Dilemma in Carieer switch to PEGA Tool from JAVA

[Karthik Ponnusamy]

Hi,

I am karthik, working in an MNC as a CORE Java developer/support for 4 years as of now. It's basically a java tool, where we are not touching with JAVA code and just supporting the same tool. Now, i have a plan to learn PEGA - a JAVA Product/Tool and let me know your valuable suggestions here.

1]. Is it correct approach to change the stream/domain after 4+years?
2]. How is PEGA Tool now in the market? How is it valuable?
3]. How about Pega's Future?
4]. Even if am getting into work with Pega, i can easily switch into JAVA back in future during worst conditions [PEGA is no more in the market]?
5]. How much time will it take to learn PEGA tool?
6]. How to get trained with PEGA as a self?
7]. How about the employement opportunities/salary level like Onsite, Pay....for PEGA compared to JAVA?

Please guide me in this regard. Thanks,'
Karthik.
201-620-4045

[arulk pillai]

It is always good to know Java + something else like SOA or BPM tool to differentiate yourself.

Pega is a Java based BPM tool and you still can keep your Java skills up to date through other avenues.

[Sachin rakesh]

Hi Kartik,

Pega is very niche skill and very hot in the market these days .Me and few other folks were trained in pega in my organization..but the project was cancelled.So we could'nt work on it.

There are both advantages and disadvantages associated with such tools.

Few advantages i found while learning and while doing POC were :
-Very handy tool..It generates amazingly optimized java code.Application built will be rock solid.We had modelled a insurance claim framework within a short time which takes months to
do it with hard coding with java.
-Agile methodology.
-Learn business very fast.
-Learn infrastructure and business processes while working on development projects.
-Closely work with business analyst and learn modelling if you are interested.
-Tool is mainly for BPM which is hot in the market.
-Pay really cool.(as of now..not sure about future)
-Few people who know this tool.

Disadvantages:
-There have been many tools in the market whose demand shot up to great heights but have fallen with the same speed.As long as the tool is there in the market,there is demand for developers.
-People may say the tool is built on java..so anytime you can come back to java (when the demand for the tool diminishes)..But it does'nt work like that.You don'nt literally work on java when you are using the tool..The tool generates all by itself.Programming is a practice.If you start using tool its 100% sure that programing skills will definitely reduce.
-Mainly targetting financial and healthcare organizations.(But thats ok..In how many domains can one work in their life span.Just mentioned).
-Brisk competation from similar tools like lombardi (IBM),Cordys etc.
-Hard to convince the client that this tool is beneficial..Very expensive.....they all believe that programming is efficient and easy to find java guys..and also there are very large systems and business processes already built..convincing them to migrate seems to be very difficult.
-Still there is a debate regarding the need of BPM(Ofcource its needed..But very small % of the client's expenditure constitutes BPM).

Different strokes for different folks...many may disagree with the above.Its just my opinion.
If your company is training you,attend it and give it shot by doing poc.If you feel comfortable you can embrace it..Who knows you may like it.I personally did'nt like it while doing poc because i love hard coding rather than using a tool.I feel there is a lot of freedom to do anything and everything which is not possible there.

Just my two cents.

-Thanks
Sachin