autumn 2009 · pdf filetelecoms recruiters also found they were struggling to recruit ......

Autumn 2009 www.bcs.org/ittraining

INTERVIEW Helen Cockroft onSAS training and pollice skills 12

CASE STUDY Wireless Camptraining for CPW laptop launch 14

CERTIFICATION The value ofvendor qualifications 16

SERVICE MANAGEMENTitSMF scheme expanded 25

e-learning chart toppers

Our first e-learning survey lists companies with the biggest hits in the

various market segments p20

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Contents

14

16

News

06 UpdateSkills training Business and soft skills are high priorities for IT and telecoms staff.

07 Supplier briefsPrince2:2009 exams availableThe latest version of Prince2 was launched on 6 July.

32 Institute of IT TrainingKey speakers lined up This year’s IITT National Conference and Exhibition features top speakers inthe industry.

08 BCS I&TTSGHighlights of the year The group looks at last year’s achievements at its AGM.

Trainer-to-trainer

11 Stragglers and Twitter What to do when learners don’t keep up, and Twitter as a training tool.

Features

09 Trainer service beds inThe new Trainer Performance Monitoring & Assessment Service is taking off.

12 The force is with SASHelen Cockroft talks about her work as a SAS trainer, and how being a special constable helps.

14 CPW trains on laptopsHow CarPhone Warehouse trainedits 7,500-strong UK workforce.

16 Is one open door enough?What is the value of vendor certifications?

20 E-learning chart toppersOur survey lists the top e-learning companies and looks at the market’s current shape.

25 itSMF scheme expandeditSMF has added a foundation level ISO/IEC 20000 qualification toits service management scheme.

26 Preparing for the upswing IT training in Ireland moves into online learning and overseas markets to get through the tough times.

28 Bridging the gapBCS joins forces with Sun Microsystems to help students complement their degrees with IT skills matched to the workplace.

Self study

30 Book reviewsSecurity, business modelling, Javaand software project management.

Comment

08 Budget 2010 Alan Bellinger looks at how to meet the challenge of planning next year’s budget.

34 The learning professionalClive Shepherd discusses what it means to be a learning professional.

www.bcs.org/ittraining

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Autumn 2009 IT Training 03

www.bcs.org/ittraining04 IT Training Autumn 2009

E-learning analysisand a baby break

Given the ongoing popularity of theannual Top 50 IT training companiestable, we decided to try some similaranalysis for the e-learning arena inthis issue – see p20. However, theterm e-learning is somewhat diverse,as our e-learning correspondent CliveShepherd explains in his commentaryaccompanying the charts, so wedecided the best way to approach the

task was to split it into categories. That means we actually havefour tables, rather than one.

We hope it’s a useful starting point to categorising the market,although by no means are claiming the list is complete. Nextyear, we will be able to compare the two years’ results, whichmay help show how the e-learning market is developing. Therehave been suggestions that e-learning can be a cost-effectivetraining tool in tight economic times, and the finances of theproviders may give some indication if that is true.

Meanwhile, economic uncertainty has shaken the IT industryand training particularly badly in one neighbouring country:Ireland. As the economy shrinks 7 per cent, Don Taylor takes alook in this issue on p26 at how its training industry is looking atdiversifying to stay afloat.

In another piece related to the economic downturn, AlanBellinger offers tips on how to go about planning next year’sbudget, given that it is likely to be smaller in size than this year’s.

Not all, however, is doom and gloom, as proved by our casestudy about CarPhone Warehouse, which has been training theirstaff to sell laptops. It’s written by my colleague Jutta Mackwell,who has been acclimatising herself to the world of IT Training inthe last couple of months, ready to take over as acting editor.

By the time you are reading this, I’ll be on maternity leave andJutta will be editing both the printed magazine and e-newsletter.Her email address is below and she will of course always behappy to receive ideas and feedback about the publication.

IT Training really has been a particular joy to work on because ofthe lovely people in the industry, so a big thank you to everyoneI’ve come in contact with over the last two and a half years. Ilook forward to working with you again in the future.

Helen Wilcox, Editor (until August 2009)

Editor’s intro

Helen BoddyJutta MackwellBrian RuncimanMarc ArbuckleDavid WilliamsKevin Cavilla

The British Computer SocietyFirst Floor, Block D, North Star House,

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Printed in Great Britain by St Ives, Andover.www.bcs.org/ittraining

Acting Editor from August 2009: Email [email protected]

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UpdateA round-up of the latest news and developments for IT training professionals

Spending on training forIT and telecoms professionals isset to increase or at least staythe same over the coming year,according to over 90 per cent ofrespondents in e-skills UK’slatest ICT Inquiry.

Around nine out of ten of the2,000 surveyed key decisionmakers from UK businessesexpected the number of IT andtelecoms staff to remainunchanged in the coming year, despite overall headcount reductions.

Almost 25 per cent ofcompanies with IT andtelecoms staff also stated thatthey have experienced ICT-related skills gaps, andaround one in six firmsconsidered the IT user skills ofnon-IT staff to be below thenecessary standard.

Around one in six IT andtelecoms recruiters also foundthey were struggling to recruitstaff with the right skills,qualifications or experience.The most common problemwas the applicants’ lack ofbusiness skills needed tocommunicate and align ITinvestments and strategy to the business.

Soft skills are also high onthe agenda of employeesconsidering training in technicaland business skills, such as IT,project management andcommunications.

According to a SkillSoft survey,88 per cent of the 200+respondents would be preparedto develop soft skills in their

own time outside working hours. Among the soft skills that

respondents rated highly were:people management, with 31per cent citing this as the mostimportant, time management,with 23 per cent support, andproblem solving, 18 per cent.

Developing the workforce ishigh on the agenda of thegovernment. Companieswinning government-funded IT

contracts will have to fulfil acommitment to skillstraining, Skills Secretary JohnDenham announced at asummit between governmentand IT industry representativesheld on 21 May.

The government’s chiefinformation officers committedall government departmentsand agencies to ensure thatsuccessful contractors have in

place a development plan fortheir workforce.

UK digital industries aloneproduce an annual gross valueadded of around £86 billion,10.9 per cent of the UK total,and have the potential tocontribute a further £35 billionover the next five to seven years.

More support for trainingalso comes from the Learning

Over 80 per cent of hiring managers struggle to fill information security positions, partly due to lack of desired skills, a survey conducted by (ISC)2 found. The most sought after skills includedoperations security, information risk management, access control systems and securitymanagement practices.

Security skills shortage: training essential

Prince2:2009 examsnow availableExaminations for the 2009version of Prince2 began on 6July, following the launch ofthe updated manuals andrelease of the syllabus on 16 June.

Accredited trainingorganisations are offeringcourses in the new version of the method or learners canstill self study for theexamination.

The format of the Prince2Foundation Examination isunchanged. The length of thePractitioner Examination hasbeen cut from 3 hours to 2.5hours, the total marksreduced to 108 and the passmark raised to 55 per cent.The pass mark for the Re-registration Examination hasalso been raised to 55 percent, and total marksdecreased to 36.

Candidates can take examsbased on either the 2005 or2009 edition of the manualuntil 31 December 2009.From 1 January 2010examinations will be basedon the 2009 edition only.

Certificates for Prince2Practitioners who qualifiedprior to the introduction ofthe updated version are stillvalid. Candidates need to re-register against the newversion when their certificateexpires – up to five years afterit is issued.

Pearson Vue todeliver new ISEB ITILversion 3 examPearson Vue has been chosenby ISEB to deliver its new ITInfrastructure Library (ITIL)version 3 foundationcertificate in IT servicemanagement.

The ISEB exams available viaPearson Vue test are: ITIL V3Foundation Certificate in ITService Management;Foundation Certificate inBusiness Analysis (FCBA);Foundation Certificate inProject Management (FCPM);Intermediate Certificate inSoftware Testing (ICSWT); andFoundation Certificate inSoftware Testing (FCSWT).

The tests for this latestversion of ITIL are open forregistration and delivery in thePearson VUE authorised testcentre network worldwide.

Premier IT offersVMware trainingPremier IT is now running fullyaccredited VMware trainingcourses at its training centre inRussell Square, London, inpartnership with ETC, thedistribution arm of SpecialistComputer Holdings. Thecourses are aimed at technicalstaff, particularly thoseresponsible for administeringand managing virtual networks.

Premier IT VMware courseswill cover infrastructure,capacity planning, recoveringmanagement and vSphere.

Edvantage addsvoiceover function toauthoring toolEdvantage group has released anew voiceover function,CBVoice, for its contentauthoring tool CourseBuilder.The voiceover allows users toautomatically create and addsynthetic voiceovers to e-learning courses.

Using licensed speech-synthesis technology from theAcapela Group, CBVoiceincludes hundreds of soundfiles in 24 differentlanguages. The company says

Update

www.bcs.org/ittraining Autumn 2009 IT Training 07

and Skills Council, which hasannounced an increase inthe overall budget forTrain to Gain from £797million to over £1 billion in2010-2011. This is expected tosupport 1.4 million learners –100,000 more than previouslyplanned – in the current andnext financial year.

However, in the privatesector, short qualificationcourses outstrip NVQs inpopularity, a recent inquiry intothe Future of Lifelong Learningfound.

The report, which wassponsored by Niace, the adulteducation body, revealed thatemployers spend their moneyon short courses to improve theproductivity of employeesrather than on qualificationsfunded by the governmentthrough programmes such asTrain to Gain.

Results from a recent surveyamong 250 learners conductedby Infinity Learning showedthat having access to a skilledcoach was vital to thesuccess of e-learning.Seventy-eight per cent of thosesurveyed stated that one of themajor barriers to benefittingfrom e-learning was not beingable to ask questions and getfurther guidance from anexpert. Another drawback wasthe lack of opportunities todiscuss issues with colleagues(66 per cent).

One-third thought thatgeneric e-learning programmeswere ineffective compared toother training methods, and 54per cent rated e-learning as lesseffective without a skilledcoach. On the other hand therewas a 100 per cent satisfactionrate with e-learning whenaccess to a good coach wasprovided. Frustration withtechnology also posed an issuefor over 25 per cent ofrespondents.

Supplier briefs

the tool also includes the latestversion-handling capabilities,automatic file management andnaming functions.

e2train launchesKallidus 8e2train has brought out a newlearning and performancesystem, Kallidus 8, which hasBBC/iGoogle-style web gadgetsthat allow administrators andlearners to create individualisedlearner environments thatcombine formal and externalinformal learningopportunities.

The system includes anextended, SAP-based businessreporting tool, which enablesusers to capture and representperformance and learning data,and to incorporate it into othermanagement-wide systems.

Former Cisco directorappointed MD of FastLane UKIT training provider Fast LaneUK has appointed Andy Smithas managing director. Smithjoins Fast Lane from hisposition as senior director atCisco’s Global Client Servicesand Operations; previously heheld senior positions at Inteland Daisy Systems Corporation(Intergraph Corporation).

Update


Alan Bellinger

Budget 2010- a challenge

It’s that time again: planningyour 2010 priorities, resourcesand budgets. And it’s a difficulttime. You’re almost bound tostart the discussion with the challenge:

We reduced your budget by 10 per cent last year and hardlynoticed the difference – so can we reduce it by 10 percent again?

