T-Shaped Skills

As part of the IBM SOA effort, IBM believes that for us IT professionals to be proficient at developing SOA applications, we will need what IBM is calling "T-shaped skills." That's a somewhat goofy term to describe someone with both business and technical skills, with breadth and depth in both areas. The "T" is the intersection of business and technical skills.

For more details, see:

• Improve Your SOA Skills (IBM)
• "IBM sees growing market demand for service-oriented architecture as thousands gather at inaugural 'IMPACT' global user conference" (IBM press release)
• "Got SOA Skills? You're in Demand!" (IBM SOA Newsletter)
• "IBM: SOA Fits Skills Shortage to a 'T'" (IT Jungle)
• "IBM Aims to Close SOA Skills Gap" (SYS-CON)
• "The Business Value of an SOA Strategy" (SYS-CON)
• "IBM Makes a Game Out of SOA Education" (eWeek)
• "Hiring Challenge: Finding Candidates that Fit to a T" (Enterprise Systems)
• "IBM Sees Growing Market Demand for SOA and Introduces SOA Roadmaps and Professional Services" (SOA Enterprise Architect)
• "IBM to Bridge IT and Business" (Infocomm Indonesia)

Commentary

The name of the term ("T-shaped skills") notwithstanding, this approach of needing to combine business and technology skills makes a lot of sense to me.

I think the most important skill I bring to the clients I consult with is a thorough understanding of certain technologies and products that embody those technologies combined with an ability to understand the basics of the business problems they need to solve. I combine these sets of knowledge to show how to build business applications using the technologies and products that meet the business requirements and solve the business problems. I think the key is being able to use technology not just for its own sake, but to derive business value. With SOA and its focus on aligning IT and business with each other, this business-technology-merger skill is more important now than ever. Now IBM has given that skill a name: T-shaped skills.