It is not because that this shortage is going to happen as per the current trends just because enough manpower is short in our country but in fact it is due to the simple reason that this isn't enough 'competent' manpower as per the industry requirements and standards. Out of the many possible solutions to overcome this problem, getting certified from an appropriate agencies with respect to a particular technology or product would definitely be an important remedy.

Another important fact is that the certification programme are not at all reserved for science graduates. It is evidently so because the industry has started seeing the benefits of deployment of IT as an enterprise level scale and this is transforming into demand for professionals with a blend of IT and business skills. Where at this high pace of competition one cannot distinguish from the other as far as the IT industry is concerned . Hence individuals with backgrounds of B.Com, BA, MBA etc. can too find highly rewarding careers through appropriate certification according to their aptitude and ability.

Almost all the IT certification programs, whether it be vendor specific or vendor neutral are formulated and implemented like Open University programs and does not require any formal explicit qualifications. This really allows and facilitates entry for all those who have the right aptitude but could not have a formal education in engineering or computer science.

The essence of certification programs is in fact a testing process where the candidate is required to undergo an examination at the designated test center. There are two methods adopted for testing namely online testing and offline testing.

Online Testing:

This is the popular method of testing for International Certification practice world over. The candidate will have to approach an authorised testing center near to his/her locality or convenient to him/her and undergo the testing process online which essentially means an examination through the Internet. Popular online examinations are CCIE, CCIP, CCNP, CCNA, MCSE, MCSA, MCP, A+, N+, SCLP …….. etc. Test centers of Thomson Prometric and Pearson Vue are the leading testing centers for International Certifications program, which are very popular in India.

Offline Testing:

In this method of testing, the examinations would be conducted at a designated test center but would not be in the online method. The candidate will be provided a problem scenario and he will be required to rectify the problem on-site, in front of a competent authority. This is often thought to be more credible since it's a live hands-on testing of skills of the candidate. The most renowned and popular offline International certification that exists today is the RHCE(Red Hat Certified Engineer) and RHCT(Red Hat Certified Technician). These renowned certifications can be taken at an authorized training partner of Red Hat. The examinations are directly supervised and evaluated by a Red Hat examiner. More details can be had from www.in.redhat.com.

Coming to the point of which certification is to whom is a matter which is often delicate and most often depends on one's own potential and aptitude

Studies have shown that certified individuals realize many benefits. Among them are the following

Increased opportunities on the job -These opportunities range from salary and bonus increases to project involvement and promotion.

Increased breadth of knowledge - Certification is a catalyst for learning new technologies in a structured and comprehensive way.

Increased value to the organization - Organizations with 25 percent or more of their staff certified have been shown to deploy projects on time and within budget more often, rely less on external support, have less downtime, and have higher user satisfaction with their IT staff.