SAP brings e-certification to S'pore

SINGAPORE--Software giant SAP launched Wednesday the online version of its global certification program in the island-state, targeting working professionals who wish to pursue certification at their own pace.

The German vendor partnered the SIM University (UniSIM) to set up the UniSIM-SAP eAcademy, targeting to train and certify over 200 ERP (enterprise resource planning) consultants each year, Kowshik Sriman, SAP's vice president and Singapore country manager, said during the official launch. UniSIM is run by the Singapore Institute of Management Group.

Noting an increase in global demand for ERP consultants over the next few years, Sriman said around 6,000 SAP-certified consultants would be needed in Singapore by 2010, up from the current 4,000.

As conventional certification programs are held routinely and require working professionals to commit to a fixed schedule, the eAcademy provides a "real viable option", he said.

Besides providing flexibility in learning hours, he noted that the course fees, ranging from S$9,480 (US$6,958) to S$12, 360 (US$9,072) are significantly lower than conventional classroom-based learning.

"We're saying that the course fees are 40 percent cheaper, but we haven't factored in the opportunity cost [such as] salary, risk of [unemployment]…that makes the eAcademy's value proposition a lot higher," said Sriman.

The UniSIM-SAP eAcademy will offer six tracks, five of which--financials, human resources, order fulfillment, procurement and production planning--are ERP modules. Advanced business application programming (ABAP), a programming language developed by SAP, is also available to programmers.

To attain the certification, participants will be required to spend between 200 and 250 learning hours over four months at the eAcademy. They must also achieve a score of above 70 percent for a certification examination, which will be administered at the end of the course.

Although the lessons are conducted without an instructor, students can send queries through Web-based tools to SAP-certified professionals.

Sriman told ZDNet Asia that the UniSIM-SAP eAcademy is different from the University Alliances Program rolled out in April across the region, including Singapore. The earlier initiative does not include certification, he said, and SAP-related course components form only part of the curriculum.

According to Man Mohan Kapur, SAP's director of education services for Southeast Asia, Singapore is the third country in Asia--after India and Malaysia--to offer the online version of the SAP certification program.

Kapur added that SAP is also planning to roll out the initiative in several other Southeast Asian countries. The company is currently in talks with potential institutions in Indonesia, the Philippines and Malaysia, and expects to set up eAcademy programs in these economies by end-August. There are also plans to seek a partner institution in Thailand, he said.


Source: ZDNetAsia

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