The Open Group's IT Specialist Certification Program Reaches New Milestone
The Open Group, a vendor- and technology-neutral consortium focused on open standards and global interoperability within and between enterprises, today announced that the number of individuals that have achieved its Information Technology Specialist Certification (ITSC) program has surpassed the mark of 1,000 professionals. Launched just last year, the ITSC program assures that individuals possess the prerequisite skills and experience to develop and deliver an ever-more complex set of IT solutions. The program counts a diverse set of companies and global IT solutions providers across numerous industries as active contributors, including for example Credit Suisse and Capgemini, one of the world's foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services.
Over 1,000 Individuals Certified as Demand for IT Certification Based on "Skills and Experience" Continues to Grow Worldwide
SAN FRANCISCO, May 21, 2009 - The Open Group, a vendor- and technology-neutral consortium focused on open standards and global interoperability within and between enterprises, today announced that the number of individuals that have achieved its Information Technology Specialist Certification (ITSC) program has surpassed the mark of 1,000 professionals. Launched just last year, the ITSC program assures that individuals possess the prerequisite skills and experience to develop and deliver an ever-more complex set of IT solutions. The program counts a diverse set of companies and global IT solutions providers across numerous industries as active contributors, including for example Credit Suisse and Capgemini, one of the world's foremost providers of consulting, technology and outsourcing services.
The Open Group ITSC program offers a worldwide set of standards for qualifying the skills, knowledge and experience of IT Specialists. Rather than requiring an examination that only tests a professional's knowledge of basic skills, a review board comprised of certified IT Specialists ensures that the skills and experience of each candidate meet the rigorous qualification standards. As such, ITSC enables organizations to find and select the right expertise for their projects, a critical requirement brought on by the globalization of IT initiatives, regulatory compliance and rising industry expectations for quality of service.
"ITSC raises the bar for qualifications across the entire industry," said Ron Tolido, vice president and chief technology officer at Capgemini Nederland. "As one of the founding contributors to ITSC, Capgemini believes that the industry at large benefits immensely from a global standardized view of the skills, experience and competencies of IT Specialists across many different disciplines. The world is our market and also our delivery place: we need to speak the same language to achieve successful collaboration."
ITSC is the first program to offer independent, comprehensive, global certification for professional specialists within two technical focus areas: Development and Operations; as well as four client focus areas, including Services, Technical Sales, Technical Support and Technical Training.
"The rapid growth of ITSC certifications in the last year affirms our belief that establishing a set of standards for IT Specialists benefits not only the professionals, but also their employers, and clients," said Allen Brown, CEO of the Open Group. "Companies such as IBM and Capgemini leverage ITSC because they understand that they are well served by a globally-recognized set of certification criteria that acknowledges real world skills and experience to assure the quality of hires, provide a clear career path for employees, as well as a guide for selecting the most competent individuals."
Getting Started
Individuals interested in certification for their own career paths as well as companies looking to establish an Accredited Certification Program for employees should visit www.opengroup.org/itsc/cert.
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