NEWS: The IT Edge

SUN Microsystems Malaysia Sdn Bhd (Sun) recently signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with the Multimedia Development Corporation (MDeC) to train university graduates in Sun Learning and Certification solutions.

The alliance will see Sun providing course materials for Java EE, Java SE, Java ME, MySQL and OpenSolaris, with the relevant certification framework as well as training sessions for graduates.

All smiles at the signing ceremony were (from left) Lin, Loo, Badlisham and Ng.

Successful candidates will also have the opportunity to do a three-month apprenticeship at MSC Malaysia Status companies.

This collaboration is in support of the government’s initiative to develop a pool of talented and skilled engineers to meet the increasing proliferation of open source software adoption in the country.

Students will be equipped with the relevant know-how and expertise to develop software applications, thus enhancing their advancement opportunities in the highly competitive, global technology marketplace.

“Despite the economic slowdown, the ICT industry is facing an acute shortage of skilled workers.

“Under this MoU, students will gain relevant IT skills and improve their employability, whilst the global IT industry will have access to a pool of trained manpower on emerging technologies,” said MDeC chief operating officer Datuk Badlisham Ghazali.

“The collaboration will establish a supplementary curriculum that can bridge the gap between industry requirements and the capability of graduates entering the work force for the first time,” Badlisham added.

“Sun is committed to helping the next generation of entrepreneurs spur innovation through the transformative power of open source technologies,” said Sun Malaysia’s managing director, CP Loo.

Also present at the signing ceremony were MDeC vice-president (Capacity Development Division) Ng Wan Peng and Sun Microsystems vice-president (Global Communities) Lin Lee.

NEWS: More doors open for graduate

KUALA LUMPUR: The demand for open-source software in the ­country and the expertise required in this area is rising, according to the Multimedia Development Corp (MDeC) which spearheads the MSC Malaysia initiative.

Open-source software, said networking systems giant Sun Microsystems, is gaining popularity mainly because the advantages of user malleable programs are becoming more apparent.

Since the source code is ­accessible to users, a company could tweak open-source software to better meet its needs, compared to proprietary software which arguably has to be used as is.

In view of this increasing ­interest in open-source ­applications, MDeC and Sun have banded together to offer local university graduates the ­opportunity to master open-source skills.

Under the partnership, Sun will provide the graduates with industry-recognised technology training and certification tools, through MDeC’s network of institutions of higher learning.

The training will include ­teaching the students to master Java, a programming language developed by Sun Microsystems that has been in use since 1995.

In addition to that, they will learn about OpenSolaris, Sun’s open-source operating system, around which the vendor has built developer and user ­communities.

Also on the cards is to make the graduates experts in MySQL, a relational database management system that ­reportedly has more than 11 million installations worldwide.

“The students will gain ­relevant IT skills which will improve their employability, and the initiative will also help meet the local industry’s demand for competent IT professionals,” said MDeC chief executive Datuk Badlisham Ghazali.

He was speaking at a press conference in the capital last week to announce the ­partnership.

C.P. Loo, managing director of Sun Microsystems Malaysia, emphasised the importance of obtaining certification in open-source software.

“Our programmes are designed to enable IT ­professionals to better harness Sun’s leading open-source ­technologies,” he said, “as well as improve their communication and interaction skills.

The graduates will also be more productive once their ­technical and problem-solving skills are honed, Loo added.

Candidates who complete the course may be awarded a three-month apprenticeship at an MSC Malaysia-status company.

The MSC Malaysia initiative is aimed at developing the ­country’s knowledge-based economy, as well as boosting its information and communications technology industry.

NEWS: Open source software gaining ground

OPEN source, according to its proponents, is being adopted across major verticals such as public, technical, educational, financial, and services sectors and even among small and medium enterprises (SMEs).
Chong says many governments look to open standards to ensure sovereignty over key intellectual assets.
Chong says many governments look to open standards to ensure sovereignty over key intellectual assets.

Quah says although Lotus Symphony is available for free, IBM did not ‘cut any corners’.
Quah says although Lotus Symphony is available for free, IBM did not ‘cut any corners’.

Sun Microsystems’ marketing director Chong Soon Cheong says open source software, ranging from infrastructure and storage to enterprise applications such as customer relationship management and enterprise resource planning are in demand due to their ability to offer good vendor support and protection against security breaches.

“Businesses in this region are beginning to understand that open source and open standards in the computing industry combine to create a rising tide that lifts all boats – a perspective that’s increasingly borne out in the market. Proprietary standards, by contract, lock markets and restrict growth.”

OpenOffice.org, an initiative of which Sun is a part of, uses the internationally recognised ISO26300/Open Document Format (ODF) standard for digital documents which assures end users that there are no proprietary lock-ins into any single vendor platform for their documents.

Chong says, “Many governments look to open source software and open standards to ensure sovereignty over their key intellectual assets. At Sun Microsystems, we are proud to have been a key contributor by donating the key technologies that made OpenOffice.org and Open Document Format possible with close collaboration with other industry players.”

Meanwhile, IBM is making its presence felt in the free office productivity software market with Lotus Symphony, which has its origins from the company’s SmartSuite office productivity software. The company is now offering the open source versions developed under the OpenOffice.org consortium.

Lotus Software country brand manager Eric Quah says Lotus Symphony takes advantage of Eclipse, Java, ODF and OpenOffice technologies to provide tools for general users as well as a software development platform for vendors that want to integrate spreadsheets or documents into their applications.

“IBM has taken great care in making Lotus Symphony available, and it has not ‘cut corners’ although the product is free. We have translated it into 28 languages today, following IBM’s translation standards. It is designed not only for end users, but also for vendors to embed it into their applications and then sell it.”

There is a support plan available for enterprises that want to buy the product. For details, visit http://symphony.lotus.com.

Quah says there are plug-ins (Symphony extensions) that connect Lotus Symphony to many IBM products, including Lotus Notes, Lotus Quickr and Lotus Connections.

“Symphony provides a lot of value for people who want to save and load their documents using a Quickr Repository, or author a Lotus Connections blog using Symphony. We provide shortcuts between these products to integrate them and do not charge extra for this. These Connections are available for free from the Symphony Web site or as part of other products.”