s service manager and we identify any capacity issues, or discuss areas of concern that either party feels needs to be addressed.”