Java Skills In DemandJava Skills In Demand

As Java gains ground in the development of enterprise applications, programming skills are becoming more important.

DevX.com Inc., a portal for IT developers, released a survey of Java users earlier this month that ranks the platform above several other programming skills, including XML, Web scripting, and C++. Although many of the 2,600 IT managers, consultants, and developers who responded have invested time and money in Sun Microsystems' programming language, Microsoft Windows environments are still most commonly used for enterprise application development, and proficiency in C++ and XML carry equal or greater importance than Java at many businesses.

The study found a significant shortage of IT workers skilled in Java. Among the 79.7% of respondents who say their Java skills are highly important, only 42.1% rank their skill level as high.

Some IT professionals who don't know Java feel pressure to learn it. "I don't see Java going away anytime soon, so it's something I need to learn," says Chris Waldrop, IT manager at EOP Architects Inc., an architectural firm in Lexington, Ky. Most of his experience has been with Microsoft technologies.

Joe Sheridan, an IT project manager at Michigan National Bank in Lansing, Mich., expects he'll learn Java, too. "At companies in Michigan, there's pretty big demand for Java," he says. But Sheridan, who has expertise in ActiveX, Cobol, and Visual Basic, says learning XML is first on his list. "I'm very involved in electronic data interchange, and XML will be huge in that community," he says.

Because Java can run on multiple operating systems, it's the primary development platform for client applications at Spirent Communications plc. "Java is definitely one skill we look for in interface development," says Mike Burk, senior manager of systems integration and interface development at the company's Rockville, Md., office. But Spirent, which makes testing software for the telecommunications industry, places equally high value on C++, the primary platform for its server software.

Burk isn't too concerned about employees having a Java background. "I look for general programming skills, and don't mind training," he says. What's more important to Burk is that workers have good communication skills, a logical thought process, and an understanding of the telecommunications industry.

"Almost everyone puts Java on their resumé now," Burk says--but he's found that skill levels can vary widely. In addition, employees who can program in C++ usually have no problem learning Java, Burk says.

Some IT managers aren't investing in Java at all. Tom Raimo, director of IT at i-Stat Corp. in East Windsor, N.J., says the technology has a long way to go. "I've been unimpressed with the Java systems I've seen because they're slow," Raimo says. Most of the application development at i-Stat, which makes medical diagnostic equipment and software, is done in Visual Basic. One of the newer technologies Raimo is most excited about is XML, which i-Stat is considering for the next upgrade to its data-management software.

While Java programmers still command good pay, the economic climate has had a cooling impact on their salaries in recent months. Bob Keegan, president of IT staffing firm Info Technologies Inc., says many Java programmers in the Northeast are working for $50 to $65 per hour, down from $70 to $85 per hour last year. He attributes the lower pay to tightening IT budgets.