ZapThink today announces the availability of its online, computer-based Service-Oriented Architecture (SOA) Licensed ZapThink Architect (LZA) training and credentialing course. In this first-of-its-kind offering, attendees can get access to over 20 hours of self-paced video instruction and slides, online testing and evaluation, and opportunity to submit architectural exercises to ZapThink master architects for grading and assessment. Upon completion of the online course, attendees will receive the same LZA Credential that they would receive if they attended one of ZapThink’s popular in-person training events.

"Companies and individuals are looking for vendor-neutral, practical, in-depth training that is affordable and has minimal impact on their resources," said Ronald Schmelzer, Managing Partner with ZapThink, LLC. "ZapThink’s new online, CBT courseware fits the bill. Individuals can sign up and get the same in-depth, hands-on SOA training that they’ve come to expect from ZapThink, but at their own pace and schedule."

The online SOA training course, available at learn.zapthink.com (http://bit.ly/CWJD6), provides 10 modules of in-depth content, each of which has up to 2 hours of video instruction, dozens of slides, a twenty question self-assessment, and exercises to be submitted to ZapThink staff for their evaluation. At the completion of the course, attendees will receive a Junior-level LZA credential, which can be easily upgraded, at no additional cost, to a Senior-level credential upon completion of additional exercises and activities. The course includes the full range of SOA topics taught at the in-person LZA courses in which over 900 enterprise architects have already been credentialed.

Topics include:

• Service modeling
• Service domains
• SOA infrastructure planning
• SOA testing
• SOA Quality and Management
• SOA Governance
• Developing a SOA Roadmap
• SOA ROI and Business Planning
• SOA Key Performance Indicators (KPI) and metrics
• SOA security
• SOA and Web Services Performance optimization
• SOA policy management
• Composite Services and Business Process
• Service-Oriented Business Applications (SOBA) and Mashups.

Attendees will learn about notable SOA security case studies and get hands-on guidance in making SOA work. The online LZA course offers the following benefits:

• An annual credential that allows ZapThink to endorse individual enterprise architects as having specific SOA skills
• Posting onto an LZA Directory that enables companies to research and locate architects to assist with their SOA-specific needs
• Opportunity to contribute to ZapThink’s online research and content
• Participation in exclusive annual LZA-only conferences, events and activities.

Increasingly, individuals like are looking to get the backing of a qualified third-party organization that can endorse their existing SOA skills as well as enable continuous improvement, enhanced networking with those looking for architecture resources, or enhance their current SOA-enabled careers. Through its LZA program, ZapThink is filling the unmet need for knowledge and credentials in this area.

For more information and to register for the online LZA course, visit learn.zapthink.com (http://bit.ly/CWJD6).