In the recently announced partnership between Microsoft and Nokia, the mobile device manufacturer will be adopting Microsoft’s Windows Phone platform as the foundation for new smartphones and mobile devices.  The result of the partnership will be to put Windows Phone 7 on a solid footing to take share from the mobile device platform market, with Android and iOS currently commanding leads and HP having recently announced their upcoming entry riding on webOS.

The main news for developers is to look for Windows Phone 7 being a fourth and new important market.  Both Windows Phone 7 and the re-entry of webOS (after its days with Palm) constitute fresh development territory where it comes to applications.  Windows Phone 7 was only released late Fall of 2010 and according to NPD Group the platform obtained 2% of the smartphone market in the U.S. two months after release.

The Windows Phone Marketplace (Microsoft’s app store) offers 10 million songs sold in several ways, but only boasts around 11,000 apps so far (compared to hundreds of thousands for Android and iOS).  This is similar to the early-stage number of apps available for webOS.

Windows Phone 7 applications are based on XNA or a particular WP7 version of Microsoft’s Silverlight platform.  Microsoft makes Visual Studio 2010 Express and Expression Blend for Windows Phone for  phone app development.

Android and iOS will both have to work harder now with HP announcing their enterprise-wide effort to lean into the mobile platform market with webOS.  Microsoft’s Windows 7 was a moderate threat due to their history with Zune, first assuring the community they were very much behind it and then subsequently dropping the project altogether.  The partnership with Nokia puts Microsoft firmly in the arena with a highly-motivated partner and a lot of added global sales and marketing teeth. 

Microsoft mentioned in their press release regarding the partnership announcement that the mobile market is now a “three-horse race,” however that was before HP made their intentions publicly clear with webOS. Make that four horses, Microsoft.  We already predict the winners will be mobile developers and mobile device consumers.

For developers, a great way to enter mobile device app development is through IT training courses with GogoTraining.  In particular, the Android Developer Training Program is cost-effective and highly effective.

The mobile device operating system space has continued a long, drawn-out explosion of innovation due to the battle of Apple’s iOS and upstart Android from Google.  Especially after Android recently unseated Symbian as the top smartphone OS, that space has seemed entirely taken up by the two combatants who have been pushing the envelope of development and seemingly leaving no breathing space for a newcomer to get a word in edgewise.  Microsoft’s Windows Phone 7 has seen delays getting to market and industry pundits are taking a “wait and see” position regarding the ability of the fine people in Redmond to develop meaningful market share.

Move over, says HP and Oracle.

HP recently announced several things they have set their sights on, specifically their intention to become a major cloud computing source and also to enter the mobile device field with their HP webOS which they acquired with their purchase of Palm in 2010.  HP has already introduced two smartphones to release this spring, the HP Veer and HP pre which are to release with HP webOS 2.2.

The bigger deal is the entrance into the tablet arena with the 9.7-inch HP TouchPad which will run on webOS 3.0 and is rumored to release in June for around $499 with a complement of features meant to compete with the iPad 2.  A 7-inch tablet nicknamed the Opal is also rumored for a September release date, in time to hit the holiday season.

Perhaps even more significantly, HP also announced they intend to ship all HP computers with the HP webOS on board starting in 2012.  HP CEO Leo Apotheker has indicated this is a bid to inspire developers to develop apps that will enhance and differentiate HP computers.  Developers have created well over 300,000 applications for Apple devices and over 250,000 for Android. According to HP, their webOS only has a field of 6,000 apps. If you’re an app developers, this is good news.

Oracle’s recent ownership of Java has meant a number of questions coming from the long-lived development community, a few more of which were answered recently.  Java ME is the version built for running devices that languished due to lower priority while under Sun’s wing.  Oracle is interested in turning that around.

Two key overtures occurred recently.  First, Oracle’s now much-publicized lawsuits and threats against Android with claims that the breakaway OS contains illegally copied sets of Oracle code.  In general, software giants only get into legal tussles for two reasons: to protect their IP (very legitimate) and to protect a market position they are working on entering or maintaining.

