Information Technology Career Course Institutions in India and Abroad
In India, the computer industry has been growing at a phenomenal rate of 45% per annum, making it amongst the fastest growing sectors of the economy. It is estimated that by the start of the new millennium, the requirement for computer professionals in India alone, will be close to 4,00,000 computer professionals, and including others with computer handling skills, at well over 1,60,000. With a manpower shortage, and a continuing demand for trained professionals, this expanding field of information technology provides a large gap to be filled by those with the appropriate skills and with ambition and aptitude.

Work
There are two main sectors in the computer industry. While hardware covers the physical elements of a computer system, and is concerned with the design, development, assembly, manufacture and maintenance ; software is the set of programmed instructions that enable a computer to perform specified functions.

The work therefore encompasses a range of specialist jobs that are changing constantly as machines become ever more sophisticated, demanding new skills or different combinations of existing ones.

At the lowest rung of the ladder are Data Entry Operators who feed data into the computer system, through a keyboard. Programmers are responsible for writing and testing programs and assisting users during the implementation phase. Programmers can be Applications Programmers who write user-friendly programs to comply with the consumer needs, whether for a general or specific purpose, or Systems Programmers who work with computer manufacturers, software houses or R&D institutes for developing software for different computer systems.

Other jobs in the area of software include those of Analysts, who perform a range of differing specialist functions including analysing user requirements, programming, testing, and installation of software. Analysts may also provide advice to clients on purchase and installation of appropriate computer systems and guidance on program development. There are also Systems Designers who take care of the design aspect of software development. All these functions require people with advanced computer skills.

At the highest professional level are the Computer Engineers who develop programmes for computers. Their work covers the design, development and maintenance of software. Software Engineers also design software packages for client companies.

In the area of Hardware - the major responsibilities are those of Hardware Engineers, which encompass the physical elements of the computer system and involve the manufacture and maintenance of computers, the development of new designs and the modification of existing systems to suit the growing needs of the computer industry. Design Engineers are engaged in the creation and improvement of products and processes that can be manufactured and maintained economically, perform satisfactorily, look good and satisfy proven demand. Service Engineers diagnose and rectify problems that may arise in computer systems while Hardware Technicians assist the engineers in servicing and maintaining computers.

The non-technical areas also require some knowledge of computers. Sales and marketing jobs require a thorough knowledge of the products, the competition and current trends in the market

Every day new jobs are being created in this fast growing field. Already Internet and its widening horizons in the area of electronic business has opened up a host of employment opportunities. As more and more companies wake up to the prospect of doing business through the Internet and with increasing business being transacted electronically, there is a huge demand for web technology professionals. E-commerce specialists create and develop and maintain sites for companies through which business can be transacted. This area of work requires computer professionals with skills in setting up, managing and developing Web-sites and for web page designers, programmers and application developers. There are several institutes which offer specialised courses in various aspects of e-commerce.

Entry
The best option for entering the world of computers is a degree course in engineering or computer science. Software jobs including that of Systems Analyst require an engineering degree with a post-graduate diploma in computer applications, or a post-graduate degree in Computer Applications (MCA). Programming jobs require a minimum diploma in programming, while at the data entry level, it is sufficient to have passed 10+2 with some knowledge of various software packages.

Eligibility
The eligibility varies with the course and level of study.

Computer Engineering : 10+2, with Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics, and preferably, Computer Science.

Undergraduate Course / B Sc in Computer Science : 10+2 in Science, Arts, and Commerce.
"B" level or graduate level DOE scheme : "O" level certificate of diploma in computers. <
Postgraduate Course/ MCA : Graduation in computer science or any other degree related to science, mathematics, statistics, or operational research.
E-commerce & web-page designing courses : Graduate with computer skills.

Duration
While the short-term courses vary from three to six months, the degree programmes can be of three - four years duration in different institutions.

A three-year diploma in motion picture photography is offered by the Film and Television Institute, Pune, while the Mass Communication Research Centre (MCRC), Jamia Millia Islamia, Delhi offers a 2-year post-graduate diploma in motion picture photography to graduates in any discipline.