Any L&D professional whohas been regarded as successfulover the last 12 months willalmost certainly have delivered‘more for less’. And, in allprobability, that will mean thatthey’ve made greater use oflearning technologies, delayedprojects that weren’t critical,and spent even more time onstakeholder engagement.

But how much further canyou go on a ‘more for less’agenda? In all probability theanswer’s going to be not much further.

There’s a way out of thisdilemma. With the economyshowing signs that the bottomhas been reached, the real issuenow is the shape of therecovery. As that’s so difficult topredict it’s dangerous to bank onone option. My recommendationis to create not just a ‘Plan A’but also a ‘Plan B’ and a ‘Plan C’.

The starting point is not‘what funding do you need?’ but‘what can you deliver’? Start offwith those projects that youconsider being absolutelyessential – because they are fullyaligned with organisationalgoals, not just because someone’sshouting too loud. Focus on theoutcomes of each project and

the value it will create and thenshow the costs that generatingsuch value will incur.

Once you have those criticalprojects – and the costs –identified you’ll have your ‘PlanA’ – the areas that are absolutelycritical. Now it’s time to start on‘Plan B’ – those additional areasthat will give a significant returnto the organisation. In lookingat projects in this way, youshould be in a position to showa relationship of at least 1.5:1.That is, if the costs of theproject are 100, you should beable to show a benefit of at least150. Many projects will show areturn of 3:1 or even 4:1 – that’sbecause, in most cases, thetraining intervention willalmost inevitably reduce thelead time to competence.

In ‘Plan C’ you can includeall those other projects thathave been requested but are lessattractive (in pay-back terms)than your others. Now not allof the activities you undertakeare ‘projects’, so how shouldthey be handled? It’s best toinclude them in your ‘Plan A’ asL&D departmental activities –but that doesn’t mean that youdon’t need to put a valueagainst them.

The last tip is to make thebudget submission one that isintelligible to others in theorganisation; avoid jargon andinitials and use the terms andframeworks the otherexecutives already know. Butthe key trick is this: put yourpeers into a situation in whichthey are denying value ratherthan authorising spend.

BCS Information &Technology TrainingSpecialist Group AGM highlights year’s achievements

membership, which has risen from 340 to 1,266 overthe last year with 58 countries represented.

Secretary Bruce Nicholls ranthrough the changes to the groupconstitution to bring it in linewith the model constitutionagreed by the BCS SpecialistGroups Executive. It will beavailable on the group’s website.The current chair, membershipsecretary, treasurer and secretarywere re-elected.

Paul Jagger from IBMLearning Development gave atalk on ‘Building Your Careerin a Recession with No Budget’.

Ideas for future events can beemailed [email protected].

Next eventAn online event ‘Introductionto the University of CambridgeAdvanced Diploma in Training,Learning & Development’ isscheduled for 2 September,from 4-5 pm.

I&TTSG new committeemember Paul Jagger

ProfilePaul Jagger works for IBM as abusiness area manager andconsultant for IBM LearningDevelopment. He started withIBM in 1995 as a technicaltrainer, then moved on tomanage a curriculum in IBM’scustomer education business.Currently he’s responsible for

driving new business in IBM’scustom learning contentdevelopment team. He alsoleads IBM’s global community oflearning professionals. Jagger lives in Hertfordshireand describes his hobbies as‘amateur mountaineer andcommitted Apple MAC fanatic’.

The BCS Information andTechnology Training SpecialistGroup (I&TTSG) held its secondAGM on 7 May. Chair JooliAtkins outlined the achievementsof the group:

This regular column in IT Training. Recognition within the BCS by being involved with the BCS IT Trainer of the Year Award and the Strategic Panel of Education and Training Forum. The BCS blog, which has received an average of 322 hits per blog post. The highest received is 749.

The online event ‘The Art and Skill of Remote Training’ in March, which was attended by more than 75 people.

Treasurer Mark Frankpresented the accounts, andMembership Secretary SimonPerry gave a summary of

Trainer Performance and monitoring


Since its launch six months ago, the new train-the-trainer service, the Trainer PerformanceMonitoring & Assessment Service, has taken off.

Continuous time and budgetrestrictions placed upon today’straining providers and departmentsmeans that sending trainers out to‘train the trainer’ courses to achievehigh professional qualifications isnot always feasible.

The Institute of IT Training(IITT) has always recognised theneed for managers to assess, monitor and benchmark theperformance of their own trainers as part of a natural development oftheir standards.

This need resulted in the IITTlaunching the IITT TrainerPerformance Monitoring &Assessment (TPMA) Service. Thiscost-effective service is authorised,governed and monitored by theIITT and is a record of the trainingprofessionals’ quality of performancein a live environment that,combined with other overarchingknowledge and skills, is aligned tonational standards – a real qualitybenchmark for trainers.

Upon successful completion ofTPMA, trainers are eligible to applyfor the Institute Certified TrainingProfessional (ICTP) Certificate,which came into being as a result ofthe BCS and the IITT wanting to

create one train-the-trainerstandard. In May 2009, the IITT andBCS formalised their relationship bysigning an agreement to provide theendorsement of the ICTP certificate,so this is now jointly awarded by theBCS and the IITT.

‘Trainer standards used to be allover the place,’ said ManagingDirector of the IITT, Ed Monk, ‘Forthe first time, we have achieveduniformity in IT training and we’redelighted that the BCS is endorsingthis programme because itstrengthens the links between the IT profession and the IT training profession.

Qualifications Director Pete Baileysaid: ‘The Institute of IT Training’sTPMA service at last provides aclear industry-wide set of trainerquality assessment and monitoringstandards suitable for all trainingprofessionals, whether they aretrainers, tutors or teachers.’

The IITT’s TPMA service isembodied in the two authorisationprocesses for organisations leadingto becoming either an IITTAuthorised Assessment Centre(AAC), which are approved centresthat are authorised to runassessments for trainers on their

knowledge and skills in a classroomenvironment, or an IITT AuthorisedQualification and AssessmentCentre (AQAC), which are anextension of the AAC’s and provideassessments for trainers and runningan IITT-recognised train-the-traineror teaching skills programme.

Since its launch last year, TPMAhas grown and is becomingincreasingly popular with a networkof AAC’s and AQAC’s offeringTPMA assessment. Trainers are alsopleased with the service.

Helen McDonald, a MatrixFortyTwo TPMA candidate,described her experience: ‘Theworkshop was very well structuredand as it was on a one-to-one basis itgave me plenty of opportunity tofocus on the areas where I felt Ineeded to enhance my skills. I foundthe workshop to be extremely usefulas it enabled me to concentrate onthe aspects necessary for the TPMA-assessed training session. It alsohelped me to build my confidenceand overall I certainly felt that it wasworthwhile undertaking.’

The first organisation to adoptTPMA and become an AQAC wasHappy Computers. ManagingDirector Henry Stewart is delightedwith the service: ‘TPMA is a veryexciting development and we aregetting huge interest in it from ourclients. It provides a new flexibilityand a new focus on the needs of thelearner. I believe TPMA has thepotential to transform the quality oftraining in our industry.’

The TPMA assessments consist of either a half-day (assessmentonly) workshop, or two-day/four-day courses.

Training Synergy signed up toTPMA in September 2008. TrainingProject Manager Jane McCarthysaid: ‘To date our TPMA half dayassessments have consistentlyreceived good feedback, with thoseattending the event regularlycommenting on the flexibility andcost-effectiveness and the supporton offer before, during and after the assessment.’

TPMA is a very exciting developmentand we aregetting hugeinterest in itfrom ourclientsHenry Stewart,Happy Computers

Trainer service beds in

David Clarke (right), CEO of BCS, and Colin Steed, CEO of IITT, signed an agreementin May to provide endorsement of the ICTP certificate.

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Trainer to trainer


On the groundWhat advice would you give on handling learners who aren’t keeping up with the group?

Often trainers tend to try‘buddying’ up a slow learnerwith a fast learner so they canconcentrate on the rest of thegroup. If that still doesn’t workthey ‘have a word’ at tea-break,meaning they persuade them toleave the course and getindividual help.

These approaches arereasonable, but not perfect asthe impact on the group is not100 per cent positive.

The priority for me is that alllearners achieve the objectivesof the session and fast learnersachieve more. If someone isstruggling to achieve all theobjectives then my fall-backposition is that they achieve asmuch as possible during thesession without impacting thelearning of the rest of the group.

How is this possible? Well Ithink you have to look attechniques for teaching a classof people with mixed ability,interest level and learning styles– that is every class you teach.

First you need to map theterritory by assessing everyonein the class by getting them totalk to you about what theirreal needs are. Most peopledon’t need much encouragement:just ask them about their joband what they think aboutusing the computer. Whatthey’d really like to be able todo soon comes out.

At the same time you need toassess their learning style –visual/verbal, big picture/detailed etc. – so you can keeptheir interest by presentingideas in the best way for them.

So long as you keepcommunicating with learnersyou can help them achieve and

can complement one’s portfolioof resources. It can alloworganisations to build up acommunity by encouraging pastand future delegates andemployees to ‘follow’ them.Ideas, promotions, learningtools and resources can becommunicated within thatcommunity, thereby providingan effective learning service to followers.

If you receive or find a ‘tweet’that teaches you a handy shortcutwhen using Microsoft Excel, oryou are made aware of a discount,event or textbook that bearssome relevance to your learningrequirements, surely there is anargument in favour of Twitter’seffectiveness. A regular usermay use the site to search for

communities relevant to theirrequirements, and find all sortsof useful resources as a result.

How useful Twitter is incomparison to other, morefeature-rich, niche forum sitesand social networking media –such as LinkedIn – is less of acertainty. Perhaps its simplicitymakes Twitter a more accessibleoption?

The long-standing traditionsof classroom-based, instructor-led training – and indeed e-learning – are unlikely to bereplaced any time soon. Provenlearning methodologies andtechniques simply cannot beremoved. However, incorporatingthe neat little application into ablended learning strategy canonly serve to strengthen your

Breaking developmentsWill Twitter become an effective tool for learning IT skills?

At first glance, Twitter’s 140-character limitations seems torender it into little more thanan outlet for posting traininghints and tips, or for sharinginformation and resources suchas web addresses or event details.

Twitter’s format dictates thatit will not be effective as astand-alone learning tool, but it

Next issue

How can you convert a‘normal’ room quickly intoan effective learningenvironment?

Next issue

Can the latest internetphones make mobile learning a reality?

capabilities and broaden yourhorizons, no less than the likesof, say, Google.

David Turner, Premier IT

More advice and tips at:www.bcs.org/ittraining

Trainers: this is your page – sendin your views for the next issue,or any comments about thisweek’s advice, to the Editor:[email protected]

exceed their objectives.Remember: every group is

made up of individuals, so dealwith their individual needs andthey will all keep up.

Mark Lovatt, Ideal

Advisers: Jooli Atkins, MatrixFortyTwo and Dave Britt, BCSTrainer of the Year 2006.

The force is with SASHelen Cockroft swaps her SAS training hat on someweekends for a police uniform. Each of the two roles hasgiven her skills that she believes are useful to the otherjob, as Helen Wilcox reports.

