2nd May 2007 13:00
Micro Focus (Micro Focus(R), LSE: MCRO.L), a leader in enterpriseapplication management and modernization solutions, and IBM, todayannounces that they will team up to deliver together the latesttraining for mainframe systems and application programmers. MicroFocus and IBM will deliver a complete set of training and coursewarematerials, in joint academic programs implemented through partnercolleges and universities. The joint programs will enableorganizations and their staffs to easily obtain the latest basic andadvanced training in business-critical mainframe and COBOL skills. £ IBM's Academic Initiative for System z includes more than 300participating educational institutions that currently providemainframe training to some 23,000 students worldwide. Micro Focus',recently announced Academic Connections (ACTION) program will supportthe IBM initiative by providing its leading mainframe developmentenvironment, Mainframe Express(R) Enterprise Edition, to studentsenrolled in IBM-supported courses. Students in these courses will haveaccess and resources learn the intricacies of mainframe applicationprogramming, without needing a direct link to the resources of aremote mainframe system as they develop, debug and test Assembler,COBOL, CICS, IMS, DB2, JCL and SOA applications on their PCs. £ "IBM and Micro Focus, working together, are continuing to providewhat the industry demands in terms of enterprise system skillstraining," said Don Resnik, Program Manager, IBM Academic Initiativefor System z. "Incorporating our courses with the latest tools formainframe development from Micro Focus, will go a long way to ensurethat a new generation of mainframe experts are able to tackle thebusiness of IT for many years to come." £ According to a recent Gartner report, "one of the greatest growingrisks for (mainframe) systems is not the applications themselves, butrather the skills necessary to continue to develop, maintain andoperate them."(1) With some 70 percent of current businessapplications written in COBOL and other "legacy" languages, the needfor trained IT professionals in this specialty has never been greater.Today's announcement is a direct response to ensure that the industrycontinues to replenish and enhance the skills pool needed forenterprise application development. £ The New York City College of Technology (NYCCT), part of the CityUniversity of New York system, is leading the way in offeringcourseware designed to integrate mainframe technology into the latestcomputer science curriculum. £ "We have long associated with Micro Focus to deliver the latestCOBOL training as part of our curriculum," said Harrison Simmons,professor of computer science at NYCCT. "By collaborating with thejoint initiative and having direct access to IBM mainframe technologyand courseware support, we will deliver seven courses on the specificskills needed for today's large-system, enterprise computing." £ "Our ACTION program is a key initiative to provide the latest intools and training for future IT professionals," said Stephen Kelly,chief executive officer at Micro Focus. "Many of our joint customershave strategies to expand and modernize their mainframes and ourincreasing the skill pool is fundamental to their continued success." £ About Micro Focus £ Micro Focus, a member of the FTSE 250, provides innovativesoftware that allows companies to dramatically improve the businessvalue of their enterprise applications. Micro Focus EnterpriseApplication Modernization and Management software enables customers'business applications to respond rapidly to market changes and embracemodern architectures with reduced cost and risk. For additionalinformation please visit www.microfocus.com. £ Micro Focus and Mainframe Express are registered trademarks ofMicro Focus. All other products and companies mentioned in thisannouncement are trademarks of their respective organizations. £ (1) Vecchio, D. "Impact of Generational IT Skill Shift on LegacyApplications." March 14, 2007. Gartner, Inc. ID G14006492 Copyright Business Wire 2007Related Shares:
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