A new survey of businesses from Fortune 500 to small firms finds that companies are looking to hire mobile apps developers in big numbers. Why? companies can’t train enough internal staff to support corporate objectives.

The top needs?

  • Internet of Things
  • Mobile project management
  • Wearables

So says Raleigh-based Red Hat (NYSE: RHT) in a survey released this week.

The findings support a recent report from research firm Gartner in which the company predicted: “By the end of 2017, market demand for mobile app development services will grow at least five times faster than internal IT organizations’ capacity to deliver them.”

Fifty percent of the some 112 firms surveyed are planning to hire mobile developers, Red Hat says.

32 percent are for front-end development

27 percent are for back-end integration skills

15 percent want DevOps skills

“Based on the survey results, Red Hat expects that organizations will continue to prioritize hiring for these skills while also strengthening internal expertise in areas such as the Internet of Things (IoT), mobile project management, and wearables,” Red Hat concludes.

Key findings, according to the Hatters:

  • The mobile résumé extends beyond the front end. Emphasis on front-end and back-end skills remains high, with 32 percent seeking front-end development expertise, and 27 percent looking for back-end integration experience. As enterprises look to fill their hiring needs for front-end coding, some analysts are recommending a team-based approach and a two-track IT approach to balance agility with traditional core IT stability, which can help organizations increase development efficiency.
  • More than one in seven businesses are on the hunt for DevOps skills, including agile project management. Fifteen percent of organizations are hiring for DevOps proficiency to help mobile teams break down communication and collaboration barriers between development and operations. As DevOps are essential to move mobile projects move from conception to full development and deployment at agile speed, they are expected to be crucial in the year ahead in order to manage, organize and accelerate development across the enterprise. Additionally, nine percent of organizations are hiring specifically for mobile project management skills.
  • Demand for IoT skills outpaces wearables experience. Organizations are beginning to take a more strategic approach to IoT as part of an enterprise mobility strategy, with 13 percent expecting to hire for experience in IoT in 2015 and 70 percent planning to incorporate IoT projects into their business within the next five years. This contrasts with demand for wearables expertise, with just three percent of organizations planning to hire related skills this year.

“As organizations move to become more mobile-centric, many are expected to continue expanding their mobile development teams and explore how those teams can work more collaboratively to bring apps to market faster,” said Cathal McGloin, vice president of Mobile Platforms for Red Hat.

“At the same time organizations are looking ahead and seeking to understand the impact that emerging technologies such as IoT and wearables may have on their business.”