I don’t thinkeducation issomethingyou shoulddo at thestart of yourcareer. It’sgood to geta groundingin what youwill beteachingfirstHelen Cockroft

What is your typical day like as a senioreducation consultant?The main part is as an instructordelivering standard or customisedtraining. I also spend some timepreparing for courses.

Courses are typically two to threedays long and I usually deliver onecourse every week. All SASinstructors deliver programmingcourses – there are five to six ofthose – and then specialise in theother three curriculum areas:statistics, business intelligence, anddata integration.

I deliver courses at our ownlocations – Marlow, Manchester,Glasgow and Dublin, our base inLondon, or at customer offices. Weincreasingly go to customers’ ownoffices, usually in the UK, butoccasionally we go abroad if a

customer has a big overseas officewith English speaking staff.

We also get involved with userevents – for instance the SASProfessional Convention where SASexperts give presentations to agathering of SAS users, and usershave the opportunity to take SAScertification exams.

We instructors are also involved inleading or contributing todiscussions on SASprofessional.net –a social network that allows SASusers to keep in touch with us.

How did you get to where you are?I had no grand plan to get into IT. Istudied geography at university, andthen just got a job – in a call centrefor a credit card company.

The company I worked for had ascheme called Ideas in Action, and

through it I suggested how toimprove a database. I got a call fromthe IT manager who had seen my ideaand had a vacancy in his departmentfor a Unix administrator.

I went on Unix and SAS trainingcourses, as the Unix server was alsothe SAS server. I loved the SAS part– partly because I picked up theprogramming very easily. It was quiteintuitive and not really technical, moreabout the business and people side.

After 18 months, I applied for ajob with a SAS consultancy inSlough. When I was invited forinterview, I stayed with a friend whoknew someone at SAS. He asked ifthey’d be interested in interviewingme, and I ended up here, by chance,as a technical consultant.

How did you make themove into training?In 2007, I decided what I was doingwas not the right long-term careerfor me. I considered what I could doat SAS – as I didn’t want to leave –and thought that education could bethe most rewarding option. I hadtaught a course in summer 2003 forthe SAS education department andloved it. I enquired and the educationdepartment had a vacancy.

That was really my first pro-activecareer move. I had no doubts rightfrom the first months that it wasright decision.

Is there anything you don’t like?Travelling has an impact on myprivate life, but it comes with the joband I knew about it from the start.

What advice would yougive to others interestedin a role like yours?I don’t think education is somethingyou should do at the start of yourcareer. It’s good to get a groundingin what you will be teaching first. Iused SAS for 10 years before teachingit. With real work experience, you canbring to life the material you areteaching and advise customers onhow to use it.


Helen Cockroft Interview

There willalways be aplace forclassroomtraining. It’sstill the bestway tolearn, andthere is nosubstitutefor collaborationbetweenparticipantsHelen Cockroft


You also need to enjoy being withpeople and be patient. You need tobe passionate about what you’reteaching; it’s not enough just toknow it. I think SAS software isamazing, so I find it easy to convinceother people of that. You need goodcommunication skills and to be ableto bring the material alive.

Why did you become a special constable?The police gives me experiences thatwould be impossible to get via otheractivities, such as putting me insituations of conflict. It means I pushmyself outside of my comfort zone.

What does it involve?We are volunteer police officers. Wehave the same powers as the regularpolice and wear the same uniform.

Sometimes we do a response shift– responding to calls on 999 and onthe non-emergency number. And wedo neighbourhood policing in anti-social behaviour hotspots.

We have to do a minimum of 18hours per month. That usuallymeans two shifts of 10 hours. Iusually do Saturdays, 5pm to 3am. Iam careful not to work late onSundays, so that it doesn’t affect mypaid work. The police are clear alsothat the day job comes first – andnever force you to do a shift. Thework is voluntary; we just getexpenses paid.

What has been the mostmemorable incident?So many jobs are memorable, butone of the most was attending myfirst road traffic incident. It was on acountry road late at night and Icould see lots of blue flashing lightsfrom a fire engine and ambulance,and a badly damaged car on its sidein the middle of the road.

My stomach turned over because Iwas expecting to see people badlyinjured. A paramedic told me thatthe car was empty so our prioritywas to find the driver andpassengers. We found the driver

hiding in a nearby garden. Headmitted he was the driver and theonly person in the car, and, amazingly,he was uninjured. But he was clearlydrunk and I arrested him and tookhim to the police station where heprovided a breath test sample threetimes over the legal limit.

Does your police workbenefit your paid job?It was the other way round to startwith – the day job helped me getinto the police. The recruitmentprocess included picking a piece ofpaper with a word on it and havingto talk about it for three minutes.Having given pre-sales presentationsand delivered training, that didn’tworry me at all. Both jobs are aboutcommunicating.

Now the police work puts me inextremely stressful situations, whichcan help back in the office. It alsogives me a perspective of life that Iwouldn’t usually see – people at theirworst moments. I think it helps mebe a more rounded person.

How else do you learn for the day job?We are regularly trained ontechnical and delivery skills at SAS.However, SAS has such a largeproduct set that it is impossible toknow everything. One of myfavourite ways of learning is whenit’s done in a less formal way, forexample when someone on a course asks you a question that youdon’t know the answer to and youhave to go and find the answer outfor yourself.

Does SAS use manylearning technologies?This year we started looking at LiveWeb training. I worked with another instructor to evaluate Adobe Connect. In the US, they’vebeen using it for years because of thegeography. They deliver the samecourses on Live Web as in theclassroom. We think for us it’s betterto use it for short topics.

We’ve also used Live Web to

prepare for the SAS ProfessionalConvention, which took place in July at SAS UK’s headquarters in Marlow. At SAS Professionals, we gathered together over 100 SAS users to do SAS certificationexaminations. There were fourteams – each had two instructors –and they used Live Web to conductstudy groups during the last fewweeks prior to the exams.

This Live Web method resulted ina much lower drop-out rate in userstaking the certification exam aftertraining. Usually the drop-out rate is15-20 per cent, but due to the use ofLive Web this year, this decreased to3-4 per cent. I think that’s becausethere is the sense of a team and thelearners feel a lot more engaged. Theteams and instructors arecompetitive over which team will getthe most passes.

Will classroom training survive?I think there will always be a place forit. It’s still the best way to learn, andthere is no substitute for collaborationbetween participants.

Live Web has its place, for instancefor teaching a new bit of syntax – inshort, framed sessions. It will improvewith better broadband. At the momentwhen you are demonstratingsomething with a mouse, forinstance, there is a delay between theinstructor moving it, and the studentseeing it on their machine.

Helen Cockroft’s career timeline

2001 - Present SAS UK Headquarters, Marlow, Bucks

2007 - Present Senior Education Consultant

2003 - 2007 Senior / Pre-sales Consultant

2001 - 2003 Consultant

1998 - 2001 The Associates Capital Corporation, Manchester

1999 - 2001 SAS/UNIX Administrator

1998 - 1999 Customer Services Officer

Wireless Camp scheme supported CWP laptop launchHow do you reach 7,500 employees spread across the whole of the UK within a very tighttimeline, not only to train them on new technology, but also so they buy into the new visionof your business? This was the challenge independent mobile phone retailer Carphone Warehouse (CPW) faced last year. Jutta Mackwell reports.

With the increasing popularity ofwireless laptops and netbooks,supported by the rise of mobilebroadband, CPW saw the potentialof broadening its range into thearena. Last year, it started offeringnetbooks and laptops on the samebasis as mobile phones, i.e. operatorssubsidise the initial purchase costand users pay mobile data tariffs.

This move into a slightly differentmarket turned out to be one of thebiggest shifts CPW had undertakenin a long time. It included not onlychanging systems, redesigning storesand hours of negotiations withnetwork suppliers, but also, andmost importantly, a shift in people.

The ‘big bang’ launch of the newproducts was planned for 3 June

2008. To help deal with the sheerscale of the training project and thevery challenging lead time, CPWbrought on board Verridian, aBristol-based training provider. Theaim was to train 7,500 staff fromhigh street stores, direct telephonesales and contact centres on the newproducts and services.

With only four weeks to plan andprepare a laptop trainingprogramme, CPW and Verridianneeded to make sure that they ‘wereholding hands through the wholeprocess’, as Marcus Dacombe, Salesand Marketing Director atVerridian, puts it. This also meantthat CPW had to make sure thatwhoever they worked withunderstood and shared CPW values,

and were, above all, flexible. One of the most important things

for the project was to work togetheras a team. Throughout the project, aVerridian project manager andtraining designer effectively workedfull-time with CPW, and there wereregular review meetings with key stakeholders.

‘We said right from the start, it’sjust one team, we’re in this together.If we’d treated ourselves as twodifferent companies it would havedoubled the effort,’ explains DarrenGardner, Head of New Business andMultichannel at CPW.

One week before the start of thetraining programme, Verridian andCPW ran a pilot with about 180hand-selected people representing


The trainingaligned thecompanyand staff tothe new vision. Whatstood outfor me wasthe impactit had on theemployeesand the customersDarren GardnerCPW

CPW Case Study

What wasgreat washaving ablend ofpeople. Itwas aboutlearningfrom eachotherMarcus Dacombe,Verridian


all sections of the business, from topbranch managers to key supportcentre staff, in order to test-run thetraining and see if any changes wereneeded. The same group was thenasked for feedback on the amended version.

The training phasesThe training programme, which wasknown as ‘Wireless Camp’, was splitinto two phases. The first phase,which started off seven weeks priorto the sales launch, was aimed atgetting all staff up to speed in termsof technical knowledge of the newproducts and enabling them to putthat knowledge into practice. Thesecond phase, which took place afterthe laptop launch, was follow-up, in-store training.

In phase 1, from May to June, ateam of Verridian and CPWtrainers, plus members of CPW’s‘Geek Squad’ set off on a ‘roadshow’,running camps at 63 venues all overthe UK. The team often stayed inone location for several days inorder to allow each member of staffin that area to attend.

Even though attending theWireless Camp was compulsory foreach member of staff, there was anincentive to take part: everyemployee who passed the campsuccessfully received a free laptop atthe end. A ‘pass’ meant that theyhad to attend the one-day trainingcourse, complete a number of onlinetraining tests and eventually sell alaptop to a customer.

Even though most of CPW’s staffare by no means computer-illiterate,many didn’t feel comfortable withthe thought of having to sell one tocustomers. ‘It was amazing howmany 18-30 year olds are scared oflaptops,’ says Gardner.

The day began at 10 am andfinished around 6 pm. Delegatenumbers varied between 100-200people, depending on the size of thevenue. After a welcome plenarysession, where the new CPW visionwas introduced and a seniormanager gave a keynote speech,

delegates were split into groups of10-15 people, all ‘equipped’ with oneVerridian, one CPW and one GeekSquad trainer.

A technical ‘mini’ test to determinealready existing knowledge thenstarted off the training. Staff whoscored 100 per cent became ‘go toand ask persons’, allowing theexperts from store to be part of thetraining team. ‘What was great washaving a blend of people [in thegroups]. It was about learning fromeach other,’ says Dacombe.

The key aim of the breakoutsessions was to give staff moreconfidence when talking about thenew range and technology withcustomers, and also helping them tomove beyond the technical jargon.This was achieved through a blendof instructor-led classroom teachingand a lot of inter-team role play onreal-life scenarios.

