IT training cos go back to Unix to meet future industry needs

Anand Krishnamoorthy in Chennai

It is back to basics for those aspiring a career in information technology. In a sector where buzz words like ‘staying ahead of the curve’ and learning ‘killer applications’ are cliche, IT education companies are courting students with courses centring around Unix — a three decade old operating system developed by Dr Dennis Ritchie and Mr Kenneth Thompson of Bell Labs, USA.

“Learning Unix is fundamental for a career in IT. It is categorised as a foundation programme and is perceived as an entry point for moving up the learning curve,” says a spokesperson for SSI Ltd, the country third largest IT training firm.

To accompany the Unix operating system (OS), a programming language C or C++ is also taught. ‘C’ language happens to be slightly younger than Unix. It was created in the early seventies by Dr Ritchie.

The age of the operating systems or the language is not the issue but it is the relevance it has in the modern world which should be considered, says industry professionals. “Unix is the most stable, rugged and reliable platform for mission critical applications like defence, telecom, insurance and banking. These industries are employment generating at present,” says an SSI official.

Also, Unix has also been improved upon over the years. In 1972, Unix was rewritten using C language by Mr Thompson. Later AT&T, Sun Microsystems and others developed versions of Unix for business computing.

The OS has been constantly updated to meet the requirements of the industry, IT professionals say.

The current trend towards learning Unix is the result of the changing industry requirement.

“During the boom period, an IT professional who has done a short-term course in Java or HTML could find employment. At present, a solid understanding of fundamentals is the only way to get a job in the IT sector,” says the human resources head of a Chennai-based software firm.

Also, IT education firms are reorienting their strategies to suit the changed market dynamics.

“The revenues from short-term courses such as Java or HTML have been wiped out. Industry leaders such as NIIT, Aptech and SSI are offering Unix-based short term courses to boost revenues,” says an IT analyst with a domestic brokerage house.

Another factor driving large industry players towards entry level programmes is that this market has been traditionally been addressed by regional and price players who have been wiped out by the adverse market conditions. So, industry leaders have moved in to fill the vacuum, says industry insiders.