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The Solution Architect defines the architecture of the system to be implemented, and is therefore responsible for the design and creation of systems that are scalable and reliable, often using Cloud infrastructure and services.

A bit like architects design the structure of buildings, Solutions Architects design solutions that meet customers’ requirements by devising strategies and using the different technologies offered by vendors, creating a final system that is as efficient as possible.

For the system implementation, they work with the SysOps and DevOps teams to ensure that the solution is implemented correctly. They are in charge of solving any architectural problems during implementation.

The main activities of a Solution Architect are: 

• Designing, implementing and managing cloud infrastructures taking cost and scalability into account 
• Analyzing customer business objectives and developing related solutions
• Identifying solutions to modernize the outdated systems of a company, making them more efficient
• Helping implement solutions that minimize downtime and security breaches
• Assessing risks and possible integrations with third-party platforms and frameworks already used by the customer
• Improving business operations by digitizing and automating routine processes
• Staying constantly updated on technology developments, particularly those related to the cloud, so you can suggest and improve your customer's infrastructure over time
• Making suggestions on market solutions, both hardware and software, according to the customer's needs

The figure of the Solution Architect requires a combination of technical, commercial and operational skills.

Technical skills include:

• In-depth knowledge of the cloud technologies offered by various vendors and their respective framework approaches
• Practical experience in designing distributed systems and applications
• The ability to transform business requirements into technical objectives
• Familiarity with IT security concepts

Communication and teamwork skills are also required, e.g:

• Being able to effectively communicate technical topics to those without an in-depth background
• Being flexible, adapting quickly to new technologies and having the desire to learn to keep up with technological developments
• Having the ability to analyze data, processes and real customer situations to find creative solutions to complex problems
• Having experience in time management, prioritizing technical tasks effectively to meet objectives and deadlines

The SysOps Engineer is responsible for the management and maintenance of a company's IT systems, ensuring the smooth operation of server, storage and network systems.

He/she manages routine operations such as updating operating systems, backup procedures and monitors the infrastructure to analyze the progress and performance of the various systems, intervening to resolve problems. He/she also takes care of the IT security and compliance aspect, intervening quickly if necessary.

SysOps figures play a key role in organizations, as they ensure the continuity of services and systems, on which the company’s productivity often depends.

The main activities of a SySOpS Engineer are: 

• Managing and maintaining the company's IT infrastructure
• Constantly updating systems, monitoring data protection and service continuity solutions
• Monitoring the performance of the infrastructure
• Deploying and configuring software applications
• Automating and standardizing system update and configuration processes
• Collaborating with developers and other IT team members

The SysOps must also be able to adapt quickly to changing technologies and be willing to learn new skills on the job.

Development teams and IT operation teams can often have different skills and objectives. While developers want to introduce new functionalities, operation teams tend to preserve the stability of an application once it has been released. 

DevOps figures fit into this context to combine application development needs with IT operations.

We are therefore talking about a hybrid figure, somewhere between these two worlds, with transversal skills:

• Knowledge of software development techniques and related frameworks, to have a clear view of the application lifecycle and its typical needs
• Knowledge of IT technologies and systems, with related experience in building, managing and maintaining the underlying infrastructure

The DevOps Engineer is often a professional figure coming from previous experience as a developer or SysOps, from which he/she has acquired skills to deal with development operations.

The main activities of a DevOps are:

• Analyzing the company's processes aimed at application development such as coding, testing, releasing and updating
• Enabling automated processes to speed up the release of new features (CI/CD pipeline)
• Contributing to the automation of IT operations for the updating, maintenance, patching of systems underlying applications

The figure of the DevOps Engineer requires several skills, including:

• Software development skills, with expertise in one or more development languages
• Experience in automated infrastructure management, with expertise in configuration and deployment automation tools such as Ansible, Puppet and Chef
• Familiarity with container-based technologies such as Docker such as Docker, most often used for application release automation 
• Knowledge of CI/CD practices for automating application testing and new version releases