Throughout the day, delegateswere able to post questions in an ‘Iwish I knew’ box. These questionswere then answered in a ‘UniversityChallenge’ game at the end of the day.

The day finished with a secondtest, where all delegates were given ahandset, which was linked to theirregistration details, and allowedthem to compare their new resultswith the ones from the first test.‘This was probably one of thebiggest wow-factors,’ Gardner says.‘We got an overwhelming responsefrom people. They were all motivatedto get out there and deliver.’

The second phaseIn phase 2, CPW and Verridianarranged for follow-up, in-storecoaching sessions. The aim was tosee how staff were putting theirnewly acquired knowledge intopractice and to provide some moresupport and training.

The sessions took place afterCPW’s laptop launch, from earlyJune to early November, and sawtrainers visiting over 800 CPWstores all over the UK. The daysusually started off with a feedbacksession, and then moved into

‘practical knowledge testing’, whichconsisted of selling a laptop to acustomer, either live or as a roleplay. ‘What was really good was thatthe pass rate was very high – 93 percent,’ says Gardner.

After the assessment, the trainerwould set up a personaldevelopment plan with each staffmember, which would then bepassed on to the store manager.

Looking backSo was Wireless Camp a success?Both Gardner and Dacombe agreethat it absolutely delivered what itpromised. CPW saw an uplift insales of 300 per cent after theproject, and Verridian won theExternal Training Project of theYear award at the Institute of ITTraining Awards in 2009 forWireless Camp.

‘The training aligned the companyand staff to the new vision,’ Gardnerexplains. ‘What stood out for meultimately was the impact it had onthe employees and the customers.’

‘The training was never just abouta product, it always had people at itscentre,’ adds Dacombe. ‘Seeing aroom full of 100 people get excitedand passionate about what theywere doing was one of the thingsthat made the camp a success.’

And is there anything they wouldhave done differently? ‘I don’t thinkwe’d do a lot of things differently,’Gardner says. ‘What I might changeif I had to do a project like thisagain is give it a slightly longertimeframe and ask people to dosome preparation beforehand. Butoverall, the huge amount of positivefeedback and the very successfullaunch of the new extended rangespeak for themselves.’

Parts of the Wireless Camptraining have now been included asa one-day session in the regularinduction training, and onlinematerial has been made available on the internal CPW system. CPW is also planning ‘refreshercourses’, possibly in the form of six-monthly roadshows.

Are vendor certifications actually worth the bother or are they a time-wasting bit of window-dressing not actually measuringreal ability or performance? Gary Flood looks at how they have developed over the last years, what the research shows and the anecdotal evidence.

Industry qualifications in one formor another have been with us fordecades, but they really took off whenMicrosoft introduced the MicrosoftCertified Systems Engineer (MCSE).

Then there was the backlash, withMCSEs flooding the market, devaluingthe qualification by volume alone,but also because too many suchholders were descried as ‘paperMCSEs’. The accusation was thatpeople were just doing exam crams,even sending ringers to sit theirexams. ‘Clients ended up settingtheir own IT tests even for MCSEs,’says Matt Smith, Director of UKRegions for IT recruiter Harvey Nash.

Certification went quiet for awhile, but unobtrusively the wholefield has been re-building (see boxopposite). Many exams now factor


Certification Vendor

in some sort of blind-test practicalelement, often involving thecandidate having to physicallyconfigure, de-bug or administersome actual technology.

And new certifications keepappearing. The Information SystemsAudit and Control Associationoutlined details in January of ahighly demanding professionalqualification for IT, the Certified inthe Governance of Enterprise IT. InMay business process managementplayer Lombardi announced aprogramme, the Lombardi University.

Still the evidence is very mixed onwhat practical, career-enhancingeffect getting the magic letters after your name actually brings the IT professional.

‘Certification definitely has a

place: it shows commitment and thatyou’ve gone that extra mile, but itdoesn’t prove of itself you can do thejob better than someone who hasn’t,’says QA’s Commercial Director BillWalker.

Marc Smith, Director of TechnicalMarketing at Lombardi, adds: ‘Theproblem with too much certificationis that it is not based on exposure topractical project engagements, andyou do need to have an element ofthat, not just courses and exams, toprove competence.’

Does holding qualification A orcertification B make an IT practitionermore valuable in an employer’s eyes?According to testing specialistPearson Vue, yes. In March 2008 itpolled just under 400 IT, HR andtraining professionals across Europe(including the UK, Holland andGermany) and found thatcertification plays a significant rolein career progression and was felt todo even more so in the future.Almost half of companies consideredcertification to be important oruseful, and only 7 per cent ofcompanies responding expressed nointerest at all in IT certification.

For recruitment purposes,Microsoft, Oracle, Cisco and IBM

We need todemonstratethat our certificationprovides incrediblevalue to theproductivityof a workforceKevin Turner, Microsoft

Is one open door enough?

Vendor Certification


certificates are the most sought afterby employers, the poll found, and ITcertification was said to play a‘significant’ role in career progressiongenerally. It is also a benefit to jobapplicants, especially at the initialCV screening stage and as a finaldecider between candidates chasingthe same position.

These findings were echoed byanother study conducted in 2008 byIT analyst firm IDC among 800(mainly US) IT leaders, collectivelyresponsible for more than 2,000teams. The survey’s focus was touncover the relationship betweentraining, certification and functionalperformance. It found that 75 percent of managers believe certificationis important to team performance;also 66 per cent of managers believethat certification improves theoverall level of service and supportoffered to IT end users/customersand overall team performanceincreases every time a new teammember is certified.

Meanwhile, Microsoft’s own 2006survey found that of those contacted,63 per cent of hiring managersreported certified individuals are‘somewhat or far more’ productivethan their non-certified counterparts;

For recruitmentpurposes,Microsoft,Oracle,Cisco andIBM certificatesare themost soughtafter by employersPearson Vue research

A number of key IT vendors haveeither announced significantrevamps or extensions of theirproprietary qualifications in the past18 months.

Probably the most significant isthe ongoing evolution of theMicrosoft qualification set from theMicrosoft Certified SystemsEngineer to the new qualificationsgrouped around the MicrosoftCertified Technology Specialist(MCTS), which in turn can be thebasis for the new Microsoft industryqualifications, the MicrosoftCertified IT Professional (MCITP),Microsoft Certified ProfessionalDeveloper (MCPD), MicrosoftCertified Master (MCM) andMicrosoft Certified Architect (MCA).

Cisco has also been overhaulingits core Cisco Certified NetworkAssociate (CCNA), though in thisinstance it is not scrapping it somuch as improving it. Candidatesare now expected to pass someentry-level exams first, such as theCisco Certified Entry NetworkTechnician (CCENT), which is

based on an introductory conceptsexam, accompanied by a moreskills-focused test. Beyond theCCNA are now job-relateddestinations, qualifications-wise,such as becoming Cisco CertifiedNetwork Professionals (CCNPs),and a few may aspire to be CiscoCertified Network Experts(CCNEs).

SAP, two years ago, decided toinaugurate an entirely fresh globalcertification programme. For thefirst time, SAP introduced a three-tier qualifications structure, withcandidates becoming a SAPCertified Associate, CertifiedProfessional or Certified Master.

Its main software rival Oracle hasbeefed up its OCX qualificationsrange from Oracle CertifiedAssociate (OCA) to Oracle CertifiedProfessional (OCP) up to OracleProfessional Master (OCM).

At the same time, companies asdiverse as Apple, HP, Adobe, Sageand Novell have all eithermaintained or most often expandedtheir certification ‘stories’.

Recent evolutions in industry qualifications

18 IT Training Autumn 2009

Employersfind it easyto see whata vendorqualificationoffers interms ofcontent,skills andknowledgeKaren Price,e-skills UK


55 per cent consider certification akey criterion when recruiting and afurther 46 per cent see certificationa factor for promotion. MicrosoftEuropean researchers have alsofound that in France, the averagesalary for a developer withMicrosoft Certified Professionalstatus was about 10 per cent higherthan for a non-certified one; inGermany, there was even a 15 percent difference.

The idea that the right cert equalsthe fatter pay packet is backed up byUS IT pay market commentatorsFoote Partners. It regularly publishespainstakingly detailed analyses ofwhich certifications are ‘up’ or down’in market value – e.g. in the file ofIT security for April 2009, the CheckPoint Certified Master Architectqualification showed a 0.2 per centincrease in pay, the MicrosoftCertified Solution Developer wasmost valuable in terms of pay inapplications development, OracleDBA Administrator Certified Masterin database and so on. Yet a directcorrelation between certification andmore money is not proven. In thesame Foote data, for instance, of22,850 US and Canadian ITprofessionals contacted, beingcertified seemed to equal a 4 percent drop in salary for the period in question. Surely the only fairconclusion to be derived from these sorts of salary surveys is thatin volatile economic times, even the ‘hottest’ new certification may not directly translate into career progression?

However, the industry itself iskeen and committed. Partly, this isdown to the fact that it is undoubtedlya revenue stream for them: manycertifications, e.g. the HP range, areonly really pursued by HP channeland partner companies, who getbetter recognition and support fromthe parent supplier if they show suchinvestment and commitment.

But then vendors take what theydo seriously enough to knowfamiliarity with their own productsis vital. ‘Everyone takes tests at

school to show progress; why not inyour IT career too?’ asks PearsonVue’s European Sales and MarketingVP Suzana Lopes.

No less than four million ITprofessionals have earned Microsoftcertifications to date; Microsoft isnow also making all its customer-facing employees get certified, amove that affects around 15,000 ofits staff. ‘We need to walk our talkand demonstrate that ourcertification provides incrediblevalue to the productivity of aworkforce,’ its Chief OperatingOfficer Kevin Turner said.

This is reflected in the IT trainingmarket itself. ‘We have seen a lot ofrising interest from consultanciesand suppliers wanting to get fully“skilled up” during the recession –and we’ve seen probably moredemand from this quarter than end-user companies for certificationversus IT training in general,’ notesTony King, Solution Manager attraining firm Global Knowledge.

Getting the right mixHowever the reality is that ITpractitioners won’t pursue certificationunless it’s made a requirement. Inthe Person Vue research, forinstance, even though employersencouraged staff to complete coursesso as to gain full certification, justover half of those who undertaketraining actually complete it. Timeconstraints are the biggest barrier tocompletion rates, closely followed bywhether or not certification isincluded within training. Motivationis also an issue, as people appear lesswilling to take certification if theircompany does not expressly requirethem to do so.

‘Industry qualifications are greatat opening the initial doors, butsolid career and salary progress thencan’t take place without significantexperience and proven worth in arole,’ says David Marr, TrainingManager at Globaltech Solutions.

Research by IT sector skillscouncil e-skills UK (March 2008)indicates that employers actually

Certification Vendor

Microsoftwww.microsoft.com/learningwww.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2009/jan09/01-21ITCertQA.mspxwww.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/newgen/default.mspx

The new Lombardi Universitywww.lombardisoftware.com/bpm-software-training.php

The latest ‘hot’ certifications and interesting mappings of qualifications to (North American) resulting job prospectshttp://www.footepartners.com/FooteNewsrelease_2009skillstrends_041609V1.pdf

To find out more

rate a degree as the best qualificationwith vendor qualifications slightlyahead in terms of technical contentand usefulness to the employingcompany and staff, and slightlybehind in terms of cost and value formoney.