Leading Institutions in India
Besides engineering colleges, which offer Computer engineering, several universities offer Bachelors and Masters courses in Computer Science and Computer Applications. There are also hundreds of organisations in practically every town and city in India, providing some form of computer training, diploma and certificate courses in areas other than computer engineering.

To guide prospective software students, the Government Department of Electronics Accreditation of Computer Courses (DOEACC) has set up a system of accrediting specific courses at specific branches of training institutes to bring about quality and standardisation at all levels of computer education.

DOEACC takes the responsibility of ensuring that the training institutes maintain the minimum level of standard, equipment, and staff for the course they are accredited for at that branch. It is therefore advisable to look for the DOEACC certification when selecting the computer course and institute.

Most institutions offer a wide range of short-term and long-term specialised courses to suit various requirements. Those looking for a career in computers should enrol in the regular programmes. There is the basic foundation course at the "O" level for school or college level students who have never worked with computers before, which can be followed by the "A" or Advanced level; the "B" level equivalent to an undergraduate degree and "C" level to a postgraduate degree.

More Information

In today's expanding and growing environment everything is available within a short moment of time. Every scalable knowledge is available at no time. Be one in the thick jungles of Amazon or in the uninhabited Moore's Island, information is readily available. One should only know how to access such information .

After Industrial Revolution, it is now time for Information Revolution. Information Techology (IT) has revolutionised society with miniaturisation of machines of industrial revolution with silicon chips. Silicon Valley situated in the US shows to the world how the technology ca be tapered to better needs of humans. Now most youngsters dream to be part of the Silicon Valley.

India, at present, is an important juncture in its history, having completed the transition from an agrarian economy to a full-fledged, first-world economy, operating at he leading edge of contemporary technology. A key element in taking the country forward and maintaining its growth momentum, wil be the provision of a highly skilled and competent global workforce. This is possible with the current lead India has in Information Technology.

The IT sector is one of the most promising sectors. It is growing at an unprecedented rate. Developing nations like India, the Philippines, and China are leading the undercurrent and spurt in the IT revolution. The steady growth of IT sector in India is definitely a bonus opportunityfor fresh graduates and young professionals. The number of job opportunities for these young professionals are growing at an unprecedented rate.

Gone are the days when M.Tech., Ph.D's in computer streams used to lead the way. Now young energetic professionals with a high aptitude and with degrees like B.Tech. or MCAs or like simple Diploma course from different institutes with expertise in one particular domain hold the nerve of the market.

According to recent NASSCOM estimate, the Indian Information, Communication and Tele-communication (ICT) industry will contribute 7 percent to the country's GDP by 2009, providing direct employment to more than 2.2 million people and indirect employment nearly twice that number.

The hardware sector grew at a significant 34 percent during 2003-04, raising the revenues from US$ 3.6 billion in 2002-03 to US$ 4.8 billion. The 2004-05 revenues of this sector grew to US$ 6 billion . Domestic demand for IT hardware components grew from US$ 3.3 billion in 2003-04, with hardware systems accounting for more than half of the segment revenues during this period.

Skill Sets Required :
The field of computers is an applied field where one needs to have a lot of analytical skills and aptitude for problem solving. The first step towards problem solving is interaction with the client to know the nature of the problem. For this one should have oral as well as written communication skills. One should also have better negotiation skills. IT domain needs a collabrative teamwork where each individual has equal importance and is vital to the project execution and implementation. Therefore, team spirit, collabrative nature are prerequisite for the job. The pace of the project selection and execution is so much that one should be able to adapt and transform him vis-a-vis the changing surroundings. A faster response time is envisaged from individuals. At the same time one should adhere to quality standards.

