What is a Systems Developer?

For companies that manage a large amount of customer data or other information, a proper system of servers, software, and security approaches is an absolute requirement. These businesses often rely on proprietary solutions, keeping much of their information in-house. Others outsource their data to the cloud but still need in-house encryption, redundant storage and backup, and a variety of other tech-related tools available at all times. What these businesses really need is a systems developer who, with a strong educational background in information technology and software development, and create a system that works uniquely for that company’s needs.

The Servers: Systems Developers Create the Right Hardware Environment

While most people are familiar with how a desktop computer works, the vast majority of workers simply don’t know how to install, manage, and secure one or more servers for company use. That’s where a systems developer comes in. With a strong background in IT education at the undergraduate or graduate levels, they’ll work to actually create the right server setup for each company’s needs. Typically, this means making a number of crucial decisions to coincide with company practices and goals:

– The right number of servers
– The right operating system
– The right encryption tool
– The right broadband connection speed
– Proper server placement
– The best hardware manufacturer
– The best vendor for standalone server units

These considerations would be impossible for someone to make within the organization without a background in IT and server configuration. Systems developers can be trusted to pick a solution that works for the company’s present needs, expands along with the company, and is scalable enough to withstand at least a decade’s worth of change in the industry.

The Apps: Software Development and Implementation is a Key Responsibility

While establishing the hardware environment for a company is one of their chief duties, systems developers often don’t stop at just picking the right server and broadband connection. Those with a background in programming or software development will next develop the right software, encryption tools, and proprietary serer management tools, to help their business clients or employers manage information in a way that works best for the company.

This is often a much longer and more convoluted process than deploying the hardware, since the systems developer must create an application that works with the server’s operating system, the operating system used by workplace computers, and the interfaces already well-known and proficiently used by company employees. Furthermore, they must make sure that any proprietary system is highly secure and that all of the company’s most valuable information or customer data is safely stored behind lock and key.

Systems Development is a Growing Profession in an IT-Minded World

The responsibilities of the average systems developer will have them creating both hardware and software ecosystems for a single employer or a list of interested clients. Because their skills typically allow for the full package, form hardware selection and deployment to software development and training, these positions are highly paid and in increasingly high demand.

Those who are looking to become a part of this fast-growing profession should be committed to continual education, learning about new operating systems, hardware solutions, and software programming languages, as they become available and as business clients begin to prefer them when meeting their unique needs.