Let me give a meaningful response: in low latency trading, the value is truly in the platform. The strategies are simple, and you can pick up a textbook (ie Aldridge http://www.amazon.com/High-Frequency-Trading-Practical-Algor...) to learn the strategies employed at that level. That being said, the traditional "sysadmin" role is oftentimes filled by people traditionally described as "developers". The roles have melded over the years.
Hence, the question you are asking really delves into the "alpha" of the platform. This is something a practicing HFT sysadmin wouldn't want to divulge (or can't because of the highly litigious nature of the industry -- take Sergey Aleynikov or Samarth Agarwal as examples of what could happen if people talk too much)
Let me give a meaningful response: in low latency trading, the value is truly in the platform. The strategies are simple, and you can pick up a textbook (ie Aldridge http://www.amazon.com/High-Frequency-Trading-Practical-Algor...) to learn the strategies employed at that level. That being said, the traditional "sysadmin" role is oftentimes filled by people traditionally described as "developers". The roles have melded over the years.
Hence, the question you are asking really delves into the "alpha" of the platform. This is something a practicing HFT sysadmin wouldn't want to divulge (or can't because of the highly litigious nature of the industry -- take Sergey Aleynikov or Samarth Agarwal as examples of what could happen if people talk too much)