Networking pays, especially if you’re looking for a job as a software engineer.
Job sites for makers of core network gear show increase in software hiring
Many of the routers and switches in wireless networks are set to eventually be replaced by software, and that means workforce changes at the companies that make these products. The companies below are all hiring software engineers, and several have more openings for these professionals than for engineers in their traditional hardware businesses.
Cisco
The networking giant has been shedding jobs in recent years, but this summer Cisco said it plans to add about as many jobs as it cuts this year. Many of the new jobs will be software-related. At last check Cisco listed 212 jobs in software engineering, and just 19 in hardware engineering. The company had 141 jobs listed under cloud, with titles like cloud database architect and data center customer support engineer. Cisco had just 35 openings in mobility and wireless, and just 17 labeled SDN.
Juniper
Software engineer is one of the most common job titles now on Juniper’s job site. Many of the openings are in Bangalore, India, or at the company’s Sunnyvale, California, headquarters. Juniper also lists numerous openings for ASIC (application specific integrated circuit) engineers. Routers are Juniper’s primary business, and ASICs are the chips that power routers.
HP
HP’s job listings show the company’s focus on OpenStack, a set of open source software tools for managing public and private clouds. The company has numerous openings for OpenStack specialists and for engineers to work on Helion, its OpenStack initiative.
Alcatel-Lucent
Alcatel-Lucent has been through its share of workforce adjustments in recent years, but  currently the company has more than 500 job openings for experienced professionals, and almost half of those are software-related.
Genband
Genband is a traditional supplier of hardware for the wireless network, but it has moved very quickly to transform itself to a software specialist. Mobile apps for the enterprise are a key focus for the company; its job openings page lists openings for Android and iOS developers around the world.
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