Second would be comments at the Server Side Symposium in Las Vegas this month.  Adam Messinger, Oracle VP of Development for Fusion Middleware reminds us that Java ME is already installed on many devices which he says ship at a “tremendous rate.”  He says Oracle has recently had discussions about Java showing up on tablet devices and also plans are underway to empower developers more by improving Java ME with capabilities such as library changes, metadata, annotations and more.

Whether Oracle intends to establish Java ME as a branded entrant and competitor in the mobile device space or keep consuming market share from the shadows remains to be seen.  In similar fashion, whether HP is able to replicate the success in computers they’ve had into the software and OS space also remains to be seen.  One thing is certain about both players: they have the resources and vision required to be contenders and they intend to enter the space, and that space is about to get a little more crowded.

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Check out GogoTraining’s online IT training course catalog for mobile computing training courses in Android and iOS.

AMD, the multinational semiconductor producer, is hiring over 1,000 IT professionals across their global operations in anticipation of the enterprise movement toward Cloud Computing.

The highest portion of new hires will be focused on design and verification and will be recruited at all AMD facilities including Boston, Orlando, California, Texas and in Canada.

Given AMD’s support of open-source software, engineers with Linux, C/C++, Ruby, and Java are going to be a focus of hiring on the software side.  In hardware, analog design engineers with backgrounds in electrical engineering, CISI and ASIC design abilities will be hired.

AMD plans to meet the new cloud market with software and hardware products and expects to leverage the same entrepreneurial ethos that has served them well in the past. Lance Phillips, Global Talent Acquisition Leader for AMD, defines this as, “candidates and employees who are good fit are those who like to work beyond typical boundaries and beyond a job description.”

GogoTraining has introductory and advanced courses in the majority of technologies being sought after by AMD and other large employers gearing up for the cloud (or just gearing up to compete in the emerging economy).  Check out the online IT training course catalog for more details.

Still not sure if training is right for you?  People often wonder which course to take or if it will even make a difference.  Truth be told, informing yourself and then following your instincts has often resulted in a win.  There are four truths about training that have been tested and validated by time that should put any wondering to rest.

Truth #1: Training will increase your value

There are a lot of studies available that show education of any sort will generally lift your value in the workplace.  There occasionally are some studies that show certain certifications may not be of direct financial value.  Often they are studying certifications in a technology that is being replaced or is otherwise becoming obsolete.

In general, we know that when employers see someone with certifications and education vs. someone without they will likely consider the person with education to be more credible on the knowledge front.  That gets moderated right away by the amount of hands-on experience; of two well-educated people, the one with more experience will be regarded as having more knowledge.  Many have used this to argue that education isn’t everything.  That might be true, but it misses what is a more important point.

The fact is that if you acquire education you will experience some lean years in the beginning but will emerge on the higher end of the value scale from that point forward.  Already have experience but slim on training?  Even better – training will take very little time and investment and will enhance your position very quickly.

Truth #2: You might actually learn something (gasp!)

There is so much time spent evaluating training from a financial value perspective that we easily lose perspective on the other value we obtain: knowledge.  If you think about it, if you taught yourself how to use some specific technology or platform then you may be a hands-on expert but you are likely missing a thing or two.  That last 5-10% you’re missing can often streamline your efficiency or enhance your productivity to a significant degree.  We all know that sort of performance pick-up could be the difference between a raise and even keeping your job in lean times (and that has financial value too!).

Truth #3: Training is arguably the best investment

Is it possible to lose money on education?  Sure, we’ve all met them.  People who obtained education in something they have no interest in are likely to have poor return over time.  Those who paid outrageous costs (like sitting for a $2,000 class when you can take the same class with GogoTraining for $248!) will have to spend much more time recuperating their investment (which itself is a risk by extending the amount of time required to obtain value).

Otherwise, education is arguably the strongest investment.  Why?  Unlike investing in property or gold, you cannot lose education.  As long as you are able to work, education continues to produce added income for you.  Technical education has to be taken more often as technologies and platforms rise then become obsolete, however they are taken in smaller pieces than a large, 4-year college degree.  Over time, an IT professional who consumes training consistently through the span of a career will likely spend the same or less than the cost of a full college degree – if they shop intelligently for their training and avoid overspending.

