To those of us working in technology, it seems that the only constant is change. Windows 8 and Windows Server 2012 were just released as their RTM, and we had new versions of SQL Server and Sharepoint this year. Those technologies bring with them the need requirement that many of us upgrade our skills to work with new features over time. It's not that most of us need to learn to work with those versions right now, but the pace of upgrades continues to roll on, whether you are looking to move to the latest version or one that's slightly older.

As much as new features and capabilities are a part of version, it seems that the hype and promotion of different technologies can play as much a part in the decision to upgrade as the technical merits of any change. It seems no shortage of management is influenced by the reporting in the media and conversations with other executives about some new technology.

The "cloud" is a perfect example of this. It's in the news constantly, being promoted by many companies, despite the fact that the label is being applied to a mix of IaaS, PaaS, SaaS and everything in between. The Friday, I wanted to take a quick poll of how this amorphous beast might be influencing your career.

Do you think you'll work more with the cloud over the next year?

Define the cloud however you wish, but let us know. Do you think you'll see more cloud services used, deployments to the cloud, perhaps even some databases in the cloud? Let us know if the cloud is influencing your job or if it's just another fad you are hoping will fade away.

Steve Jones

The Voice of the DBA Podcasts

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