12/5/2007 -- Last month, a number of notable certification leaders came together to form the Information Technology Certification Council (ITCC) to seek ways to revitalize growth in the field. Founding members of the consortium include test deliverers (Prometric and Pearson VUE), vendor-neutral certification organizations (CompTIA and the Linux Professional Institute), educators (Kaplan) and IT giants (Microsoft, Novell, Sun, HP, IBM).

According to the press releases put out by almost every named founder, the consortium will focus on issues ranging from "exam security, perceptions versus realities of IT certification value and return on investment, and training to testing ratios." Each member added its own paragraph to its press release. For example, from the Linux Professional Institute:

"LPI applauds this initiative and recognizes the importance of participating in a constructive effort to continually enhance the value of IT certification. In addition, we will ensure that the concerns and aspirations of Linux and Open Source IT professionals will be well-represented within this co-operative effort," said Jim Lacey, president and CEO of the Linux Professional Institute.

CompTIA wrote:

"Organizations that benefit the most from their investment in technology are the ones that understand that certified IT professionals have the job skills necessary to run IT infrastructures efficiently and reliably," said Neill Hopkins, vice president, skills development, CompTIA. "The positive impact of IT certification is measurable in many ways: greater network availability, higher worker productivity and improved security are just a few examples. All of these factors have a positive impact on a business's financial bottom line. That's why more and more organizations view IT certifications as a business necessity."

And Prometric added:

"Prometric has seen a real comeback in the certification market, driven largely by the fact that the knowledge, skills and abilities learned as part of a four-year degree program are no longer in sync with the demands in the IT job marketplace," said Ray Kelly, senior vice president, Client Services, Sales and Marketing at Prometric. "Employers are increasingly looking to certifications as proof of a specialized skill set, while candidates are demanding them to secure higher salaries and coveted positions. As the leader in providing scaleable testing solutions to the IT industry, we are delighted to support the ITCC and believe that by joining forces with other leaders, we can be influential in furthering the growth of the industry."

Maybe I'm missing something, but two questions come to mind when I read about this consortium. One, where's Cisco in all of this? Given its Networking Academy, its large certified base and its commitment to certification, isn't it imperative that Cisco be on board? It's hard to imagine such an industry giant not having its name included in this roster.

And two, isn't this what CompTIA is really supposed to be doing right now? According to its own Web site,

"CompTIA is committed to advancing the long-term success and growth of the IT industry by helping organizations maximize the benefits they receive from their investments in technology; and by helping individuals to obtain the skills and credentials they need for productive careers in IT."

If the trend continues, what will be the next step? Will the ITCC itself join a consortium to figure out what the industry needs?

Book of the Week: 'Business @ the Speed of Thought'
Bill Gates' book Business @ the Speed of Thought: Succeeding in the Digital Economy came out nearly a decade ago. While it was worth reading then, it should be required reading now. In it, Gates talks about computing as it existed at the end of the 1990s and how he thinks it will evolve in the 2000s.

For a book that makes a lot of predictions, Business @ the Speed of Thought hasn't dated nearly as much you'd expect, and it holds up well. A lot can be said about Bill Gates, but you certainly have to credit him for being a visionary. This book is by far the best of any that he's authored.