Prometric and jCert Partnership
Contact:
Donald W. Boucher
Vice President, Global Marketing
Prometric
443.923.8031
donald.boucher@prometric.com
Prometric and jCert Partnership Supports Demand for JavaTM Professionals: Eliminates Redundant Certifications, Provides Incentives for Professionals in Developing Nations
(BALTIMORE, MD – October 7, 2002) Prometric, a part of The Thomson Corporation (NYSE: TOC, TSX: TOC) and the global leader in technology-enabled testing services, today announced a new partnership with the jCert Initiative, a non-profit that promotes open and portable industry standards for certifying enterprise developers using Java technology.
"The Java certified professional is among the IT industry's most sought after talent," said Oma Sewhdat, president of the jCert Initiative. "The demand directly corresponds to the increasing use of Java based software to build and deploy robust e-business applications."
Designed to run on any computing platform, JavaTM from Sun Microsystems, helps companies to develop and link applications across the enterprise and the Web. According to industry research, 82 percent of U.S. corporations use Java in some capacity.
For example, at the financial services arm of Ford Motor, Java ties together the company's disparate information systems: A Java-based application server from BEA Systems connects IBM servers in Detroit with branch offices nationwide, where sales representatives use Web browsers to establish loan accounts for customers.
"Because of the diverse applications and complex nature of Java, it is only natural that multiple certifications could possibly emerge," said Alison Indrisano, Prometric Senior Vice President of Client Services and Support. "At the core of this partnership is an unrelenting focus on eliminating redundant Java-based certifications wherever possible so professionals can more easily chart, gauge and manage the growth of their careers," she said.
The recent announcement of the jCert/CIW integration of certification roadmaps reflects this focus being adopted by all jCert members.
Industry experts acknowledge that while unique IT certifications remain valuable for validating the competency and qualifications of the certification holder, the cross-platform nature of Java naturally lends itself to cross-vendor certification standards being offered by jCert, an organization comprised of the nation's leading training software and training and certification organizations under the banner: "Certified Once, Recognized Everywhere."
Ms. Indrisano, who was recently elected to the jCert Board of Directors, noted that the objective of the cost subsidies is to ensure that professionals around the world have access to and understanding of this important e-commerce engine.
With this partnership, Prometric will provide technical design, test publishing and global test delivery services. Prometric will also coordinate on-going candidate outreach programs with jCert.
jCert and CIW officials expect thousands of exams to be delivered within the first year of the program through Prometric's extensive global network of testing centers. Web-based versions are expected to be delivered in the future.
About The Thomson Corporation and Prometric
The Thomson Corporation (www.thomson.com), with 2001 revenues of $7.2 billion, is a global leader in providing integrated information solutions to business and professional customers. Thomson provides value-added information, software applications and tools to more than 20 million users in the fields of law, tax, accounting, financial services, higher education, reference information, corporate training and assessment, scientific research and healthcare. The Corporation's common shares are listed on the New York and Toronto stock exchanges (NYSE: TOC, TSX: TOC). Its learning businesses and brands serve the needs of individuals, learning institutions, corporations and government agencies with products and services for both traditional and distributed learning.
Prometric (www.prometric.com), a part of The Thomson Corporation, is the global leader in technology-enabled testing and assessment services for information technology certification, academic admissions, and professional licensure and certifications. Prometric delivers standardized tests for more than 300 clients, in more than 33 languages, over the Web or through a network of more than 3,500 testing centers in more than 140 countries. Based in Baltimore, Md., Prometric employs more than 3,000 employees worldwide.
About The jCert Initiative
The jCert Initiative, Inc. was founded as a non-profit organization in 1999 to establish and promote open and portable industry standards for certifying enterprise developers using Java technology. jCert's mission is to help developers be "certified once, recognized everywhere." This is achieved through members' support for an innovative cross-recognized, multi-vendor certification standard. jCert members include BEA Systems, IBM, Sun Microsystems, CGS, SkillSoft, Prosoft Training and Prometric.
About CIW
An IT certification for the knowledge economy, CIW is a job-role certification program designed to help career changers enter the IT industry and experienced and vendor-certified professionals build upon existing IT skills. CIW is offered for three disciplines - Designer, Enterprise Developer and Administrator - and one cross-functional area - Web Site Manager, which combines the other three disciplines. CIW is the most widely recognized Internet job-role certification program, with more than 45,000 CIW certifications earned in more than 100 countries worldwide. For more information, go to www.CIWcertified.com.
JavaTM is a registered trademark of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
