Architect Certification Launches

The first set of applications for Microsoft’s new architect credential have come in, launching a process of mentoring and board reviews that the company hopes will lead to several hundred newly certified software architects with extensive backgrounds in current and emerging Microsoft technologies. However, the tangible benefits these newly certified architects can expect remain unclear.

Microsoft announced in 2005 that it would be putting together a process for formally recognizing software architects and began accepting applications for the credential in June 2006, with a mid-July deadline for applications.

What Architects Do

Most major software projects use the services of one more highly skilled software developers who lay out the fundamental design of the application, and although job titles vary across the industry, the term architect has gained currency as a way of describing these individuals. At Microsoft, in particular, the term gained prominence in 2000 after Bill Gates took on the title of Chief Software Architect. Microsoft’s new credential program is an attempt to formalize this industry role and to recognize the differences between software architects and other types of developers.