Required:  Deploying Blockchain Technologies*

As Blockchain emerges as an essential technology across every industry (well beyond Bitcoin), with all of the buzzwords flying around it can be difficult to separate Blockchain hype from business reality. This foundational technical course will enable IT candidates to understand the essential concepts of the distributed ledger, relevant Blockchain terminology, real world Blockchain use cases, and technology management considerations for carrying out Blockchain projects.

This course will also explore the concept of anonymous consensus and how it is essential to ensuring that the blocks in a Blockchain contain the single version of the truth, as well as learning the mechanics of Blockchain validation and how consensus can eliminate errors that otherwise require reconciliation. How identities work inside of Blockchain and the dependencies that Blockchain Oracles have on Smart Contracts are covered in detail.

Specific and generic industry examples and emerging applications and blockchain technologies (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple, The Hyperledger Foundation which is actually 6 Blockchain’s including Fabric from IBM, Multichain, EOS, Corda), and approaches for deploying blockchain will be the focus of this course. At the end of this course candidates will be prepared to engage in the technical management and development responsibilities necessary to effectively and efficiently implement blockchain initiatives.

Select at least 3 courses from the following:

1. Managing Blockchain Initiatives*

While having over a 10-year history, Blockchain is still actively evolving to where it is now emerging as an important technology across every industry. With all of the buzzwords flying around, it can still be difficult to separate Blockchain hype from business reality. The purpose of this course is to prepare IT and non-IT managers for creating effective Blockchain strategies and plans that leverage Blockchain for competitive advantage. The focus of this course will be on learning the essentials of Blockchain, preparing Management Professionals to lead industry current and future business application initiatives, and deriving Blockchain deployment strategies, business cases, and plans, as well as considerations for organizational structure, sourcing, security, legal, and governance processes.

Through an engaging mix of understanding the current and emerging Blockchain technologies, business insights, industry examples, and their impact on the business, the learning journey will bring into sharp focus the reality of contemporary Blockchain and how it can be harnessed to support representative cross industry as well as industry specific (e.g. Finance, Retail, Healthcare) applications.

Focusing on essential Blockchain and related technologies, such as smart contracts, oracles, identity, consensus and tokenization, this course will help candidates understand the implications of these new technologies for strategic business initiatives, as well as the economic and societal issues they address. The course will also examine how Blockchain will complement and strengthen the workforce, how roles may change in an organization ecosystem including considerations for governance, sourcing, security, and organizational considerations, and the overarching potential that Block chain can have on every industry.

Additionally, the course will emphasize how the power of the network and distributed computers can solve business problems that not long ago were impossible.

Upon completion of this course IT and non-IT candidates will be prepared to deliver an organizational Blockchain strategy that addresses specific technology management and organizational aspects for ensuring successful deployment of Blockchain.

2. Leveraging IT Resources: Information & Resource Management*

This course takes a comprehensive information and resource perspective of business strategy by addressing the strategic, tactical, and operational roles and responsibilities across the business for managing blockchain as a strategic business asset. 

While the alignment of business and IT is the primary focus, emphasis is placed on the current/emerging issues/opportunities in creating and coordinating the significant initiatives necessary to ensure IT’s contribution to the success of the organization; in essence as IT is shaping global markets and impacting the enterprise, how must IT reshape itself. This is done by examining important considerations such as governance, demonstrating value, IT processes, IT organizational structure, HR & sourcing, managing emerging technologies, the integrated roles of IT, and IT-business strategy. By concentrating on ITs strategic responsibilities, this course puts the candidate in the role of an IT leader as they build a business strategy that is enabled/driven by IT. It lays the groundwork for understanding how IT must evolve to remain relevant in a world where profound changes in business, economics, environment, and technology have become the norm.

3.  Managing Emerging Blockchain Technologies*

This course focuses on the current and emerging blockchain and blockchain related tools, approaches, and related technologies (e.g., cloud, legacy services, data security/privacy, social media/networks, internet of things, mobile applications, cognitive computing, crowd-sourcing, standards), and how they can be integrated and leveraged. While technology focused, it is still focused on management considerations.

It is designed to help candidates understand the difference between Blockchain initiatives and related technologies.  By concentrating on current blockchain and related technologies, in essence this course puts the candidate in the role of the CIO/CTO/CISO/CAO/CDO  as they ensure their organization is prepared to effectively and efficiently enable/drive these blockchain initiatives.

4. Industry Specific Courses

While having experience with blockchain tools is recognized as being fundamental, industry expertise is also considered essential in being able to have a successful career in blockchain. GIIM has courses in the following industries to help prepare candidates with the requisite industry expertise: Finance, Pharmaceutical, Healthcare, Manufacturing, Hospitality, Government, Telecommunications, Petroleum, Retail, Insurance, Transportation, etc.

5.  Blockchain Technical Considerations (could be more than 1 course)

While having over a 10-year history, Blockchain is still actively evolving to where it is now emerging as an important technology across every industry. With all of the buzzwords flying around, it can still be difficult to separate Blockchain hype from business reality. The purpose of this course is to prepare IT and non-IT managers for creating effective Blockchain strategies and plans that leverage Blockchain for competitive advantage. The focus of this course will be on learning the essentials of Blockchain, preparing Management Professionals to lead industry current and future business application initiatives, and deriving Blockchain deployment strategies, business cases, and plans, as well as considerations for organizational structure, sourcing, security, legal, and governance processes.