‘Employers find it easy to see whata vendor qualification offers in termsof content, skills and knowledge,’says the organisation’s CEO KarenPrice. But crucially, unlike degrees,as Marr points out, IT still has somany disparate technical specialismsand career paths that it’s hard to seehow one general industry qualificationcould ever be seen as equal to adegree. What, then, is the intelligentway to think about the value ofindustry qualifications? ‘For longevityand commitment to IT as a career, itabsolutely does you no harm to getthem,’ thinks recruiter Smith. ‘But inemployment terms it’s about thetotal package – if you’ll fit in, asmuch as your experience and training.’

‘There are a whole set of factorswhen it comes to recruitment,’ addsWalker. ‘Certification is not apanacea. IT firms, like the government,really like the idea; in the real worldit seems IT professionals andemployers see the things more likeonly the surface part of the overalleducation experience.’

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Stand out from the crowd,test with the best!

E-learning as a concept has a longhistory stretching back to the late1970s, long before the advent of thepersonal computer. Just about everyavailable platform has been used forcomputer-assisted learning, from thegreen screen mainframe terminal tothe earliest microcomputers, PCs,DVD players, games consoles andmobile devices.

Compared to this, the term ‘e-learning’ is a mere ten years old,running alongside the huge uptake


of internet technology in the late1990s. This re-branding was morethan cosmetic: the internet and theintranets and extranets that followedsoon after brought a degree ofconnectivity to personal computingthat changed the way we work andplay. Connectivity means a greatdeal in the context of workplacelearning, because it broadens thescope of computer-assisted learningto allow remote communicationbetween tutors and learners, not to

The term e-learning encompasses a wide range ofactivities, so our first IT Training e-learning surveyof the leading companies has split them into various market segments. Clive Shepherd examinesthe results and the current shape of the market.

e-learning chart toppers

e-learning companies Top tables


mention access to huge quantities oftraining materials and referenceinformation.

Not surprisingly, e-learning hasdeveloped into a broad church,encompassing a wide range ofactivities, from the classic, self-pacedlessons (traditionally referred to asCBT – computer-based training)through to performance support, e-assessment, learning and contentmanagement, games andsimulations, mobile learning, webconferencing, and more recently,learning using social media.

For this reason, the 2009 ITTraining survey of the e-learningmarket could not be adequatelydescribed in a single list. Instead itseparates out the market for bespokee-learning content, off-the-shelfcontent, authoring tool providersand LMS/LCMS providers. In thecase of bespoke content, which is amore localised business, only UKsales were included. In all othercases, where the business is typicallyinternational, the tables show global sales.

To gather this information, ITTraining contacted a wide range ofleading players in each of the chosencategories. Many were happy torespond with details of their salesfor 2008. Some declined because itwas contrary to their companypolicy to disclose sales informationor because the information was notavailable in the form required. Inother cases, notably for publiccompanies, the information wasreadily available from CompaniesHouse and similar sources.

Bespoke contentdevelopersBespoke multimedia contentdevelopment in the UK firstappeared on the scene in the early1980s. Indeed, one of the companiesin our list, Epic, can claim to havebeen a leading player from the verystart to the current day. Mostbespoke development is provided asa local service within the UK,although some companies have

development teams off-shore, someoverseas companies have a UKpresence (notably Cognitive Arts inour list) and some UK companieshave spread their wings to provideservices to international clients(notably Kineo). Of course, manyclients of these companies operatebeyond the UK and distribute thecontent internationally within their organisations.

Bespoke development meets clientneeds that cannot be addressed byoff-the-shelf products or by in-houseteams. Typically, only largeorganisations have the audiencenumbers to justify bespokedevelopment, although new rapidtools and processes are bringingdown prices and opening upopportunities to a wider range oforganisations.

Bespoke developers are typicallyrelatively small companies,employing a mix of specialists inproject management, instructionaldesign, software engineering andgraphic design. Projects range in sizefrom a few tens of thousands toseveral millions, with developmenttimes ranging from a few weeks tomany months.

The market for bespokedevelopment has been both helpedand hindered by the currentrecession. Some projects will havebeen postponed or shelved asorganisations assess the damage; inother cases, organisations areresponding to reduced budgets byswitching from classroom trainingto e-learning. As we exit therecession, e-learning is likely to havebeen a net beneficiary, with a muchenlarged share of the market forformal learning and development.

Off-the-shelf content providersThe provision of off-the-shelftraining content is again a longestablished business sector, withorigins that can be traced back tothe heyday of training films andvideos. All but the youngest readerswill remember the early John Cleese

films from Video Arts (still goingstrong and included in our e-learninglist). And the dominant player,SkillSoft, can be traced back to the1980s provider of IT training videos,BIS-Deltak.

Many off-the-shelf contentproviders specialise in a particularsubject area, such as soft skills or ITtraining. The market leader,SkillSoft, has, through acquisition,built a broad catalogue of titlescovering all major businessdisciplines. Some have extendedtheir offerings to include non-interactive resources, most notablySkillSoft’s Books24x7 venture.

Although off-the-shelf content isan international market and muchtechnical content can be distributedwith American accents and spelling,other disciplines – particularly softskills – require localisation. Similarissues arise with content that isdesigned to meet compliance needs,where the content must bedeveloped in accordance with locallaws and regulations.

Off-the-shelf content is typicallypurchased in quantity under licensefor use by an entire organisation,division or department, and thenrenewed annually. This content can be hosted externally by theprovider or installed within the firewall.

Most publishers target the largestorganisations and the market forsmall and medium-sized enterprisesis still largely untapped. Anexception would be learndirect, aninitiative of the UK government thatdeliberately targets individuals andsmaller companies, but did notmake information available for thisyear’s list.

Authoring tool providersAuthoring tools are softwarepackages that allow developers tobuild self-paced e-learning andperformance support materials.Many have been platform-specificand have therefore come and gone asfocus has shifted from DOS/Apple IIto Windows/Mac, and from floppies

The marketfor bespokedevelopmenthas beenboth helped andhindered bythe currentrecession Clive Shepherd

22 IT Training Autumn 2009 www.bcs.org/ittraining

Top tables e-learning companies

to videodisc to CD-ROM and then online.

Traditionally, authoring packageshave been desktop tools sold per seaton a perpetual license. Early toolsused to charge royalties as titles weredistributed, but this practice hasthankfully now died out. Althoughmost tools are still Windowsapplications, we are seeing a rapidgrowth in the use of online tools,which allow data to be stored in adatabase on a central server andfacilitate the collaborativedevelopment of content. Examplesof online tools include Atlantic Link(a UK company, included in the list)and Mohive.

Some authoring tools are designedprimarily to support IT training and,indeed, they head up our list. Adobewas not able to supply figures forthis review, but remains theundoubted market leader inauthoring tools. Adobe’s Captivate,which originated as a screen capturetool for IT training, is the world’smost popular tool, now extended tosupport all types of content. Top ofour list is Camtasia, another highlypopular screen capture tool. Atnumber two is Assima, a UK-centredcompany that provides highlyadvanced tools for softwaresimulation, both for training andperformance support. The othertools in our list also have modules tosupport screen capture.

An important development inrecent years has been the growth inpopularity of so-called rapiddevelopment tools, which takePowerPoint output and enhance itfor web distribution in Flash format.The two most popular of these areArticulate and Adobe Presenter,neither of which were able to supplysales figures. The same capability isalso available with the online toolAtlantic Link.

The outlook for authoring toolslooks bright as more organisationsdecide to develop their own e-learning content in-house. It remains to be seen whether onlinetools, typically purchased on an

The outlookfor authoringtools looksbright asmore organisationsdecide todeveloptheir own e-learningcontent in-houseClive Shepherd

enterprise basis, will erode thedominance of the desktop tools. It isquite conceivable that competitionwill also be felt from open sourceand free tools.

LMS/LCMS providersThe first major learningmanagement systems (LMSs) startedto appear in the mid 1990s,alongside the growth in popularityof web-enabled applications ingeneral and e-learning in particular.Some were developed from existingclassroom-course managementsystems, but most were new dotcom ventures.

LMSs provide online support forall aspects of an organisation’slearning and development efforts,including classroom training. ManyLMSs extend to performancemanagement, providing support forjob and employee competencydatabases; others include contentmanagement capabilities (learningcontent management systems, orLCMSs), which allow an organisationto centrally store all forms ofcontent, from media assets toreference documents to learningobjects, and to re-use these in avariety of contexts; further extensionsto the LMS include social networkingcomponents, providing web 2.0capabilities within the firewall.

The major LMS providers markettheir products internationally, withthe majority of leading players basedin the US. LMSs are usually sold onan enterprise license, with the pricebased on the number of users. It isquite typical for a substantial amountof support and configuration to berequired when the system is installed.

More recently we have seen themajor database and ERP softwarecompanies extending their HRofferings with LMS components,most notably Oracle and SAP.Where an organisation is alreadyheavily invested in the solutionsprovided by these vendors, there willobviously be a temptation to addLMS functionality to their existingsuite rather than work with a

completely different supplier. Nofigures are available for Oracle andSAP LMS sales.

Another complication to the LMSmarket lies in the increasing adoptionof virtual learning environments(VLEs) as LMS replacements. VLEs,such as Blackboard and the opensource Moodle, were originallydeveloped for the educationalmarket and are used by thousands ofcolleges worldwide. However thereis a fine line between an LMS and aVLE (indeed in the US they makeno distinction) and VLEs, inparticular Moodle, are now widelyused by employers to support thedelivery of online and blendedsolutions. Sales of Blackboard were$312m for 2008, but they have notbeen included in the list becausetheir usage is so heavily educational.As Moodle is open source, there isno way to assess revenue.

Other e-learning productsand servicesAs mentioned previously, e-learningnow encompasses a very wide rangeof products and services, many ofwhich have applications beyondlearning and development. A majorexample is web conferencing, alreadywidely used by organisations tosupport online meetings and webinars,but now increasingly used for liveonline training. In the US it isestimated that 10 per cent of allformal training is conducted this way.

The major players in webconferencing generally are CiscoWebex (with a dominant marketshare), Microsoft LiveMeeting,Citrix GoToMeeting and AdobeAcrobat Connect. Some productscentre more on the virtual classroom,including Elluminate and SabaCentra. There is also increasingactivity in open source webconferencing, while the capability ofinstant messaging products such asSkype could easily be extendedupwards to blur the distinction withfull-scale web conferencing.

An emerging trend is the use ofweb 2.0 ideas and technologies

within learning and development,including blogging, wikis, onlinevideo, podcasting and socialnetworking. Some of this functionalityis being incorporated in the nextgeneration LMSs, although manyorganisations are likely to usereadily available stand-alone tools orbuild their own custom solutions.

The prospects for new learning mediaThe learning and developmentprofession generally is at a crossroads.On top of the pressures for a morespeedy delivery of training and formore environmentally friendlysolutions comes the extreme costconstraints associated with thedeepest recession in a generation.Organisations will be bound to turnto solutions that are moreresponsive, less disruptive andclearly more cost-effective, and thatgenerally means a greater use of newmedia.

