Step up from ops on your IT career path

Emerging forces, such as cloud computing and security, shift the focus of IT operations jobs from traditional hardware and software concerns to business-aligned efforts. Powerful devices, architectures, software stacks and third-party options challenge enterprise IT deployments and the staff that run them.

If your daily IT operations tasks and goals revolve around cost management, service levels and performance rather than break/fix and configuration -- or if you want the opportunity to cross into a new field -- peruse these four hot job titles: application performance analyst, IT service broker, cloud computing specialist and IT security specialist.

Companies that rely on cloud and other third-party services find they need in-house cloud computing specialists and IT service brokers to navigate the complex offerings and price models from providers. Businesses in every industry must act as tech companies to stay competitive, making application performance and data security paramount on corporate agendas. This focus on IT-enabled success calls for IT operations professionals who are willing to develop the necessary mindset, building on existing skills and knowledge.

These are certainly not the only new IT roles appearing across the business landscape -- there are big data analysts and internet of things developers, among others -- but they represent the most exciting and important IT operations trends with tangible implications for business.

As IT operations jobs morph into and meld with business operations, and emerging technologies mature into enterprise standards, these roles are certain to evolve again. Roles will change quickly in IT for the foreseeable future, and IT professionals must continuously adapt and position themselves to meet future business needs. If IT cannot provide answers, the business will find them elsewhere.