Julian Dobbins

Micro Focus

Senior Market Development Manager

It is encouraging that a governing body has been set up to instill an industry-wide skills accreditation programme. We are now at the stage where IT is no longer just a support to the business, but is one of the main drivers pushing the enterprise forward. As a result, it is imperative that those entering the IT profession have a business focus.

However, one area that should not be ignored when undertaking this training is the area of legacy systems, which still account for at least 70% of all business transactions globally. The costs and risks associated with replacement of these systems are well-established, and will ensure their continuity as the foundation of the enterprise for the foreseeable future.

The need to recruit workers with legacy skills, as well as the need to nurture those already present in the organisation, has become even more crucial with the advent of SOA - legacy systems are clearly destined to provide the bulk of services as companies build out their service portfolio. Therefore, any effective SOA strategy must embrace this most fundamental aspect of the enterprise. And any far-reaching IT training initiative must acknowledge and support this reality.