The Hindu Business Line : NIIT to offer training in open source computing

CLOSER TIES: Dr Karie Willyerd, Vice-President and Chief Learning Officer, Sun Microsystems, and Mr Vijay K Thadani, CEO, NIIT Ltd, at a press conference in Bangalore on Tuesday. - G. R. N. Somashekar

Bangalore March 13

NIIT Ltd has expanded its tie-up with Sun Microsystems India Pvt Ltd to offer training in open source computing through Sun Solaris training programme. NIIT will offer specialised training programmes through its network of education centres as well as specialised Solaris lab to be set up in the metros.

"This strategic initiative will lead to the inclusion of Solaris system into curriculum to train students and enterprise segment," said Mr G. Bhaskar, Chief Learning Officer, Sun Microsystems India. "Ninety per cent of the offtake in training programme comes from enterprises," he said.

NIIT has access to the latest Sun technologies tools, technical resources and curricula on Java & XML, and Solaris 0S System administration through this alliance. Sun plans to set up two specialised labs in Delhi and Mumbai in the first phase and expand later to 50 cities.

"We are looking at training two lakh people in one year and the IT industry requires about two million workforce," said Mr Vijay K. Thadani, CEO, NIIT. "Through this initiative, students will gain relevant skills and employability and the global IT industry will have access to a pool of trained manpower on emerging technologies including open source computing," he said.

Following the success of the joint initiative in the first year, Sun and NIIT will explore possibility of expanding this partnership to offer Java and Solaris technology programs to students in China and other emerging markets.

The success of the joint initiative is evident from 15,000 student enrolments in the Java programming course at over 200 NIIT education centres in the last six months.