Certification usually extends beyond a limited geographic area to national or international regions. The best known example of professional certification in the United States is certified public accountant. Some organizations have offered certification for software workers for many years. The Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals offers Associate Computing Professional and Certified Computing Professional designations. At this time, there is no universally accepted certification program for software engineers.
Many companies offer certification programs related to specific technologies.
The focus of this kind of certification is limited to a single company's products, which makes it narrower than true software engineering certification would be. Software is mysterious and complex enough that non-software practitioners need help in selecting qualified technical personnel. Certification offers employers and customers a way to recognize software personnel who have achieved at least some minimum level of qualifications. The market is already supporting this. Nearly all these exams are related to specific technologies.