Industry Leaders Unite to Establish Standards for Java Developer Certification

Strategic Insights -

Industry leaders IBM, Novell, Oracle, Sun Microsystems, and the Sun-Netscape Alliance have come together to establish standards for knowledge and skill levels for enterprise developers in the Java technology. This initiative aims to promote common standards for the skills validation of Java technology developers at three levels, from programmers using the core Java programming language to developers of enterprise applications. The certification exams are expected to be delivered by Sylvan Prometric(R) worldwide, and the participating companies anticipate that they will accept each other's certification tests as part of the program.

Key Takeaways:

  • The initiative aims to establish standards for knowledge and skill levels for enterprise developers in the Java technology at three levels: programmers using the core Java programming language, developers of web applications, and developers of enterprise applications.
  • The certification exams will be delivered by Sylvan Prometric(R) worldwide, and the participating companies will accept each other's certification tests as part of the program.
  • The initiative is designed to provide a common skills roadmap defining skills on three specific levels, allowing developers to be "Certified Once, Valued Everywhere" and resulting in a larger pool of qualified Java technology developers in the industry.
  • The participating companies expect the certification efforts will give employers a means of validating the skills of their employees and provide solid guidelines for training employees on the Java platform.
  • Ernst & Young believes in and is committed to certification, stating that it helps ensure skills acquisition critical to succeed in today's marketplace.

Statistics:

  • 1999 marks a transitional period in which the Java platform begins its shift from an early-adopter technology to a mainstream platform for IT solutions (Source: Java Technology Road Map for 1999, 09 April 1999, M. Driver, D. Plummer, Y. Natis).
  • The initiative expects to provide a common skills roadmap defining skills on three specific levels.

Sources:

  • "It's very exciting to see the industry come together to address a consistency in skills assessment," said Ellen Julian, senior analyst, International Data Corporation.
  • Java Technology Road Map for 1999, 09 April 1999, M. Driver, D. Plummer, Y. Natis
  • http://java.sun.com/cert-initiative
  • About IBM, https://www.ibm.com/
  • About Novell, https://www.novell.com/
  • About Oracle, https://www.oracle.com/
  • About Sun Microsystems, Inc., https://www.sun.com/
  • About the Sun-Netscape Alliance, https://www.suntech.com/alliance/
  • Press may access Novell announcements and company information on the World Wide Web at http://www.novell.com/pressroom