Analytical bent of mind
Aptitude for problem solving
Comprehensive communication ability, both written and oral
Negotiation skills
Team spirit
Collaborative nature
Quality conscious

Hardware have additional responsibilities of not only softwares and programmes work but also make computers efficient, faster and network-oriented for better transfer of data. For a successful career in hardware should

Be trained and certified to work on leading Operating Systems, like UNIX, Windows 2000, etc.
Be eager to know and adopt different networking patterns.
Have refined interpersonal skills.
Be able to handle emergencies and unexpected situations clamly and efficiently.

Courses:
The domain of computers and Information Technology is so vast that it is not possible for an individual to have an indepth knowledge of all such domains. It is for this purpose that computer education is broadly divided into two streams :

(i) Software
(ii) Hardware

India is one of the leading gaints in software development. At the same time, in recent times, it is also becoming one of the international hubs in hardware too. A number of courses are available across different universities and institutions in both the domains. Courses vary from short-term certificate course to long-term degree and post-degree courses. The short-term courses are usually of three months to one year duration and they help in the basic understanding of the computer fundamentals. Courses specialised in some particular programming language or some particular domain of computers are also offered by various institutions. Most of the courses are job-oriented and are recognised by the Industry but not by Government or AICTE. (All India Council of Technical Education). The course offered by universities and Government institutions such as C-DAC are recognised not only by the industry but also by Government bodies for the purpose of sutiable public jobs.

Long-term professional courses like B.Tech. course is of four years duration; MCA of three years and PGDCA (Post Graduate Diploma in Computer Applications) is of one year duration.

Eligibility :
The minimum eligibility for courses vary from course to course. For short-term certificate course the minimum eligibility is 10 +2 with Mathematics at least in Standard 10. For Diploma courses of six months to one-year duration you should be either graduate or pursuing graduation course. Long term Diploma course like Post-graduate Diplomas or Advanced Diploma courses require Graduates in any discipline.

For PGDCA or MCA one needs to be graduate apart from qualifying the entrance test. For M.Tech. one should be either B.Tech or MCA from recognised institution or university. One also needs to clear entrance test and or have a valid GATE score.

Spheres of Study :
Computer Technology is such a vast field that an individual can hardly understand or master all such technologies. Therefore, they are divided into many different subfields and domains.

Web Technologies :
In the application developement two web technologies lead the field. They are Java/J2EE and Microsoft. NET technologies. The Java has been in existence for ten years. And since then it has become more popular. It has remained one of the topmost web technologies. The ease of development and fast runaround time have made. NET very popular. Afterthe release of Windows Longhorn in 2006-07, .NET is set to gather further momentum.

Scripting Languages : In programming domain scripting languages play a very important role. A number of scripting languages capable enough to scale down the traditional programming languages. Some of the scripting languages like Linux, Apache, MySQL, Pearl/PHP/Python, LAMP are getting more popular and as a result more number of vacancies are opening up.

Traditional Programming Languages : Whatever the case the traditional programming languages will always be there. There are some domains like when interacting with hardware where these languages provide the only solution. Though the number of vacancies in such languages is less compared to others but when they are coming they are economically more rewarding and also provide for job security. Also the competition in such vacancies is less as few opt for such option due to toughness of the languages. Languages such as C, C++, COBOL will always be in existence.
Other computer-related technologies like Nanotechnology;Biotechnology, Data Mining; and Network Security also offer a number of job opportunities.

Prospectus : The three vital sectors of IT are : Information Technology Enabled Services (ITES), Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) and Knowledge Process Outsourcing (KPO). With ITES-BPO-KPO sector driving the Indian industry there is a tremendous potential for persons having computer knowledge and certifications. The basic raw materials in the ITES-BPO-KPO sector is computers, which envisage the needs for computer professional who help in the design as well as flow of information. India has the largest English speaking IT talents pool in the world-over 1,20,000 trained IT professionals. In the last fiscal year the ITES-BPO sector alone added 74,000 jobs. The employment generation in the IT sector is vast. Starting salary ranges from Rs. 8,000 to Rs. 20,000 per month. However, once a candidate has two to three years of experience his earning zoom to as high as Rs. 40,000 to Rs. 60,000 per month. The rise to such high salary depends on the skills, language in demand and market trends.

