(Note: This is from the SD Magazine September 2005 newsletter)

Gettin' Certified: A New IT Architect Certification Program

Tired of meeting other technology architects and finding out that their jobs are nothing like yours, or applying for various architect positions and realizing that the salaries vary widely? You're not alone.

In a bid to formalize the role of IT architect and reward those who have been successful in the field, the Open Group this July unveiled an IT Architect Certification program. The program differs from other technical certification programs in that there are no prep classes and no daylong tests to sit through. Rather, the certification is awarded based on your experiences -- and your successful ones, no less.

Candidates, who must have at least three years of experience successfully designing and implementing complex IT projects, can submit applications documenting this experience directly to the Open Group or to an accredited third-party program. Applicants with strong backgrounds will be asked to appear before the Certification Board for an interview. The Board will consist of previously certified IT architects. Impress them and you're in.

The idea for the IT Architect Certification program was initially developed by Open Group member companies HP and IBM, receiving additional support from Capgemini. As such, the program doesn't focus on any one architecture. Rather, applicants should have plenty of experience solving problems with a variety of tools, according to IBM Chief Architect Andras Szakal, who helped design the program.

"We do believe that, as a community, the individuals who call themselves architects have a diverse background," Szakal said. "Specialists masquerading as IT architects cannot evaluate the needs of the business with respect to all of the different possible solutions. They're just taking the solution they know and applying it to the problem."

Those with experience limited primarily to Microsoft products may want to consider brushing up on other technologies. Even Microsoft's own Certified Architect program promises to examine applicants based on their experience with a wide variety of technologies. According to the company, only 25 percent of the assessment will focus on Microsoft-specific software. The program is currently in a pilot phase and is expected to be open to all applications next year.

The Open Group's IT Architect Certification program opened in July.

The cost of the assessment is $1,250, and the dues for certified architects are $175 per year. Architects must get recertified every three years and can eventually work their way up to Master and Distinguished levels.

--Amit Asaravala

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