I just ran across an article from the IASA organization that was released late last month called "IASA Announces SunTrust Bank as Founding Corporate Partner for Training Program".
With quote like the below it shows that enterprises are starting to understand the value of architecture and really put some money behind certifying their architects.
“We rely heavily on our IT team and recognize that architects play a key role in our IT strategy and growth,” said Norm Small, Professional Development Manager at SunTrust Bank. “In providing a source of objective training and career development through their well-structured curriculum, IASA has created an opportunity for organizations like ours to further invest in the development of our IT people. We are enthusiastic about this partnership and look forward to the benefits it will deliver for our staff and for SunTrust Bank.”
So let's take a step back and look at the industry as a whole. What is the impact on certifications in the IT community?
A recent U.K.-based report, conducted by ITJobsWatch (http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jobs/uk/togaf.do), cited salary increases for certified TOGAF practitioners increasing at an annual rate or more than 21 percent. According to the same survey, over 50 percent of permanent IT jobs in the U.K. include TOGAF as a required skill set. Furthermore, average salaries for TOGAF-certified individuals increased by approximately six percent in 2008 over the previous year, while average compensation fell more than eight percent for people with certification and skills in other architecture frameworks (http://www.itjobswatch.co.uk/jobs/uk/zachman%20framework.do).
As I mentioned in other posts I think that IASA is a great tool for junior and aspiring (people that are not architects yet but want to be) architects. On the surface the ITAC from The Open Group is a certification that appears to compete with IASA certification but this is not the case. ITAC is geared towards the existing architects that wish to tune or validate their skills.
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