Hierarchical Structure of IT Professionals
Technical Support Executive : Candidates should have a degree or diploma in computer science with a good knowledge of Networking technologies and systems. Freshers as well as experienced persons can apply for the posts.

Web Designer / Developer / Administrator : An aspirant should possess skills in the Internet technologies such as HTML, DHTML, XML, JAVA, etc.

Application Programmer : Degree / Diploma holders with strong conceptual and programming skills in any programming language such as C/C++/JAVA and Database.

System Administrator : The candidate should possess knowledge of Networking concepts and operating system such as LINUX/Windows Server and a database like ORACLE/SQL Server, etc. The ideal candidate should have a degree or an equivalent qualification with additional certifications like OCP/RHCE/MCSE, etc.

System Specialist : Specialisation in designing, administering and implementation in the respective areas with some experience will entitle you to become a System Specialist.

Project Manager / Leader : A Project Manager is accountable for managing software projects. He is the overall in-charge of the team. The candidate, besides having the requisites qualifications like an MCA/BE/B.Tech/M.Tech. or equivalent, should also have strong project management skills.

IT Manager : For a responsible techno-managerial position, a minimum qualification of BE/B.Tech./MCA or equivalent such a DOEACC 'B' level preferably with a Management Degree/ Diploma is desirable. The ideal candidate should possess a sound knowledge in the varied areas of IT along with good communication and collaborative skills.

Where to Study

SOFTWARE:

NIIT Ltd. 8 balaji Estate,Sudarshan Munjal Marg, Kalkaji,New Delhi - 110019 - Tel : 011-26482054 Website : www.niit.com
Centre for Development of Advanced Computing Pune University Campus Ganesh Khind, Pune - 411 007 Tel : 020 - 25694000/01/02 Website : www.cdacindia.com
Uptech Computer Consultancy Limited 16, Rana Pratap marg, Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh-226 001
Mahan Institute of Technologies GN-10 Shivaji Enclave, Raja Garden Bus Terminal, New Delhi-110 027 Tel : 011-25916832/25916833 E-mail : mahan@nda.vsnl.net.in
DICS Computer Centre 2529, Kingsway Camp, New Delhi-110 009
Informatics Computer Systems 62-A, Gandhi Nagar, Agra, Uttar Pradesh-282003

HARDWARE:
Jetking Infotrain Ltd. 401, Bussa Udyog Bhavan, Sewri (W), Mumbai - 400 015 Tel : 022-24156528/24156486 E-mail : ho@jetkinginfotrain.com Website : www.jetkinginfotrain.com
Aptech Ltd. IT-1 & IT-2 Ground Floor, SDF VII, SEEPZ, Andheri (E), Mumbai-400096 Tel : 26974444
Brainware Computer Academy GN-12, Shivaji Enclave, Rajouri Garden, New Delhi
Institute of Network Technology (India) Pvt.Ltd. C - 54, South Extension - II, New Delhi
Assett Training and Research Institute 8750, First Floor, Plot-4/3, Deshbandhu Gupta Road, Pahar Ganj, New Delhi-110 055
ICAM H-9, South Extension, Part - I, New Delhi - 110 049

MULTIMEDIA:
Arena Multimedia Aptech House, A-65, MIDC Andheri (E), Mumbai-400 093 Tel : 022-24156528/24156486 Website : www.aptech.ac.in
Maya Academy of Advanced Cinematics 23, Stephan Court, 18A, Park Street, Kolkata-700 071 Tel : 033-22176630/22297795/22299085 E-mail:kolkata@maacindia.com, maac_calcutta@rediffmail.com,maac_calcutta@hotmail.com website: www.maacindia.com

ACCOUNTS
The Institute of Computer Accountants 27, N.S.Road, 4th Floor, Kolkata-700 001 Tel:033-22211285 E-mail : accountant@vsnl.com

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