As Joseph Schumpeter remindedus: ‘Technology is not kind. It doesnot wait. It does not say please.’ Theeffect will not just be felt byclassroom providers; e-learning isundergoing a major upheaval as itshakes off its CBT heritage andemerges as a more versatile mediumbetter suited to the realities of 21st-century working life and the expectations of nextgeneration learners.

* Revenue figures are for the calendar

year of 2008, except for:

A: FY ending April 2009

B: FY ending December 2007

C:. FY ending March 2009

‘e’ indicates that the company has

supplied an estimate.

Not all companies active in a particular

category are necessarily included in the

lists. We were not able to include

companies whose turnover (or part of the

business relevant to the category) is not

available on public record and where the

company has declined to provide the

information. We have done our best to

provide an accurate list but cannot

guarantee complete accuracy.

Top 10 off-the-shelf content providers globally

Rank

12345678910

Revenue 2008* (m)

£196.36£39.48£26.90£21.26£4.63£4.30£2.85£1.43£1.28£1.21

Web address

www.skillsoft.comwww.elementk.comwww.thirdforce.comwww.learn.comwww.videoarts.co.ukwww.ilxgroup.comwww.absolutelytraining.comwww.watsoniapublishing.co.ukwww.learningguide.co.ukwww.symantec.com

Organisation

SkillSoftElement KThirdForcelearn.comVideo ArtsILX GroupAbsolutely TrainingWatsonia Publishing LearningGuideSymantec Education Services

Top 5 authoring tool providers globally

Rank

12345

Revenue 2008* (m)

£21.87£4.73£3.41£2.03 £2.00

Web address

www.techsmith.comwww.assima.netwww.trivantis.comwww.toolbook.comwww.atlantic-link.co.uk

Organisation

TechsmithAssimaTrivantis SumTotal Atlantic Link

Top 5 LMS / LCMS providers globally

Rank

12345-

5-

Revenue 2008* (m)

£70.11 £65.17£30.00 £18.22£9.72

£9.72

Web address

www.sumtotal.comwww.saba.comwww.plateau.comwww.mzinga.comwww.meridianksi.com

www.elementk.com

Organisation

SumTotalSabaPlateauMzingaMeridian Knowledge SolutionsElement K

Top 10 UK bespoke content developers

Rank

12345678910

Revenue 2008* (m)

£7.20 £6.10£4.25£4.01£3.80£3.75£3.70£2.38£1.80£1.01

Web address

www.line.co.ukwww.epic.co.ukwww.cm-group.co.ukwww.cognitivearts.comwww.brightwave.co.ukwww.redtray.co.ukwww.kineo.comwww.assima.netwww.saffroninteractive.comwww.im-c.com

Organisation

LineEpicCM GroupCognitive ArtsBrightwaveRedtrayKineoAssimaSaffron InteractiveIMC

Top tables e-learning companies

24 IT Training Autumn 2009 www.bcs.org/ittraining

(e)

(e)

(e)

(B)(e)

(e)

(e)

(A)

(B)

(C)

The IT Service Management Forum (itSMF) can now offer a full set of service managementqualifications, having officially recognised ISEB’s new ISO/IEC 20000 foundation level syllabus. Megan Pendlebury, Head of IT Service Management at itSMF UK, explains how theentry level exam fits into the itSMF service management qualification scheme.

Since British service managementstandard BS15000 was fast-trackedto become an internationallyrecognised standard (ISO/IEC20000) in 2005, organisations havefelt a particular sense of achievementby gaining accreditation.

Plenty of hard work goes intoachieving the standard, not only bythose running the project, but alsoby the ‘business as usual’ staff whoneed to be fully engaged in thevision of achieving the standard inorder for it to happen.

The itSMF scheme allowsorganisations to be certified via aregistered auditing company againstthe ISO/IEC 20000 standard, givingthem a stamp (certificate) of being aquality service managementorganisation. This stamp showscurrent and potential customers aswell as the competition thatorganisations are serious about whatthey do and are in control of theservices provided.

To complement this certificationscheme, itSMF devised a qualificationscheme that trains two differentaudiences: auditors and consultants.The auditors’ qualification teachesexperienced auditors the specifics ofthe ISO/IEC 20000 standard and theins and outs of IT service management.The consultants’ qualification isintended for internal consultants orexternal contractors with a high


level of service managementexperience, employed to take theorganisation through the certification process.

There used to be a gap in theitSMF scheme as the people in anorganisation who needed to reallyunderstand the standard in terms ofwhat it is all about and where theirroles fit into it, were left in limbo.They could take awareness courses,but there was no itSMF-approvedstructured and examined entry levelcourse. Some decided to sit theconsultants’ qualification, whichcovered more detail than theywanted, leaving many unsuccessfulin passing the exam.

The itSMF has now plugged itsentry level gap by endorsing, andpromoting, the ISEB FoundationCertificate in ISO/IEC 20000 as partof its scheme. ISEB’s Foundationexam, which had already beenrunning a year prior to the itSMFendorsement, is aimed at staff ininternal and external serviceprovider organisations who requireknowledge and understanding of theISO/IEC 20000 standard and itscontent. This means individuals atthe coal face can prove theirknowledge and understanding ofISO/IEC 20000, and, as the course isat the right level for them, they willhave a more positive experience.

We see ISO/IEC 20000 as a major

part of our industry’s future. Whenasked why they are consideringworking for certification against thestandard, many organisations willcite competitive advantage or theircustomers wanting proof of whatthey do. Many more people willtherefore be involved in this areathrough time. The only way that theglobal rollout of ISO/IEC 20000 canhappen is if examination instituteswork together to ensure that themarket is clear and that the studentsthemselves are able to get thetraining and achieve the level ofqualification that they feel they needat any stage in their career.

The onlyway that the globalrollout ofISO/IEC20000 canhappen is ifexaminationinstituteswork togetherMegan Pendlebury,

itSMF UK

itSMF qualification scheme expands


The IT Service ManagementForum (itSMF) is the independentand internationally recognisedforum for IT service managementprofessionals. Globally, the itSMFnow has over 6,000 membercompanies, blue chip and publicsector alike, covering in excessof 70,000 individuals. The itSMFUK is the founding Chapter ofan increasingly important globalbusiness currently comprising 53Chapters worldwide. itSMF UKis a not-for-profit organisation,run by its members.

itSMF UK

The Celtic Tiger prepares to pounce backIT training in Ireland is responding to tough times by considering online learning and overseas markets. Donald Taylor investigates.

We’vemoved beyond justlearningwhere tofind thingson menus to being effectiveknowledgeworkersDavid CarpenterQ-Validus

Ireland has gone from boom tospectacular bust in less than a year.With the economy predicted todecline by 7 per cent for 2009(against 7 per cent growth in 2008)and unemployment set to risebeyond its current rate of 11 percent to near 17 per cent in 2010,things are tough. How tough? Arecent headline in the IrishIndependent ran: ‘We’ve never had itso bad’.

How has the IT sector – anotherof Ireland’s boom sectors – stood upto this dramatic reversal in fortunes?And what is happening in the

training sector that supports that sector?

The answer is that, despite therecession, IT skills shortagescontinue in Ireland, as they do inother European countries. TheExpert Group on Future SkillsNeeds, which advises the IrishGovernment on skills needs, says inits 2009 National Skills Bulletin thatskills shortages persist in the ITprofession despite a downturn incomputer manufacturing.

This combination of increasedunemployment and IT skillsshortages has meant that interest in

IT training and certification remainsstrong, but the recession is makingitself felt.

‘There’s no doubt that the demandfor training is there,’ says DonalKavanagh, Content Editor forLearning Ireland, a website forinformation on training rangingfrom one-day workshops to degreecourses. ‘Searches on trainingcourses have risen 21 per cent overthe past year.’

According to JNIR internetresearch, more than 600,000 peopleused the internet to search fortraining courses in 2008, making itthe second largest category searchedonline. But that hasn’t meant boomtimes for training companies,reports Kavanagh. ‘The recessionhas left classroom providers inparticular having to fight a littleharder to win the business. Thereare reduced prices and 2-for-1offers. People are definitely lookingfor good value.’

The focus on value-for-money isabout more than just finding a gooddeal, says Kavanagh. ‘According toour surveys, around 50 per cent ofour users are self-funders whosemanagers won’t pay for training,’and, he adds, more than money is atstake. ‘Those still in work are havingto cover the roles of those maderedundant,’ he says. ‘They just don’thave time to attend classroom-based courses.’

BT Ireland’s Training Solutionshas noticed this shift in attitudes totraining dramatically. While – alongwith other providers – it has seen adecline in demand for classroomtraining, it has also noted asignificant increase in demand forits instructor-led online training inboth IT end user and professionalskills. Based in Belfast and Dublin,the company’s training team of 38delivers training not only across theisland of Ireland, but alsointernationally to clients such asIntel and Tourism Ireland.

According to Peter Carlin, Salesand Commercial Manager, beingable to attend a live online training


International Ireland

Ireland International


course in 90-minute modules at thedesk is attractive for a number ofreasons. ‘People are finding itdifficult to get the time and budgetfor classroom training so thisapproach works for them,’ he says.‘Also we know that learning spacedover time helps retention. Ourinstructor-led training over theinternet makes that possible.’

But while the downturn has beenthe catalyst for more interest intraining over the internet,participating in learning onlinemeans a considerable change inlearning habits for most people, saysCarlin. Usually it takes practical,hands-on exposure to convincepeople that it can really work. ‘Weget a lot of light bulb momentsduring pilots when people areactually doing it,’ he adds.

Adapting delivery mechanismsand organisational approaches tolearning is a common theme inIreland today, it seems. Q-ValidusCEO David Carpenter is aiming tochange the way organisations andindividuals consider their IT skills.He wants to switch training andqualifications from focusing on thesoftware used to concentrating onwhat people use that software for. Q-Validus’ Computer Wingstraining and certificationprogramme doesn’t have titles suchas ‘Introduction to Word Processing’or ‘Using SEO Tools’, preferring‘Newsletter Publisher’, for example,or ‘Web Optimiser’.

As former CEO of the EuropeanComputer Driving Licence (ECDL)Foundation, Carpenter knows athing or two about internationaltraining and accreditation of ITskills. Like BT Ireland’s TrainingSolutions, he has his eyes set beyondIreland’s shores and has alreadyentered into agreements with theScottish Qualifications Authority(SQA) and set up partnerships tospread Computer Wings further afield.

‘This shift of focus from softwareproduct to employee productivity iscrucial,’ says Carpenter. ‘We’ve

moved beyond just learning whereto find things on menus to beingeffective knowledge workers.’

While Q-Validus is producing anew approach to training andcertifying users of IT, the IrishComputer Society remains thenational institution that qualifies IT trainers themselves in Ireland. Its Certified Training Professional(CTP) programme checks trainers’ability to plan, deliver, assess andevaluate IT training.

Gwen Conlon, Programmes Co-ordinator at the ICS, points tothe hands-on side approach as onereason for the programme’s success.‘The practical nature of theassessment of CTP trainers showsthat the trainers can actually delivertraining effectively, and do notmerely have theoretical knowledgeof the process.’

