Global Knowledge achieves full accreditation for Microsoft training across Europe

_{UK – October 30^th, 2007}
^{Global Knowledge, Europe’s leading independent training provider, has become fully accredited to deliver authorised Microsoft education curriculum across the whole of Europe, making the company
the only Microsoft Certified Partner for Leaning Solutions (CPLS) to be able to deliver consistent skills development in the vendor’s technologies across the continent.}

The recent official CPLS accreditations awarded to Global Knowledge subsidiaries in Ireland and Germany mean that the company is now authorised to deliver the full range of Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) courses in all 12 European countries in which it operates. This enables the company to meet the needs of its international customers and to work closely with Microsoft to support their product adoption and roll outs across the region.

“Having Microsoft CPLS accreditation throughout the whole of Europe means that we can offer a
very consistent and high quality service to enterprise customers, both on a local and a pan-European basis”, states Jeffrey Smithies, Microsoft Product Director EMEA at Global Knowledge. “We have an excellent relationship with Microsoft and are working closely with the company on readiness programmes and on the development and delivery of new courses. These new accreditations mean Global Knowledge is perfectly positioned to provide complete and tailored learning programmes in advanced Microsoft technologies to any organisation throughout the whole region.”

Earlier this year, Global Knowledge worked on the Microsoft Readiness Program for Office Communications Server 2007 and has been delivering in-depth briefings on Microsoft’s unified communications solution to major customers and partners across Europe.

As well as being able to deliver Microsoft training throughout Europe, Global Knowledge can provide services across the Middle East and Africa region as well, having recently acquired Synergy Professional Services, the leading Microsoft CPLS in the MEA region.

Smithies says that the skills development in Microsoft technologies is of growing importance organisations, making Global Knowledge’s skills and EMEA-wide delivery capabilities even more valuable. “Many organisations are now largely if not totally dependent on Microsoft-based technologies and want to derive the maximum possible return on their investments. With a number of new Microsoft technologies, such as OCS 2007, Exchange 2007, Powershell, and the forthcoming Windows Server 2008, now being adopted, the need for quality Microsoft learning services is greater than ever. Global Knowledge is unique in being able to offer the full range of MOC training throughout the EMEA region, and being able to deliver courses to a consistently high standard.”