UK heads towards IT skills shortfall

The European Commission (EC) has warned of a potential 350 000-plus shortfall in IT practitioners in the region by 2015, and criticised the UK for failing adequately to promote professionalism in the industry, states Computing.co.uk.

EC principal administrator Andr'e Richier was speaking at an e-skills event at the Department of Business, Innovation and Skills about the need to increase the number of trained IT professionals.

The number of IT practitioners has doubled since 1995, but Richier warned there is still a declining supply. "We may have an excess demand of 384 000 ICT practitioners by 2015," he said. "In five years' time, only 10% of all jobs in the EU will not require e-skills."

Microsoft has unveiled its Windows MultiPoint Server 2010, which allows users at multiple terminals to connect to a single host computer, reports eWeek.

The operating system is being aimed at the education segment, and Microsoft says it will make the product available to academic volume licensing customers this week.

In theory, Windows MultiPoint Server 2010 can save schools money by reducing the number of computers needed in a typical classroom to one, the host system, which could be connected to multiple thin-client terminals through a video card or USB.

A report from Ambient Insight reveals the global market for e-learning reached $27.1 billion in 2009, according to TMCnet.

The report also found that demand is growing by a five-year compound annual growth rate of 12.8% and that revenue will reach $49.6 billion by 2014. According to Tyson Greer, CEO of Ambient Insight, the compound annual growth rate in Asia is growing by 33.5%.

The e-learning revenue opportunities in specific countries in the region are attracting suppliers and investors from around the world. For example, the demand in Eastern Europe is growing by 23.0%.