Although the CTP programmewas launched in 2002 and now hasmore than 700 trainers certified inIreland, the ICS is not standing still. The programme is in use inEurope and the Middle East, andlike everyone else in Ireland, itseems, the ICS plans to continuethat international expansion,extending the programme to HongKong, Singapore and South Africa.And as part of its expansion plans,the ICS aims to take its training to the internet. It is in the process of developing an online CTP course, due for release in the autumn.

So while the need for IT trainingin Ireland remains strong, therecession is making classroomprovision increasingly difficult tojustify for both providers andlearners. It’s a trend that theLimerick-based Irish Centre forBusiness Excellence (ICBE) hasnoted. Working with organisationsacross Ireland, the ICBE is anindependent, non-profitorganisation that promotes businessimprovement and excellence. It hasseveral communities of practice,among them a group of some 200learning and developmentprofessionals from both the north

and south.‘Our L&D members report that it

is increasingly difficult to find thetime to train staff, while also sayingthat the need for training remains.As a result, people are consideringdifferent approaches to theclassroom, and even to formaltraining altogether,’ says ICBE Clientand Project Manager CaoimheCullinane. She has recently startedan online networking forum thatallows her L&D community to meetand to share experiences andresources online. ‘It’s early days toreport on progress,’ she says, ‘butthis is definitely the trend for thefuture: low-cost interactivity thatprovides support in the workplace. It will never replace all classroomtraining, but it certainly willsupplement it.’

There can be no doubt that theeconomic situation in Ireland iscurrently very difficult. Despite it all,however, IT training appears to beadapting to the tough conditions,looking online and overseas for waysof diversifying and extendingdelivery. One thing that has notgone away with the downturn is theneed for training, and neither has along standing regard in Ireland forlearning itself. As Donal Kavanaghputs it: ‘Education has always beenhighly valued here.’ From thereactions of key players in ITtraining in Ireland, it seems that heis absolutely right.

Those stillin work justdon’t havetime to attendclassroom-basedcoursesDonal Kavanagh,Learning Ireland

2009 National Skills Bulletinhttp://www.skillsireland.ie/publications/2009/title,4350,en.php

Learning Irelandhttp://www.learningireland.ie/Irish Computer Societyhttp://www.ics.ie/main/homepage.asp

Irish Centre for BusinessExcellencehttp://www.icbe.ie/index.php

Useful links

BCS has joined forces with Sun Microsystems totry and complement academic study with IT skillsthat can be directly applied in the workplace viaqualifications that are recognised by industry. To do so, they are offering BCS student membersthe chance to study certain Java and Solaris onlinecourses for free.

BCS and Sun Microsystems havecompleted an agreement that willallow all BCS student members freeaccess to Sun’s learning managementsystem: Sun Academic Initiative(SAI) Learning Connection.

The BCS scheme opens up SAI,which provides online foundationcertification courses, to many morestudents and universities. To date, ithas been running for two years at 21universities, which have promotedthe scheme through campusambassadors to students to studyunder their own steam.

Sun Customer Learning ManagerKevin Streater says: ‘At the moment,corporates often run Java inductioncourses for graduates. Universitiesgenerally teach Java in their courses,but that doesn’t necessarily makegraduates industry-ready. With thisinitiative we’re trying to build abridge from one to another.’

Incorporated into coursesAt the moment, students who signup for the courses learn at their ownpace and in their own time. Oneuniversity is however starting tolook at incorporating Javacertification actually into its degreecourses, replacing a second yearmodule with one of the Sun courses.

‘The Java foundation certification(Sun Certified Java Programmer)takes 28 hours to study online, sofits well with one year of academicstudy. For the Solaris Administratorcertification the courses take 44hours,’ says Streater. ‘It’s more thanstudents just doing the foundation


programme while at university -they can then carry on with higher levels throughout their career in industry.’

Courses on the SAI LearningConnection cover a wide range oftopics including the fundamentals ofJava programming and the open-source Solaris operating system. 130of Sun’s 500 courses are available inthe SAI, at associate and intermediatelevel. The high value advancedcourses are not included. The aim,according to Streater, is that studentsat least have the foundation whenentering industry and can buildupon it.

‘This initiative gives BCS studentmembers a competitive edge as theyenter the workforce,’ says JohnOrton, BCS Director ofMembership. ‘Learning about Javadirectly from Sun – the companythat invented the technology – willbenefit them greatly and complementthe skills gained from their degree,giving students increasedopportunities for job placement andcareer advancement.’

Great opportunitiesMichael Clarke, an MEng SoftwareEngineering Final Year Student atAberystwyth University and the UKCampus Ambassador Coordinatorfor Sun Microsystems, agrees: ‘SAI isa great opportunity to get certifiedin a range of courses and to improveyour CV – especially given thecurrent economic climate. Not onlyare there fantastic courses onsubjects such as Solaris

Administration and Javaprogramming, but also on a varietyof other topics such as how toimprove your presentation skills.’

Around 150 students had enrolledon the courses through universitiesbefore the BCS scheme wasannounced. Java programming hasbeen the most popular option.Around 10 per cent of the studentshave gone on to take thecertification, but Streater said thatwith the BCS launch, Sun would bepromoting certification more.

BCS student members will receiveheavily discounted rates for selectcertification tests. They will alsohave access to free e-Practicecertification exams to prepare forSun certification. These web-basedpractice exams will include sampletest questions, the correct answerswith explanations and suggestionsfor future study.

It’s morethan studentsjust doingthe foundationprogrammewhile atuniversity –they canthen carryon withhigher levelsthroughouttheir careerin industryKevin Streater,Sun Microsystems

Students’ skills shaped to industry

Skills Academia and Industry

28 IT Training Autumn 2009

30 September & 1 October 2009 NEC Birmingham

A visit to the World of Learning will provide you with:

DEVELOPMENT

british institute

FOR LEARNING &

PUBLIC SECTOR MEDIA SPONSOR:

WORLD OF LEARNING CONFERENCE IS A CERTIFIED CPD EVENT

Self study


Book reviewsOur IT experts review a selection of recently published books covering an array of subject areas. For more reviews, see www.bcs.org/bookreviews

More and more companies andcentral and local governmentagencies are recognising theneed to create models of theirbusiness. But creating goodbusiness models is not a simplething to do – it requires a newset of skills. This book providesin-depth coverage of each ofthe four distinct modellingdisciplines: process modelling;motivation modelling;organisation modelling; andrules modelling. The bookhelps the reader master themall, and to understand how toeffectively combine them. Itskey features are that it

provides an in-depth coverage of the four businessmodelling disciplines;offers guidance on how to work effectively with subject matter experts, and how to run business modelling workshops;

details today’s ‘best practices’ for building effective business models, and lists common mistakes that should be avoided; describes standards for each business modelling discipline; explains how to analyse, simulate and deploy business models; includes examples from client work and from a specific example that runs through the book.

This book hooks the reader infrom the very first page and iswritten in such an engagingand entertaining style that it isdifficult to put down.

‘Business Modeling’ makesmodelling accessible andunderstandable to the beginner,while also being of greatinterest to those involved insystems integration – businessanalysts, business developers,operations managers andsoftware engineers.

Because the authors havesimplified the process ofbusiness modelling, this bookwill not only make an excellent reference text forstudents of the subject, but willappeal also to an even greaternumber of readers from thewider business community.This book is exceptional valuefor money and providesextremely well researchedcoverage of the theory andpractice of business modellingtechniques by two of the mostexperienced practitioners in the industry.

Reviewed by George WilliamsMBCS CITP

The authors present this subjectin a very logical sequence. Theproblem with securitymonitoring is that it canactually be counter-productiveif the wrong ‘targets’ (e.g.systems) and events aremonitored; knowing whattargets to focus on is one of thefirst steps to help achievesuccessful monitoring.

Various methods arediscussed to help identify thekey targets in an organisation,such as business impactassessment, revenue impact,legal requirements and risk profile.

Having identified the criticaltargets to monitor, the authorsdiscuss what events should becollected, and the impact (e.g.on performance) of collectingsuch events.

The authors then discuss howsuch event feeds can be tunedso that real security events can

be detected. This includesevents from syslogs and logsfrom, for example, applications,databases, Windows, networkdevices, and the use of NetFlow.Finally, now that the eventshave been identified and turnedinto something useful, the needto, and ways of, maintaining thewhole environment isdiscussed.

The concluding chapter isaptly titled ‘keeping it real’ andprovides details of case studiesand anecdotes where followingthe advice would have beenextremely helpful. It alsoillustrates that securitymonitoring cannot be done in apiecemeal fashion.

The book is not intended tobe an introduction to networksecurity and tools, or systemand network administration,which means that somefoundational understanding ofthese areas are required.

I would say this is anintermediate level book;although some knowledge ofnetwork security and toolswould be of some benefit to thereader, I do not believe this isessential. Also, it’s not adetailed reference guide onsome of the tools andtechniques that are discussed,although details of furtherreading are given throughout.

Overall this book is wellwritten and presented in a veryclear and logical manner. Theauthors are very knowledgeablein this field, and the advicegiven is obviously based onsound experience.

Reviewed by Mehmet Hurer MBCS CITP

Business Modeling: A PracticalGuide to Realizing Business ValueDavid M. Bridgeland andRon Zahavi, 408ppMorgan Kaufmann, £25.99ISBN: 978-0-12-374151-6Rating HHHHH

Security MonitoringChris Fry, Martin Nystrom, 246ppO’Reilly, £34.50 ISBN: 978-0-5965-1816-5Rating HHHHH

‘A real page turner!’ is the kindof statement you might makeabout a good mystery novel,but in this case it appliesequally well to the non-fictionbook Java service orientedarchitecture (SOA) cookbook.

As a subject matter expert inboth SOA and Java, myexpectations for this book werelow. However, I began reading,and every page provided clear,


For further information on these

books please contact the sales team

at C.B.Learning.

Tel: 0121 702 2828

Fax: 0121 606 0478

[email protected]

This excellent book is designedfor any IT professional involvedwith projects embracing theagile methodology and itsprinciples, from novice toadvanced practitioner.

Adopting a step-by-stepprocess, this book covers thebasic principles and, throughthe use of a series of wellillustrated cases, introduces thereader to the success process ofextreme programming and themanagement of such projects.

The book is geared towardssmall to medium-sized projects,so the cases discussed are ofthat size and complexity.

Its price might appear quitesteep for such a compact book,but should not be a deterrentfor a potential reader lookingfor specialist literature on agile projects.

Reviewed by Elias Pimenidis MBCS CITP

The aim of the book is to guidereaders through the journey ofusing virtualisation for commoneveryday business issues, andhow virtualisation can benefitand enhance the businessoperations economically and practically.

Each contributing author isan expert in their respectivefield, with John Hoopes actingas the overall technical editor.The book answers questionssuch as ‘what is virtualisation?’and guides the reader throughtasks such as building aHoneypot, configuring a virtualmachine, forensics, etc. At theend of each chapter the bookprovides a brief summary withthe key points, a solution fasttrack, and FAQs. These provideuseful reference points fortime-pressed individuals.

The book does provide a verygood introduction and all theessentials required for the setup, management, running andmaintenance of a virtualmachine, backed up withfurther references from the webfor the reader requiringadditional information. Thebook is also supplied with aunique electronic access codefor the e-book version of the

book, downloadable at no extra charge.

