The IT Architect Certification is an independent global

certification Certification is part of testing, inspection and certification and the provision by an independent body of written assurance (a certificate) that the product, service or system in question meets specific requirements. It is the formal attestatio ...

program for qualifying the skills, knowledge and experience of IT, Business and Enterprise Architects. This program was developed by

The Open Group The Open Group is a global consortium that seeks to "enable the achievement of business objectives" by developing " open, vendor-neutral technology standards and certifications." It has 900+ member organizations and provides a number of services ...

members in response to the growing demand for experienced IT architects. The Open Group, a vendor- and technology-neutral industry consortium, offers IT Architect Certification to certify skills and experience in the

IT architecture Information technology (IT) architecture is the process of development of methodical information technology specifications, models and guidelines, using a variety of information technology notations, for example Unified Modeling Language (UML), wit ...

community.

The Program

The program is based on the proven

best practice A best practice is a method or technique that has been generally accepted as superior to alternatives because it tends to produce superior results. Best practices are used to achieve quality as an alternative to mandatory standards. Best practice ...

s in the industry and sets an independent, industry-wide standard for IT Architects. Under the program, practicing IT Architects can achieve the certification based on demonstrating substantial skills, experience and success in designing solutions across the whole lifecycle. In addition to certifying individuals directly, the program also provides accreditation of third-party IT architect certification programs. The skill and experience requirements for both the Direct Certification and the Accredited programs are the same. The first accredited program (

IBM International Business Machines Corporation (using the trademark IBM), nicknamed Big Blue, is an American Multinational corporation, multinational technology company headquartered in Armonk, New York, and present in over 175 countries. It is ...

's) was announced in January 2006. In addition, a franchise option is available to professional societies and other eligible organizations. Accenture started in 2006 with a similar Master Technology Architect Certification Program to qualify and recognize professionals not just on expertise but also on experience and track record

Certification levels

Certification is available at two levels: Master Certified IT Architect ''(candidates must be able to perform independently and take responsibility for delivery of systems and solutions as lead architects)'', and Certified IT Architect ''(candidates must be able to perform with assistance/supervision, with a wide range of appropriate skills, as contributing architects)''.

Level 1

Certified IT Architect candidate is able to perform with assistance/supervision, with a wide range of appropriate skills, as a contributing architect. Certified IT Architect Candidates must be practicing Enterprise / IT Architects and have at least two years' experience developing IT architectures with supervision; for example, through

mentoring Mentorship is the patronage, influence, guidance, or direction given by a mentor. A mentor is someone who teaches or gives help and advice to a less experienced and often younger person. In an organizational setting, a mentor influences the perso ...

. They are expected to have the ability to produce architectures with occasional assistance from more experienced IT Architects (e.g., Master Level IT Architects).

Level 2

Master IT Architect / Master Certified IT Architect - able to perform independently and take responsibility for delivery of systems and solutions as lead architect. Certified Master IT Architect Candidates must be practicing Enterprise / IT Architects and have at least three years recent experience of developing IT architectures. They must demonstrate having core foundation skills that include people skills,

project management Project management is the process of supervising the work of a Project team, team to achieve all project goals within the given constraints. This information is usually described in project initiation documentation, project documentation, crea ...

skills and architecture skills, and meet requirements related to experience,

professional development Professional development, also known as professional education, is learning that leads to or emphasizes education in a specific professional career field or builds practical job applicable skills emphasizing Praxis (process), praxis in addition t ...

, and contribution to IT Architecture community. All requirements must be documented in the application.

Level 3

Distinguished IT Architect / Distinguished Certified IT Architect – effects significant breadth and depth of impact on the business via one of three advanced career paths: Chief/Lead Architect, Enterprise Architect or IT Architect Profession Leader. IT Architects that have been certified are listed in a publicly available directory of Certified IT Architects.Certification New
Directory of Certified IT Architects
''The Open Group'', retrieved March 6, 2006

References

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External links

Certification and Accreditation documents
* ttp://www.iasaglobal.org IASA: The Global IT Architect Associationbr>Software Development Magazine - Gettin' CertifiedCertCities - Architecture Certifications Point Toward FutureCert-Start - Feedback Forum on CertifyingSoftware Development Times - Certification for IT ArchitectsCertification Magazine - The Open Group Launches IT Architect Certification
* ttp://www.certmag.com/read.php?in=2837 Certification Magazine - ITAC and the Enterprise Architectbr>Accenture - Master Technology Architect Program
Information technology qualifications Professional titles and certifications