Brendan Quinn points out why there is a need in the industry for transparent qualifications or a set of qualifications that the industry has trust in. While testing theory is great, hirers want specifics, not aspirational achievements when it comes to technical knowledge and ability.

Based on the number of cloud computing standards organizations working on the problem, clearly interest is running at an all-time high. Here's a list of some of the bodies actively working on creating cloud standards.

There are many things to consider when picking an SCM standard or framework for your organization. Taking the time to explore compliance, politics, experience, and driving forces before making a selection will increase acceptance and smooth the transition.

Two topics that are likely to launch a development team into an impassioned discussion are development standards and development environments (IDEs, editors, etc). Combining the two topics into that of standardizing on development environments, is even more likely to spark debate. Decisions about development tools affect the day to day workings of each person on the team as well as the productivity of the team, and as such are important to discuss as a team organizes itself.