Leader: Consultants play key role in tech recovery

Much of the content silicon.com produces - while relevant to a range of occupations and organisations - focuses on individuals working as direct employees of an enterprise, whether they're in-house IT or a business manager in another department.

This, however, admittedly ignores a key segment of the IT world - the consultants. In particular, the individuals working on their own or in small bands as guns for hire.

While admittedly the interests of these two groups overlap, consultants have separate concerns as well. It's an area that's growing fast and is affected by some of the biggest trends in IT such as compliance and outsourcing.

That's why silicon.com has dedicated a new special report to IT consulting.

The IT services market is experiencing a growth spurt - 6 per cent last year by some estimates - and outpacing overall IT spend. After squeezing budgets and cutting staff a few years back, user organisations are now crying out for assistance as growth returns.

Those well-known providers with big consulting businesses are certainly taking their share of the jobs but there's also plenty of room for small businesses and lone consultants to get a piece of the pie. silicon.com contributor Anthony Plewes takes a closer look at how small consultancies compete against the big guns in this article.

The technical skills consultants need haven't changed a lot recently - though the need for skilled people overall is on the rise. And being a techie is no longer enough - consultants with business-savvy and softer skills such as project management are the ones getting ahead, as discussed in this article, also by Plewes.

Another key issue for consultants is the rise of corporate regulations and legislation, which have created greater concern about legal liability than in the recent past.

If a consultant makes a mistake, the company that hired him or her is liable from a compliance perspective. As a result, taking out indemnity insurance for both the firm and individual employees is becoming more and more common. Contributor Danny Bradbury addresses the cost and complexity of compliance in this article.

Our coverage in the coming weeks will also include the dos and don'ts of project management for consultancies as well as breaking news in this area. Stay tuned by keeping an eye on our special report page.

Are you an IT consultant? What are your biggest concerns? Share your thoughts by posting a Reader Comment below.