Truth #4: You may get a new, better idea

When people go to school they are introduced to new ideas. The system of obtaining a college degree is in fact designed to introduce a diverse spectrum of ideas to every student even if they enter the program knowing exactly what they want to do.

People who enter education programs very often change direction.  They encounter something new and subsequently develop a new idea on what they would like to do (or at least try).  These moments of discovery are energizing because they represent a genuine spark of curiosity and interest.  In short, they very often are the moment someone realizes something they would truly like to be involved in.  The value of that kind of realization is immeasurable.  This reason alone is worth the investment in education.

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Instead of wondering whether training is right for you, spend time researching and deciding what technologies and skills you should be training for.  Spending time acquiring knowledge is time well spent, and that is universally true.

Check out GogoTraining for a great catalog of IT training courses and pick what fits you today.

Starting August 1, 2011, Oracle will introduce a new requirement for those seeking certification for Java Architect, Java Developer, Solaris System Administrator and Solaris Security Administrator.

Under the new qualification criteria, IT professionals will be required to attend hands-on training provided by approved, instructor-led courses.  According to the announcement on the Oracle education website, self-study courses on CD-ROM or recorded web courses do not meet the requirement.

The courses listed on the Oracle education website last from three to five days and cost roughly $2,000 to almost $4,000.  They must be taken through Oracle University Training Center, Oracle Authorized Education Center or Oracle Authorized Education Partner, Oracle Workforce Development, or Oracle Academy and approved programs.

From now through July 31, professionals can still get certified based on the current requirements.

Expanding activity and energy in the IT industry is indicating a good time for investing in IT skill education and certification.  Based on activity, the economic outlook in the industry and in general is much stronger than in recent years.  Early adopter of key skill sets are likely to see above-average career opportunities.

In 2010, mergers and acquisitions in the technology sector have picked up significantly over recent years which is signaling a return of confidence by technology companies.  Overall this bodes well for the economy as the disposition of the tech industry is often found to be a bellwether for the overall economy.

According to John Shea of Berkery Noyes, mergers and acquisitions indicate how people are viewing the economy 3-4 years in the future. Not only did activity rise but the prices paid were at pre-recession levels.  In 2010 there were 1,121 transactions in the software industry versus 819 in 2009.  Value of those deals was up over 100% as well.  Niche software, business software and infrastructure software saw the most activity, according to the Berkery Noyes report.

Increased M&A activity in the previous year coupled with renewed vigor in enterprise-level pursuit of significant projects such as entering Cloud Computing and enabling workforces with tablets and custom mobile apps are all indications of how investing in an information technology career – new or existing – is likely to provide positive returns over the coming years.

Interested in enhancing an existing IT skill or acquiring a new one? Check out GogoTraining’s online IT training course catalog.  From Oracle certification exam prep training to Android mobile development training program, there’s something for everyone.

Looking to get caught up in the shift toward Cloud Computing? It winds up even those focused on storage and network administration will need to add management to their skill set.

There are two roles that are becoming relevant in cloud computing, according to Drue Reeves, VP and Gartner analyst on cloud computing. The first are Cloud Leads, operating at the strategic level to serve as enterprise evaluator and ambassador.  The second are Cloud Administrators, repurposed storage and network administrators who move more into a management role working with cloud providers.

Thus, the adoption of cloud platforms will drive an increase in demand for those with not only the requisite IT skills but also key management training or background.

One excellent form of management training for IT professionals is the certification for ITIL, or the Information Technology Infrastructure Library.  ITIL is among the most widely used set of best practices where it comes to IT services management (ITSM).  Those interested in obtaining ITIL certification begin with the ITIL v3 Foundation certification training in order to obtain the initial certificate.  Afterward, ITIL offers an Intermediate level with two tracks of learning, Lifecycle and Capability.  Certifications are offered in each of the Intermediate modules but those seeking to sit for the exams must demonstrate they have taken ITIL v3 Intermediate training from an Authorized Training Organization (GogoTraining is an ATO).

