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.NET has become very popular
and its adoption rate moving faster than ever. As a result, Microsoft Malaysia has initiated an easy access to .NET skills training, the most recent being the
START.NET Program Workshops.
The START.NET program workshops are an easy and affordable means for developers to learn .NET expertise. Costing only RM80 for each session (worth at least RM1500 each), training workshops offer IT programmers a range of skill topics which include Getting Started with .NET, Upgrading to Visual Basic 6 and sessions on .NET Framework 3.0. Read on for the press release.
.NET IN DEMAND:
The Search Continues for Skilled .NET Developers in
Malaysia
Kuala Lumpur, November 19, 2007 - In recent years,
Malaysia has grown to earn its place on the world map as an emerging information
technology (IT) hotspot in the region, ranking in AT Kearney's recent Global Services Location Index 2007 as Southeast
Asia's third most popular IT outsourcing hub.
The expansion of
the country's IT industry is largely due to a number of factors including the
increased presence of foreign companies in Malaysia and the local government's
vision to elevate Malaysia as an IT hub, producing quality resource and
generating intellectual property assets to drive economic growth under the nation's
9MP plan.
For the past few
years, multinational companies (including technology conglomerates) have set up
shop and made Malaysia
their operations and services base, supporting their other outfits in the
region locally. Companies like Shell and BASF have increasingly pumped investments
into Malaysia.
On the national
front, MSC Malaysia and industry caretaker, Multimedia Development Corporation
(MDeC) have been entrusted with the mandate to nurture and grow the Malaysian
software industry, enhancing the value of local software companies and their
solutions, spurring the creation of world-class IP assets that will directly contribute
to economic development for the country.
Improved foreign
investments, the advent of technology as an avenue for enhanced competitive
advantage and the national vision to develop the local software economy means increased
IT spending and demand for human resources with relevant skill sets pertaining
to the industry. In short, as IT spending intensifies, so does the demand for
developers and programmers to fill the strengthening IT job market.
Demand for .NET Developers
IDC research
estimates that overall IT spending in Malaysia for 2007 will hit RM16.7
billion with a growth forecast of 9.1% between now till 2011, reflecting the
growth potential of the local IT industry. As this number continues to
escalate, independent studies also point towards the increasing demand for
developers, especially those proficient on the .NET platform.
In a recent MDeC
survey, IT software related companies under the MSC Malaysia banner registered
a total number of 1,025 IT professionals and developers that build on Microsoft
technology, with an estimated 500 more required before the year ends.
According to Rizatuddin Ramli, General
Manager, Software Development Cluster, Industry Development Division, MDeC, on
the survey, "The opportunities for .NET knowledge workers are almost 1 to
2 in MSC Malaysia's cluster of software companies, in the aforegoing context
that a 50% demand increase for .NET programmers in the local ICT industry is
needed. This aptly reflects the current trend in the industry, that the market
could do with more .NET developers on board."
"We are
seeing .NET arrive as the programming language driving the
IT industry today and with it, the higher rate of employability for Microsoft
certified professionals and developers with appropriate knowledge of the .NET
technology. With a large portion of companies running on Microsoft technology
in Malaysia for 2007, we hear our partners, customers and the industry calling
for the emergence of more .NET developers in the market," said Tyson Dowd,
Senior Director, Malaysian Software Economy division, Microsoft Malaysia.
Tyson added that
the Malaysia .NET Developer community, more recognized as MIND has also seen a
remarkable growth in its numbers since its launch in September 2006. To date,
the community has 2100 members and continues to generate interests amongst true
blue .NET programmers, developers and experts to converge and share ideas,
experiences and best practices, reflecting the expansion in the .NET community
and the growing demand for their expertise.
The Real Deal
Whilst industry
trends call for a greater number of .NET programmers, the demand for these
professionals currently outweigh the supply, even with the growth of the developer
community.
"It is a
reality the industry is presently faced with, while knowledge workers skilled
in the .NET language are sought after, the output quantity of IT professionals with
these technical competencies are not matching up to industry needs,” said National
Entreprenuer Forum President, Ashran Ghazi.
“Based on numerous independent studies,
many industry players have steadfastly moved towards the adoption of
Microsoft’s technologies for their businesses resulting in increased IT
spending and the use of .NET as a platform of choice to rapidly produce
web-based software, there is a shortage of .NET human capital to sustain this
movement,” continued Ashran
Surveying the
growing trend, key stakeholders in the market have placed systems to fill the
skills gap. In 2004, learning solutions provider Info Trek Sdn Bhd was
commissioned by MDeC to train IT graduates with “needed” skills based on market
demand, most of them largely on .Net.
Moreover, Info
Trek devised a placement program post training for companies to interview the
graduates for employment purposes. “To date, we have placed over 30 .NET
certified professionals and have had companies attending more than one
recruitment workshop to enable them to employ more .NET specialists for their
businesses. It reflects largely on market demand and technical skills training
on .NET is significant in filling the gap,” commented Sally Hew, Executive
Director, Info Trek Sdn Bhd.
Start on .Net
Speaking on
bridging the gap, Tyson added, “We recognize that .NET has become very popular
and its adoption rate moving faster than we envisaged. As a result, we’ve
worked to provide easy access to .NET skills training, the most recent being the
START.NET Program Workshops.”
According to
Tyson, the START.NET program workshops are an easy and affordable means for
developers to learn .NET expertise. Costing only RM80 for each session (worth
at least RM1500 each), training workshops offer IT programmers a range of skill
topics which include Getting Started with .NET, Upgrading to Visual Basic 6 and
sessions on .NET Framework 3.0.
“We’ve partnered
with IT training consultancies to make this comprehensive syllabus in order available
to enable more IT staff to develop .NET skills, ensuring more developers are
equipped with the relevant skills required by the industry to move forward with
the the .NET adoption phenomenon in the market,” Tyson commented.
Commenting
further on meeting industry requirements, Tyson also added that universities
and potential IT graduates should be aware of uptrends in the industry and job
market. This will help ensure future knowledge workers are equipped with the
latest in IT software skills, making them relevant, applicable and marketable
to potential employers in the market.
With the
upcoming release of Microsoft’s Windows Server 2008, Tyson believes .NET experts
will be even more popular and considers the year ahead to be an opportune time
for IT professionals to develop .NET capabilities.
More information on Microsoft’s START.NET Program
Workshops can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/malaysia/events/dotnet/default.aspx.
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