Companies are increasingly looking for employees with a cross-functional skillset to manage their data centres, given that the dynamics are changing and IT becomes embedded in business-related activities. That said, IT professionals equipped with security and Linux know-how will remain in demand. For the industry in general, the challenge now is accelerating the time required to enhance the skill levels of existing staff. Workers' skill levels will differ based on their experiences but all will need to be improved as technology advances. Such challenges can be overcome when educational institutes work with IT vendors to come up with the relevant curriculum to address the shortage and this is a win-win situation for both parties. Red Hat Singapore, for example, has partnered several local tertiary institutes such as the SMU School of Information Systems and Nanyang Polytechnic to offer its Linux certifications to students.