Certification Magazine - February 2008 - (Page 6) DATA STREAM News & Notes for Certified Professionals Training Camp Goes Mac, Prometric Goes Global Nowadays, an idle business is a dying business. Companies need to constantly try to broaden their customer base, especially in the tech industry, to stay ahead of the curve. Sometimes this means drastic changes, but more often it’s something right under an organization’s nose that can provide it with a growth burst. Training Camp, a provider of accelerated IT training programs, has introduced an Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist (ACHDS) camp. The program lasts three days and helps professionals deepen their knowledge of Mac OS X and develop their ability to service and troubleshoot the operating system for end users. The ACHDS is the first Apple software course for Training Camp. Executives were initially skeptical of the demand for business-related Apple training courses but were swayed by a corporate client’s suggestion. The course will cover networking basics, such as wireless, Ethernet, FireWire and VPN, as well as service and troubleshooting, managing the user environment, login options and printer management. The course is taught through a blended learning method of mentoring, lab manuals and practice tests. The announcement reflects the PC-to-Mac shift more businesses are making, which Joe Barnes, a director of enterprise technology, product management at Training Camp, has noticed over the past few years. “I just took that and ran with it, through finding out more corporate and business operating systems were on Macs than we originally thought,” Barnes said. “That gave us a boost that said, ‘Let’s go ahead and do this.’ My views of Apple have completely changed from a business perspective.” While Training Camp might be gaining a whole new demographic in Mac users, a buyout may be what brings new global market share to Prometric. A technology-enabled testing and assessment service, Prometric recently announced its acquisition by Educational Testing Services (ETS). Previously a subsidiary of The Thompson Corporation, a multibusiness information conglomerate, the change in ownership to ETS signifies a more subject-specific parent in the world of testing. The change won’t disrupt any current or future testing or yield any major personnel changes, according to Ray Kelly, senior vice president of client services for Prometric. The 2007 Deloitte Privacy Study reported that high instances of privacy breaches occurring throughout the year were often the result of negligent employees and lost equipment. “Candidates will not be affected in any way,” Kelly said. “All exams, registration and scheduling processes will be handled just as they are now. Our business, customer focus, company structure, services and solutions will remain the same, as will our management team. ETS supports our existing direction, focus and corporate strategy.” That support will lend itself to Prometric reaching beyond its traditional boundaries and looking for opportunities in previously untapped areas, especially in global markets. Since ETS shares similar values and strategies with Prometric, this strong market concentration supports the expansion of its business. Prometric’s new ownership allows clients to grow their certification programs beyond their current capacity. By providing candidates with easier access to certification and licensing paths, Prometric will be able to expand from its 450 current clients in the academic, government, IT and corporate realms. Deloitte’s Latest Privacy Study Shows Concerns, Progress A recent security study by Deloitte found 85 percent of survey participants reporting numerous information security breaches that compromised the personal information of employees and customers. The 2007 Deloitte Privacy Study reported that high instances of privacy breaches occurring throughout the year were often the result of negligent employees and lost equipment. Rena Mears, global and U.S. privacy and data protection leader for Deloitte, 6 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE February 2008
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