However, if you are after anin-depth technical referencebook, then this is not for you.The reader needs to be awarethat no formal standards inrelation to virtualisationpresently exist, and if you areoperating at different securitylevels, then virtualisation initself presents its own issues inrelation to security separation.

But virtualisation is anavenue to economically runseparate environments for un-trusted users and code, and allof these are adequately coveredin the book.

Reviewed by Adam Gostling MBCS CITP

Self study

Java SOA CookbookEben Hewitt, 740ppO’Reilly, £38.50ISBN: 9-780-59652-072-4Rating

Virtualization for Security JohnHoopes et al., 348 ppSyngress Press, £29.99ISBN: 978-1-59749-305-5Rating

valuable insights into so manyareas of SOA that I found itdifficult to believe that such awealth of information could bepacked into one book.

It hits all the pain points indeveloping a service orientedarchitecture with Java from atechnical perspective, coveringXML, web services, REST,SOAP, ESB and more.

It would be worth the coverprice for this alone, but theauthor continues providingaccurate, well thought out, realworld solutions beyond thepurely technical; advice ondesigning your SOA, the rolespeople play, and business issues.

And then he takes it up anotch and gives more realworld wisdom, for example, onthe pitfalls of SOA adoption,what works and what doesn’t,governance considerations andso forth.

This book assumes solidunderstanding in XML, Javaand related technical areas. And it is a cookbook, so itfollows a problem-solution-discussion format.

One final comment, there islittle coverage of servicedevelopment using vendorproducts such as WebSphere,although WebLogic seems to becovered briefly.

Most of the code usesstandard Java SE 6 libraries oropen-source applications (with all the latest specificationssuch as JAX-WS). Many readersmay find this refreshing,othersannoying.

In conclusion, for the rightreader who is working withJava to establish an SOA, whena book like this crosses yourdesk, you need just to reach foryour wallet, whatever thesticker price. It will become aresource you refer to on anhourly basis.

Reviewed by Adrian Rossi

Running an Agile SoftwareDevelopment ProjectMike Holcombe, 350 ppWiley, £53.50ISBN: 978-0-470-13669-0Rating HHHHI

HHHHH

HHHHI

NEWSwww.iitt.org.uk


First class line-up for the IITT NationalConference & Exhibition

Keynote: Thriving in adversity: doing more with less Bob Mosher, Global Chief Learning Officer & Strategy Evangelist, Learning Guide Solutions Some research suggests that up to 80 percent of learning in the workplace isinformal, yet most organisations spendmore than 80 per cent of their trainingbudget on formal training.

In these difficult circumstances, it’s timeto understand and support informallearning, including using online communitiesand electronic performance supportsystems (EPSS).

Become an effective L&D managerDenise Hudson Lawson, Houses of ParliamentTraining managers face a wide set ofchallenges. In this presentation DeniseHudson Lawson shares some of thetechniques she uses. Winner of the IITT2009 Training Manager of the Year award,Denise will lead an interactive session andexplain why the first step you take shouldbe out of the training department door.

Building your career in a recession with no budgetPaul Jagger, IBM Learning DevelopmentEven, or especially, during a recession, youshould always be thinking and acting todevelop your career, says Paul Jagger. Inthis interactive session, Paul describespractical steps to enhance your careerprospects in what might seem like themost unlikely of times, and all at no cost.

Social media and trainingBarry Sampson, Web Based ThinkingIs social media actually useful for learning?In this session Barry Sampson goes beyondFacebook and LinkedIn and examineswhat social media really means and how itcan be used for training.

The IITT has compiled an excellent array of sessions featuring top speakers in theindustry for its forthcoming National Training Conference and Exhibition 2009. The event starts on 23 September, with an exhibition and a pre-event conferencewelcome and networking event. The full line-up of sessions is as follows.

These pages are produced by the Institute of IT TrainingWestwood House, Westwood Business Park, Coventry, CV 8HS, United KingdomTel 0845 0068858 Fax 0845 0068871Email [email protected] Web www.iitt.org.uk


Establishing the value of trainingAlan Bellinger, IITTNow, more than ever, training has to proveits worth. While precise ROI calculationsmay be complex, it is usually enough toshow a good estimate of a trainingprogramme’s impact, argues Alan Bellinger,and it needn’t be that difficult.

Developing the e-learning strategy that’s right for youClaire Line, Lovells LLPThere is no ‘one size fits all’ solution tocreating an e-learning strategy. It will needto target specific business needs andaddress practical considerations to allowyour organisation to make the rightdecisions, implement technologysuccessfully and encourage adoption. Thisinteractive session takes you through thepractical considerations when buildingyour own strategy.

How to succeed with large learning programmesGail Sadler, Hilton, and Simon Hannaford, XeroxSometimes the training department isasked to take on a training challenge that’sfar larger than anything it’s ever dealt withbefore. In this panel, speakers who havefaced tough challenges share their tips onhow they won out, and what they learnt inthe process.

Turning classroom trainers into multi-media superstarsJulie Wedgwood, Cheshire ICT ServiceHow do you take a group of classroomtrainers, wary of technology-supportedlearning, and turn them into enthusiasticmulti-media stars? Ask Julie Wedgwood of the Cheshire ICT Service. Winner oftwo IITT awards in 2009, including Public Sector Training Department of the Year.

A truly integrated training approachJim Fingland, City of Edinburgh CouncilEvery training manager would like to linklearning to strategic objectives and to keyorganisational competencies. Yet not manysucceed. Drawing on his private sectorexperience, Jim Fingland successfulyreconciled conflicting competencyframeworks and ensured that a coherentlearning programme was put in place atCity of Edinburgh Council.

Workshops

Successful freelancing –exploring reality and exploding myths Julia Emelogu, Maximum Impact Julia Emelogu, IITT Freelance Trainer ofthe Year 2009, will share what she’s doneto be a successful freelancer. She willexamine the risks and rewards offreelancing, and tackle some of the issuesof working on your own, from the legaldetail to establishing a credible onlinepresence and considering how much youcan – and should – charge.

Making the most of the National Skills Academy for ITGenny Dixon, e-Skills UK Next year the Sector Skills Council for IT,e-skills UK, will be launching its NationalSkills Academy for IT in partnership withemployers in the IT sector. For the firsttime there will be a single national pointwhere it will be possible not only to findout what high-quality courses areavailable, but also how they contributetowards development and career goals forthe IT professional, and much more.

Techniques for involving, interactive webinars Donald H Taylor, IITT Virtual classrooms continue to grow inpopularity, partly because their low cost

appeals in a recession and partly becausethey enable new and different forms oftraining. Applying classroom techniquesonline, though, just won’t work, saysDonald Taylor. To make your webinarssing, you’ll need to learn a whole new setof skills.

Effective live assessment of your training team Frank Porter, IITT Assessment should be an essential andpositive part of the regular development ofany trainer. Making assessment effective,however, requires a good understanding ofhow to observe behaviour. Any trainer ormanager, says Frank Porter, should becapable of good, objective, live assessment,given some key pointers.

Book a place at:www.trainersconference.co.ukor contact Nicki Kettle on [email protected]

The event fee includes access to theconference, the exhibition and a welcomereception with special guest speaker. Specialrates apply for IITT and BCS members.The event takes place in London at thehome of Chelsea Football Club.

IITT webcast agenda

The IITT is pleased to announce itspopular IITT Webcast Programme. Fulldetails can be found on the IITTmembers site: www.iittconnect.co.uk

3 SeptemberMindmapping using iMindMap softwarePresented by Tim Fulford

17 SeptemberSix steps to embedding e-learning inyour organisationPresented by Laura Overton

E-learning Comment


Clive Shepherd

You wouldn’t hirean interiordesigner only to

inform them that you’ve alreadychosen all the colour schemes andfurnishings for every room; youwouldn’t engage an accountant andthen explain to them how youwanted them to process your figures(unless of course you worked atEnron); you wouldn’t employ afitness trainer and then tell themwhat to include in your workout;you wouldn’t buy a dog and theninsist on doing all the barking.

So why, then, do we continue toencounter situations in which linemanagers tell the guys from L&Dexactly what they want in terms oflearning interventions, with theexpectation that they’ll simply takethose instructions and run? You’dlike a six-hour e-learning package totrain customer service staff to sellover the telephone? A two-dayworkshop to teach every detail of anew company system to allemployees, regardless of whether ornot they will be using it? A one-hourpodcast to teach manual handlingskills? No problem. That’s what we’rehere for, to meet your requirements.

Hang on a minute, you’re probablythinking. This isn’t an encounterbetween a professional and a client,it’s simply order taking.

When asked to jump, aprofessional doesn’t say ‘how high?’They say, ‘Let’s talk about this alittle, because jumping may not bethe best solution in this situation.’ Ifthis tactic doesn’t work and theprofessional is told in no uncertainterms that jumping is the onlyacceptable option, they have twochoices: either they resign and getanother job where their role as aprofessional is valued; or, becauseresigning is not such a good optionin the current job market, they agreeto go ahead, but only after having

expressed quite clearly in writingthat jumping is against their best advice.

Asking the expertLearning and development isn’tcommon sense; it isn’t intuitive. If itwas, then experts wouldn’t lecture atnovices for hours on end; theywouldn’t insist on passing oneverything they know, howeverrelevant, however comprehensible.

That’s why we have L&Dprofessionals, so they can explain, in terms that the lay person canclearly understand, how peopleacquire knowledge and developskills, and how best to support thisprocess. If the customer doesn’t hear this advice, they will assumethat the people in L&D are just thebuilders, not the architects; and ifno-one seems to be offeringarchitectural services, they’ll do it themselves.

A learning professional will bepretty savvy when it comes to howpeople learn at work. They’ll knowthat different situations requiredifferent responses, sometimes on-job, sometimes in a classroom,sometimes one-to-one, sometimesusing e-content, and often a well-crafted mix of all these. They’llknow that adults like to have controlover their learning; they want it to be relevant to their currentproblems, interactive, collaborativeand timely. They’ll know howdifficult it is for significant newlearning to take place, how easy it isto overload people with information,and how fearful adults are ofembarrassing themselves in front oftheir peers. They’ll know theimportance of visualisation, story-telling, questioning and feedback.They wouldn’t countenance theseprinciples being over-ridden.

I’ve heard far too many feebleexcuses from L&D people about the

reasons why their courses are so dulland un-engaging. ‘Don’t blame me,’they say, ‘It’s what the managementwanted.’ OK, but you’ve taken thequalifications that enable you to putthose magic letters after your name.You’ve obtained professional status,with the associated salary. I’m sorry,but that’s not enough. To be aprofessional, you also have to behavelike one.

A learningprofessionalwill knowhow difficultit is for significantnew learningto takeplace

Defining the learning professional

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MTIT09

ISEBExams forIT ProfessionalsISEB is a worldwide exam body. ISEB have provided almost 325,000exams in the last 9 years to IT Professionals, covering theeight major subject areas above.

Qualifications in these areas are available at Foundation, Practitionerand Higher levels.

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Delivering IT Professionalism

autumn 2009 · pdf filetelecoms recruiters also found they were struggling to recruit ......

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