GogoTraining offers the ITIL v3 Foundation certification training courses (there are 2) at a “buy one get one” price to help interested professionals get started quickly and easily.

Other strong IT management training courses include:

• Service Oriented Architecture in a Cloud Computing World
• IT Asset Management: A Comprehensive Overview
• ITSM Comprehensive Overview
• Performance Management
• Risk Management

Do you have IPv6 training or experience on your resume?  If so, you’re probably already getting a lot of calls for work and will continue to get them through this year (and probably beyond).

The world transition from IPv4 to IPv6 is heating up the market for those with IPv6 on their resume, either trained or experienced.  Deadlines are coming closer for organizations in the public and private sector alike.  The Federal government in the U.S. is required to be updated to IPv6 on all websites by or before September 2012.  Private-sector businesses need to update to the new protocol or they will start being unavailable to the newest devices that are shipping with IPv6 addressing.

Networking engineers and software developers with IPv6 training, such as that found in TCP/IP In Action with David Zimny will benefit greatly, especially those currently out of work or looking to re-enter their primary career field.  Having knowledge of the protocol is rapidly moving from “should know for when the time comes” to being the industry standard.

If you could use a ticket to get hired and having this protocol would make sense on your resume, get IPv6 training today with TCP/IP In Action.  It’s affordable, easy and taught by industry-expert David Zimny (so you know you’re getting excellent coverage).

Three well-know technology companies have turned up the volume on hiring and are looking for technologists in key fields.

Kabam, a game development company known for their Kingdoms of Camelot title (voted Best Facebook Game in 2010), is looking to hire more take in an additional 600 employees with a focus on skills such as PHP, Ruby on Rails, MySQL, CSS, Java and Flash.  Those involved in data center engineering and maintenance are also needed as they serve their games.

GoDaddy, the world’s top hosting provider and domain registrar, continues to experience growth even through the tough economy (wherein it doubled in size in less than four years).  They hope to hire around 350 people.  While most will be in customer service and call center, around one third will focus on skills such as network engineering, quality assurance, .NET engineering, SQL and Linux.

IBM is also looking for a lot of new people, with over 2,200 positions open on Dice.com at the moment.  Regions of particular focus are Washington D.C., Ohio, Los Angeles, San Fransisco and San Diego.  Particular skills being sought include networking, integration, SAP, SAN, Oracle, Java and Unix.

GogoTraining offers the following online training courses to help you get up and running for these and other jobs.  Need something different? Check our online training course catalog.

• Introduction to Ruby training course
• Java programming training courses
• Networking training courses
• Oracle training courses
• Project management training and PMP exam prep training courses
• Linux training courses
• ITIL and ITSM training courses

A gap exists between today’s composition of IT groups and what is needed for enterprises to maximize return on systems investments, so say CIOs in a recent survey.

CIO magazine and the MIT Center for Information Systems Research (CISR) asked 370 CIOs about the makeup and goals of their organizations.  The CIOs indicated a new “value proposition” for IT was to move beyond building and running systems and into a space that contributes more fundamental business value to the enterprise.  This represents at least a partial shift of responsibility away from other departments who are often tasked with providing the ultimate value out of systems created and maintained by the IT department.

Skills such as vendor managers, IT/business experts, data and analytics experts, and application developers top out where it comes to skill sets needed to make that value proposition a reality.

IT/Business experts are the hybrids we discussed recently, people who have depth in both and are able to tie them together in meaningful ways.  One example are IT service managers who are not necessarily technologists but manage technology for the business.  ITIL certification and project management certification are highly advisable for those in such positions and are sure to be hired first in a glut of applicants.

Application developers will have specific skills that vary depending on the chosen technology.  Particular hot spots include Java, Oracle and Android application development.  Pursuing training in any of these areas is very desirable when seeking to build a strong resume.

GogoTraining continues to create new learning opportunities that allow IT professionals of any experience level to build a foundation for reliable job security and employability.

What area could you train for that would really make your resume stand out?