IBM targets Oracle customers with free big data training

IBM plans to train 10,000 Oracle database professionals in IBM software analytics and information management throughout 2011 via free bootcamp training sessions.

Free training will be provided for IT professionals at 16 UK sites at IBM centres, universities and online. Training includes sessions on data analytics, information management, big data concepts and open source technologies, such as Hadoop and Eclipse tools.

"Uncovering insights hidden among data in existing IT systems, and outside of the firewall in social networks, on clouds and from mobile devices, requires today's IT professionals to possess new skills," said Arvind Krishna, general manager of IBM information management.

"As a result, we expect to see more companies move from Oracle to IBM software to capitalise on big data opportunities, and shift the economics from wasteful IT spending to growth investments," added Krishna.

Big data systems are a type of database that provide massive scale out capabilities for large data volumes in the multiple terabyte and petabyte range.

Anjul Bsambhri, vice-president for development of big data at IBM, says many IT professionals lack the skills needed to address the implications of big data in the future. She believes Java skills will be useful as well as a higher level of query languages to write programmes to retrieve information from a wealth of data.

To learn more about the free training session, visit the IBM bootcamp website.