Hi
I don't know whether there is anyone with database admin/devlopment background . But I have a question - With database getting fully automated will the future DBA's will end up jobless. What is the trend after 5/6 yrs in database technology and especially related to erp technology as sap or oracle financials

Hi Vicktor,

I work in a large telecommunications company, and we rely heavily on database functionality for the operations of our business.

I don't think DBAs, financial reporters or data analysts will ever become fully redundant. IMO at the end of the day technology, even though its becoming more and more advanced, still needs human intervention at some level. As we technologically advanced, certain jobs functions will become redundant, but that advancement will also reveal new ways in which to work with technology, which will in turn create new opportunities for people.

In my opinion the important thing for anyone involved with technology, is to constantly keep abreast of new technologies in your field, so as to not fall behind your colleagues.

The day a computer can think for itself, and fix itself, that's when I think we humans might be
In trouble :)
I hope that goes someway to answer your question.

Cheers
H

A 2004 article in ComputerWeekly said the next generation of DB admins will have deeper application and IT lifecycle knowledge. I agree with HDW07, and would like to point out that there are still plenty of Cobol applications out there, and a need for people to support them. The same will be true for years to come for SAP and Oracle legacy support: as next generation systems come out, these jobs won't be "sexy" any more but they'll still be out there. Regarding the future over the next decade, my guess would be greater integration with the internet, continued growth of the importance of open source software, new and more powerful security models, a blurring of the line between applications and databases, new ways of representing data with greater congruence to the real world. But hey, I don't have a crystal ball so your guess is as good as mine. :-)

You might Google terms like "next generation databases" or "future of database administration" and scan the articles that come up.

Vasily