Oliver
When the FME Wall of Fame disappeared it felt like losing something we didn't think we'd miss so much. You know that feeling when something just quietly vanishes and suddenly there's this weird gap? That was the Wall of Fame for a lot of us at Avineon Tensing.
But here's the good news: it's back - check it out here: FME Certification Directory
Here's the thing about the Wall of Fame – on the surface, it might've seemed like just another leaderboard, but it is way more than that. It helped us build our personal brand. In a world where 'FME Expert' can mean anything from 'I opened it a few times' to 'I could build FME in my sleep', having visible certifications matters. It gives some weight to our expertise.
Of course, there is definitely a competitive element, but the kind where you'd see a colleague add another certification and think, "Okay, maybe I should finally tackle that FME Flow course I've been putting off." It kept also helps to keep us sharp and current. The FME certification questions have evolved over time because in the field of ETL with new formats and transformers in FME coming out frequently, what worked brilliantly a few versions ago might not necessarily be the best approach today.
The Partner Perspective
For Safe Software Value Added Reseller (VAR) partners (and we're talking about teams like ours at Avineon Tensing UK), the Wall of Fame was basically our collective resume. When clients asked about our capabilities we can point to something concrete that is endorsed by Safe directly. Not just "yep, we know FME" but "look - our entire team has FME certifications".
What Made Us Miss It
We weren't alone in missing it either, so much so it made it onto Safe's FME Community Ideas Page. Without it, we lost that gentle nudge to recertify and to keep pushing ourselves forward... and the friendly competition fades.
Why This Matters
So when @mark2atsafe and @LizAtSafe helped bringing it back a couple of weeks ago, we were really happy. For us at Avineon Tensing in the UK, having our entire team certified isn't just a box to tick, it's about maintaining standards and about being able to confidently say that being up to date on our skills matters to us, a lot. We can help support you with your FME needs and of course, support you to get certified as well. And in a great user community like that of FME where people are sharing solutions and helping each other solve problems, having that visible commitment to staying current builts trust.
Welcome back, Wall of Fame!
Moving Forward
If you've been putting off recertification or haven't jumped on board yet maybe now's the time. Not because you need another badge but because being part of a community that values expertise and continuous improvement? That's worth showing up for.
If you would like to become certified, the best way to get you prepared is through our FME Training courses, with Certified FME Trainers. Take a look at our training courses for FME Form and Flow.
