MCA

B.Tech. - MCA & BCA

The Six main sectors in this field are:-

Hardware & Networking:

This includes the physical elements of the computer system and deals with the designing, manufacturing and maintenance of computers. This area also includes the assembling of the manufactured components of the computers; and installing & integrating the computer systems through Networks for efficient utilization. Hardware & Networking are two separate disciplines having some common subject / understanding.

Software Engineering & Development:

This includes the set of instructions by which a computer is programmed for working and performing the specified tasks. This realm includes the work of designing the programs for various purposes. Programs may be for controlling the functioning of the computers or there may also be some user-friendly programs for specific needs. The programs may also come in the form of packages, which are designed for specific needs, or meeting the different kinds of requirements for large number of people. Custom - made programs & solutions for special applications are also needed on a huge scale.

Software testing and Quality maintenance

This dimension of s/w development has emerged as separate sector in last few years; which includes the testing of the development programs and ensuring then quality in the team technical aspect as well as operational one.

Services & Application Support

System integration & applications management; Networking & data base management; installation & maintenance of software applications etc. are some of the support & services which from this sector.

Business Development & Customer Relationship Mgmt. (CRM)

In IT, these are akin to the Sales & Marketing activities. As Software solution providing is essentially a consulting discipline the marketing is highly technical & termed Business Development.

Research and Development

It involves designing of chips and circuits, computer architecture and integration of peripherals. It also includes improvement and upgrading of the existing systems, software & applications.

Software Project Management

Managers ensure that the development and operations work goes on smoothly. They look after the allocation of resources and planning the efficient utilization. Qualification like BCA+MBA, BBA+MCA, B.Tech are much sought after in this segment.

Networking is a fast growing area which requires some of the under mentioned specialties:

(a) Network Administration:
Working from the concept upwards, network administration involves configuring and managing LANs (Local Area Networks), WANs (Wide Area Networks) and VPNs (Virtual Private Networks). You will be responsible for analyzing, installing and configuring the company's network even from a remote location. Monitoring network performance, troubleshooting problems and maintaining network security has to be done on a daily basis. With the proliferation of B2C (business to customer) websites, e-commerce, e-governance, VPN (Virtual Private Networks) and other Internet and telecom-based applications like remote servicing and IVR (Interactive Voice Response) the demand for network administrators is expected to peak in the next few years.
Familiarity with the intricacies of the specific systems being used by a company like. Windows NT, Novell, Netware Unix, Linux and so forth, through knowledge of networked applications, security and virus-protection schemes, system diagnostic utilities and experience with routers, hubs and bridges is also necessary.

(b) Network Managers:
Supervise the work of administrators, engineers, technicians and programmers. They also work at long-range planning and strategy. At the entry level you will be focusing on tasks such as troubleshooting, monitoring, LAN performance, adding or deleting users, adding new servers, etc. B.Tech students with added networking training form excellent network managers and system administrators.

(c) Network Security:
As more and more organizations move their offline transactions online and vast quantities of vital and sensitive data travels through networks, the need for developing "full-proof" e-security systems to safeguard the networks and databases from rampant hacking have emerged as the number one IT concern globally. And consequently, it is one of the hottest and most sought-after specialties.
With over 300 new viruses released everyday and rampant hacking (82,000 recorded cases, according to a Carnegie Mellon University study), governments and corporations have beefed-up their spend and tightened access to their systems and core applications. They are looking for people who can administer their enterprise network security safely and securely as a strategic priority. To excel in this field, you must be as familiar with system programming and administration as with security configuration and firewalls. This also includes knowledge of advanced TCP/IP, security fundamentals, security implementation, ruler security and attack routes.

Functional areas in Software are:-

(a) System Development:
This involves preparing the set of instructions or programs to let the computer work. This further needs combining of application of computer science and telecommunication principles and creativity.

(b) Software development:
This involves updating and development of existing operations as well as their refining and improvement. All this is carried out in various stages like analysis, designing, construction, implementation etc.

(c) Data entry:
The data for the programs, which are made, have to be fed in the computers. So this work is done at data entry level, a relatively junior level, not for engineers. An average BCA student could take up from here and grow quickly to a supervisory position.

(d) Programmers/Coders:
They write and test programs and convert the strategies of the system analyst into working programs.

(e) Application programmers:
They prepare programs either for general purpose or user-friendly programs or some specific programs for individual or specific customer use along with testing and integrating them.

(f) Support & Application services:
They vary in nature and can range from helping a customer in the purchase of the software, suggesting its right kind of application and providing them with the required training at the initial stage of its use.

(g) Software testing Engineers/ Controllers:
Ensures the full- proofness of the development s/w and quality

Typical career path:

Let us consider what is involved in a career path in each area.

Career Path 1:

Designing and implementing software.

This refers to the work of software development which has grown to include aspects of web development, interface design, security issues, mobile computing, and so on.

This is the career path that the majority of computer science graduates follow.

While a bachelor's degree is generally sufficient for entry into this kind of career, many software professionals return to school to obtain a terminal master's degree. (Rarely is a doctorate involved.)

Career Path 2:

Devising new ways to use computers.

This refers to innovation in the application of computer technology.

A career path in this area can involve advanced graduate work, followed by a position in a research university or industrial research and development laboratory

It can involve entrepreneurial activity such as was evident during the dot-com boom of the 1990s or it can involve a combination of the two.

Career Path 3:

Developing effective ways to solve computing problems.

This refers to the application or development of computer science theory and knowledge of algorithms to ensure the best possible solutions for computationally intensive problems.

As a practical matter, a career path in the development of new computer science theory typically requires graduate work to the Ph.D. level, followed by a position in a research university or an industrial research and development laboratory.

Career Path 4:

Planning and managing organizational technology infrastructure.

This is the type of work for which the new information technology (IT) programs explicitly aim to educate students.

Career paths 2 and 3 are undeniably in the domain of computer science graduates. Career paths 1 and 4 have spawned the new majors in software engineering and information technology, respectively, and information systems graduates often follow Career path 1, too Computer scientists continue to fill these positions, but programs in software engineering, information technology, and information systems offer alternative paths to these careers.

Sharda University Placements

Corporate which recruit SGI IT/Computer Science/BCA/MCA engineering students:

All Software Companies · TCS · Infosys · Oracle · Tally Solutions · Sopro · Huawei · Satyam · L & T Infotech · HCL · I-Gate · I-Flex · Polaris · M-Phasis · ITC Infotech · R-Systems · Ramco · Belmark · Persistence and many other reputed companies.

Remuneration:

At senior management levels the industry offers almost the best compensation. At entry level also offers range from Rs. 2.5 l.p.a. to Rs. 4.5 l.p.a. and in 4 years the earnings get doubled. For those trained in niche areas of software development, ERP, VLSI & chip design, etc. or in MNCs of repute Rs. 4.0 l.p.a. to Rs. 8.0 l.p.a. at entry level may be offered. Almost 50% of the demand is from the Banking, Finance, Securities, Investment, and Insurance sectors