Popularity of the ubiquitous Spring Framework, the java development platform created and maintained by SpringSource Inc. has been growing at a terrific rate since it?s inception with Rod Johnson?s first book in 2002. Gartner estimates over 5 million developers are using Spring Framework in their day to day job (based on over 8 million software downloads of the Framework); Needless to say, the need of good quality Spring training is in huge demand. The simple answer one would expect is for such a training to come directly from the creators i.e. SpringSource itself ? that?s where the challenge begins though!
SpringSource indeed has a strong services division, and provides training and certification services to people who are interested. The issue is of reach ? with a finite number of consultants on board, it?s not possible for SpringSource to make training available to everyone and in all parts of the world. This becomes all the more tough when dealing with developing countries like India, where even a high-end, niche course like Spring Framework training will not get many buyers if global prices are used (often in thousands of dollars).
The solution is to expand via partners and that?s what they have done very well. For example, SpringPeople Technologies are certified training delivery partner for SpringSource in India ? on an exclusive basis. The advantage this has is that SpringSource can ensure that the students coming to the training courses are getting the same high quality training that they can expect from the creators of the technology themselves, while at the same time, the course prices can be kept reasonable and other services like certification and consulting are available locally. As one can expect, such quality assurance is possible only with the rigorous certification criteria that SpringSource has before they certify a consultant for training delivery, coupled with an ongoing investment in partner development and courseware maintenance ? all courseware is created and maintained by SpringSource consultants, who are also committers on the Spring Framework project. This is what differentiates quality from chaff ? there are numerous training providers claiming to have a ?good quality training? on the subject, but can anyone doubt the quality that comes from the training that has been developed by the creators of the technology itself? With the technology changing so fast, another huge advantage of getting an ?official? training is the Spring Framework developers/committers keep the training material up to date on the latest advances in the technology ? not something that many can achieve!
This strategy gives SpringSource a chance to focus on developing and promoting the technology itself ? taking it to the next frontier; while SpringSource partners can continue to serve the Spring community satisfying the training, certification and services requirements of the individuals and companies. This is especially true for India where almost all the big software companies have an offshore development centre. SpringPeople Technologies has been doing a good job running Spring training in all the big Indian cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, Chennai, Hyderabad, Pune etc and of course, taking the training in-house for companies that need such a service.