The topic of GIS industry certification seems to has come to light once again recently. This topic is always a hot one, often dividing long time, old schoolers, academics, contractors, and students with varying opinions. We’ve provided the opinions of a couple of our experts along with feedback from both sides of the user community.

My thoughts are that the GIS technology, potential applications and uses, the users, etc… are so broad and to some extent, gone mainstream, that the idea of certifying anyone as a professional is less likely to take off as every year passes and the industry and its professionals evolve. Recently, the GISCI (http://www.gisci.org) added a little fuel to the fire in this debate by announcing they are considering the addition of a testing component (uhoh… here we go again!)

Coming at us from another angle, Esri is also adding some fuel to the debate, albeit from a platform specific proposal (a very different matter really) with the addition of technical competency testing and certification – personally, I’m all for this! Read on for some expert feedback and input from the user community (both sides of the fence)

See GIS Industry Certification, The Debate Continues – Some Community Input

It’s no secret that I abhor Object Oriented Programming especially if it’s used to solve every problem that needs a computer program to solve. I don’t know what the guys thinking about OOP were drinking or smoking when they sought to sell it like the Kool Aid that it is. Having said that, I admit there are some good parts to OOP if you know what you’re doing which helps for writing component-based programs and for organization purposes. There was a time when I thought that C++ was an Object Oriented Programming Language and the more I use it the more I see that it’s really not meant to be just that. The problem with OOP in C++ is the same problem that OOP is sold on: OOP is rigid, is hierarchy-based, and relies on tight coupling. So what you ask is there after OOP?

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I haven’t been writing much lately and that’s mostly because I’ve been ramping up work with a new client. That said, I’ve always wanted to write about how to do Agile Software Development with C++, but I didn’t have enough time or context to be able to do it. This current project has let me look at how us C++ developers who work on different size projects do our work in an Agile manner. Here are a few points I’d like to share as I lay down some insights into how I’ve been doing Agile C++ Development for the past few years.

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For all those Mac or iOS developers hard at work coding ceaselessly, lest Santa thinks you’ve been naughty here’s some good news! Santa’s coming early, bringing with him Apple’s latest offering of a bunch of iOS and Mac development books in the iBookstore for Free!

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Geographic Information Systems (GIS) continue to be a rapidly growing industry worldwide. The opportunities for properly educated, experienced, and trained GIS expert are vast, and thus make this field of study very appealing for both the newbies and veterans of the information technology industry. Esri, a leader in the GIS marketplace, supplies the software and support for various GIS functions and data. As Esri’s product line and popularity continue to increase, Esri has added yet another value to their offerings: certifications. Obtaining one of these certifications may be the boost that lands you that next big GIS contract or job opportunity.

In parallel with their various products, Esri’s certifications range from the use of their base software ArcGIS, development on their ArcGIS software, and management of their server and client software. An interesting aspect of these certifications is that they are available in two levels: Associate and Professional. As the titles suggest, the Professional level certification proves that your knowledge of the particular certification topic is advanced, while the Associate level shows competence and basic ability in the topic area. Many of these certifications are still “in development”, and registration for the certifications does not open until January 17, 2011. If interested, basic descriptions of all the certifications are available on Esri’s website here.

The move for Esri to supply certifications is one that more software providers should take. Supplying methods for certification improve a company’s product at little to zero cost. Any costs incurred developing a curriculum is offset by testing/certification fees. Esri can make sure that those who will be using their products have a method from which to learn the proper use and practices to maximize value from Esri software. These official training avenues are likely to lower support costs for Esri while rising productivity for customers. It’s hard to find any negatives in this scenario.

Shortly after the announcement of Red Hat Enterprise Linux 6, Red Hat also announced changes to their certifications. These changes are outlined in two areas: the addition of the Red Hat Certified System Administrator (RHCSA) certification, and the addition to/restructuring of the Red Hat Training curriculum.

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As one of the leaders of the most sought-after information technology certifications in the industry, Cisco caused a lot of confusion when they recently restructured their certification programs. In an effort to simplify the whirlwind of letters and acronyms that one encounters when certifying with Cisco, they created a mass of confusion for those people currently working on getting certified under the old system and those that are currently certified but do not their options for re-certifying.
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IT departments naturally normalize the technology infrastructure to exclusively utilize a vendor’s product line. The certification you chose will reflect that choice. In a Microsoft shop, an employee will seek Microsoft certification. If the shop focuses primarily on Cisco installations, then, a Cisco certification will be sought.
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