Google Launches Developer Certification Program

While Google isn’t quite ready to reveal the software developer partner program we’re convinced is coming, the search giant has unveiled their new Qualified Developer Program, designed to certify the best and brightest of those working with the Google and open source APIs. Here’s the scoop.

To get themselves or their company Google certified, a developer has to pick an area of specialization, submit references, application samples, and evidence of “community leadership.” Last, but not least, Qualified Developer hopefuls have to pass an exam proving their knowledge and skillset.

After all that, what do developers get? Not much more than a web traffic boost. Google Qualified Developers get official recognition by way of an entry into the official Developer Directory and a specialization-appropriate badge to display on their website. They also get, and I quote from their FAQ here, “a warm, fuzzy feeling for this grand accomplishment.”

From Google’s perspective, this is just another way they’re reaching out to developers and drawing them ever-tighter into Google’s ecosystem. This, in turn, allows Google to offer more and more enterprise applications. Between the Qualified Developer program, the Solutions Marketplace, and the new Developer blog, Google is definitely making a serious effort to win the hearts and minds of these developers.

It’s certainly not a bad thing for developers: according to Stephen Cho, director of Google Apps channels, Google now has a thousand partners worldwide. That means the market for developers’ Google API-using applications is only going to grow. But as to whether or not Google is going to go the rest of the distance and announce an ISV partner program –

“Stay tuned,” Cho says.