Through an engaging mix of understanding the current and emerging Blockchain technologies, business insights, industry examples, and their impact on the business, the learning journey will bring into sharp focus the reality of contemporary Blockchain and how it can be harnessed to support representative cross industry as well as industry specific (e.g. Finance, Retail, Healthcare) applications.

Focusing on essential Blockchain and related technologies, such as smart contracts, oracles, identity, consensus and tokenization, this course will help candidates understand the implications of these new technologies for strategic business initiatives, as well as the economic and societal issues they address. The course will also examine how Blockchain will complement and strengthen the workforce, how roles may change in an organization ecosystem including considerations for governance, sourcing, security, and organizational considerations, and the overarching potential that Block chain can have on every industry.

Additionally, the course will emphasize how the power of the network and distributed computers can solve business problems that not long ago were impossible.

Upon completion of this course IT and non-IT candidates will be prepared to deliver an organizational Blockchain strategy that addresses specific technology management and organizational aspects for ensuring successful deployment of Blockchain.

The following hands-on modules prepare candidates applying Blockchain technologies distinctive functional capabilities to the most widely used business initiatives:

1. Introduction to Blockchain

·   Concepts:

• Recognize what blockchain is, and what it is not (it’s not bitcoin!)
• Understand blockchain fundamentals and how the technology will disrupt most industries

·   Use Case Overview

·   Technical Features and Capabilities

·   Public vs Private Initiatives 

·   Security Public vs Private Initiatives 

·   Various Blockchain Platforms – Open Source and Commercial

·   Understand the Hosting and Mining Options
·   Awareness of Associated Technologies
·   Summary of the Primary Programming Languages
·   Determining the Decisions Surrounding the Security of Blockchains
·   Blockchain Architecture for Building a Private or Hybrid Blockchain Infrastructure

·   Platform, Vendor, Sourcing, and Organizational Considerations

2. Blockchain Use Cases

·  Blockchain vs Cryptocurrencies (e.g., Bitcoin)

·  Cross Industry Examples

·  Industry Specific Examples

·  Blockchain Technical Use Cases

          ·  Mining Blockchain

3. Cryptocurrency

·   Technical Considerations for Cryptocurrency

·   Understanding & Selecting the Right Cryptocurrency Platform

·   Concept of Opening Cryptocurrency Wallets

·   Buying Cryptocurrency Wallets

·   Programming Languages and Considerations 

·   Withdrawal Cryptocurrency Wallets

4. Blockchain: Beyond Cryptocurrency

·  Industry Specific Use Cases

·  Selecting the right technology/platform, and vendor for the initiative

• Kind of Network
• Programming Languages Available and Considerations
• Popularity
• Activity
• Pricing
• Flexibility and Consensus Mechanisms

5.  Blockchain Technology/Product (e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum, Hyperledger, IBM, Multichain, Hydrachain, Ripple, R3 Corda, BigChainDB, Open-chain, IOTA) Use Cases

·  Technology Choices & Uses Introduction

·  Blockchain vs Bitcoin

·  Technology Features

·  Smart Contracts

·  Technology Installation

·  Technology Accounts

·  Technology Virtual Machine

·  Deploying Smart Contracts

·  Smart Contracts and DAOs (Decentralized Autonomous Corporation)

·  Decentralize MJ Apps/Platforms (Enable Preventative Compliance, Precise Inventory Visibility, and Streamlined Operations.

6. Technical Deployment (Focus On One Platform e.g., Bitcoin, Ethereum, Hyperledger, IBM, Multichain, Hydrachain, Ripple, R3 Corda, BigChainDB, Open-chain, IOTA) Details

·  Comparison of Platform Features and Capabilities

·  Fundamentals of the Technology

·  Technology Architecture and Integration

·  Blockchain vs the Technology

·  Identifying the decisions and participants in a successful blockchain implementation
·  Blockchain Platforms – Open Source and Commercial
·  Hosting and Mining Options
·  Associated Technologies
·  Primary Programming Languages
·  Essential Decisions Surrounding the Security of Blockchains

·  Technology Programming Considerations and Details

7.  Project Industry Examples and Use Cases

·  Voting with  Blockchain

·  Business Network Implementation.

·  Smart Contract for SCM (Supply Chain Management) Network

·  Smart Contract for Letter of Credit

·  Industry Specific Applications and Use Cases

8. Security & Regulatory Considerations

·  Overview of security programming basics
·  Demonstrate Security Required for an ICO (Initial Coin Offering)
·  Essential Blockchain Security in Relation to Standard Cyber/Network Security
·  Tools Required to Build Security Features
·  Employ security practices illustrated11.5 CLE Credits - Areas of Professional Practice
·  The Need for Regulation
·  Challenges of Regulating a Decentralized Autonomous Organization (DAO)
·  Existing US, European and International Laws and Regulations
·  Anticipated Regulation as Blockchain Technology Changes How We Live and Work  

Prerequisites:  Working knowledge of internet, networking & programming knowledge.