newest and most advanced datacenter enters final commissioning. Curaçao Technology Exchange (CTEX)

Somewhere deep in the Southwest Caribbean, right in front of the Latin America coastline, the world’s newest and most advanced datacenter enters final commissioning. Curaçao Technology Exchange (CTEX), together with Schneider Electric, CISCO Systems and others for close to two years has pursued one of the most ambitious technology projects in Latin America and the Caribbean. CTEX is turning on the first of four 72,000 square feet Uptime Institute certified Tier-IV datacenter. The CTEX datacenters have already been recognized for several industry awards including the 2012 LATAM Datacenterdynamics award for incorporating the most advanced design and engineering standards throughout the region.
Industry veterans with significant experience in the datacenter space direct this young and innovative company. Their CEO, Anthony de Lima and the rest of their team with noted track records at companies such as Telefonica, KPMG, Google, Terremark, Global Crossing, and others is slowly gaining prominence throughout the region. CTEX’s vision from the start was to create the most advanced and reliable datacenter in Latin America and the Caribbean, leveraging years of lessons learned from datacenter projects across the world. Too, the company was committed from the start to obtain Tier-IV certification, which they achieved in June this year together with the ISO9001:2008 certification. While many datacenter providers talk about being at a particular Tier level, few are certified. Certification by the Uptime Institute requires an immense level of design detailing and in the case of a Tier-IV certified facility, this means that nothing is left to chance and that all critical parts in many ways incorporate double redundancy. Downtime is not an option. This October the company will undergo final inspection of CU-1, the first of its four facilities. Successful certification will make the CTEX datacenter one out of 13 datacenters worldwide to be certified at the Tier-IV level for design as well as constructed facility and the first of its kind in Latin America and the Caribbean.
The selection of the island nation of Curaçao as the host country for the region’s most advanced datacenter seemed initially to be an unconventional choice. However, Curaçao may very well have the best mix of ingredients to support such a high-end technology project. For starts, the island is located outside the traditional hurricane belt and major seismic zones. Being part of the Dutch kingdom means Curaçao benefits from European privacy laws, with a court of highest recourse located in The Hague, the Netherlands. The island is not a fiscal paradise and conforms to strict transparency regulations by the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD). For international companies Curaçao offers excellent fiscal benefits through its EZONE ruling, which means international companies establishing computing infrastructures at the CTEX datacenter, are exempt from import duties and VAT taxes. This alone can be a huge benefit when compared to similar fiscal conditions in neighboring countries. Curaçao also has five major submarine cables connecting the island to the rest of the world, with two additional cable systems planned for the first half of 2014. The island also boasts a multi-cultural and multi-lingual workforce. Finally, by being part of the Dutch kingdom, companies leveraging the CTEX datacenter to conduct business worldwide benefit from over 95 bilateral investment treaties, providing added peace of mind when delivering services across international boarders.
CTEX’s datacenters incorporate some of the most sophisticated technology design principles, including the ability to accommodate computing platforms with varying operating characteristics ranging from low to high-density in specialized zones. Each zone incorporates the appropriate power and cooling infrastructure for the relative computing density within a rack. An innovative power distribution system for powering server racks provides specific power metering details for a customer’s computing instance. CTEX has also incorporated an advanced intelligent building management system (BMS), which automates many of the tasks traditionally managed by datacenter personnel. The system also provides advanced web portals through which customized views can be provided to customers to monitor their equipment located in the CTEX datacenter. The company takes security very serious. While they were apprehensive to talk about their physical and logical security fabric, a high-level view of the facility’s schematics shows a comprehensive layered security approach that is typical of a major top-level security installation.
Aside from delivering traditional datacenter services, the company last year partnered up with VCE™ and is running advanced private cloud solutions for companies throughout the region. VCE’s VBLOCK platform supported by CISCO Systems, EMC®, and VMWARE is recognized as one of the most redundant and fault tolerant Cloud platforms in the world. And indeed CTEX boasts a zero down time service log for its Cloud platform. Customers run their critical application on CTEX’s Cloud platform without making capital expenditures in technology. Billing for infrastructure, software and platform services is based on a subscription model.
Tier-IV datacenters aren’t for everyone. But if your critical business systems just cannot go down, ever, then you may want to take a close look at this brand new datacenter.
Company Contact: http://www.ctexpartners.com

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CBT Nuggets announces the release of a new video training course

CBT Nuggets announces the release of a new video training course, “Cisco R&S Troubleshooting Mastery.”
In this 20-video course, co-instructors Keith Barker and Anthony Sequeira cover the ins and outs of troubleshooting various Cisco routing and switching technologies. Some of the topics in this course include VLAN troubleshooting, solving EIGRP adjacency failures, and routing redistribution.
Sequeira said demand from the IT industry has resulted in much more emphasis on troubleshooting in certification training.
"As organizations depend on the network more and more every quarter, even the shortest outages are causing major losses of productivity and revenues," he said. "We wanted to address this push in the industry and Cisco certification head on."
The "Cisco R&S Troubleshooting Mastery" course, which contains more than 8 hours of content, is available as part of an IT training subscription from CBT Nuggets.

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The Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) has projected the global Internet Protocol (IP) traffic to reach 413 million between 2012 and 2017.

The Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI) has projected the global Internet Protocol (IP) traffic to reach 413 million between 2012 and 2017.
Announcing the forecast recently, General Manager Cisco, in charge of Nigeria, Ghana, Liberia and Sierra Leone, Mr. Dare Ogunlade, said the Middle East and Africa (MEA) would continue to be the fastest growing IP traffic region from 2012 - 2017, with a 5-fold growth, at 38 per cent compound annual growth rate over the forecast period. MEA was the fastest growing region last year.
According to the forecast, in the Middle East and Africa, IP traffic would grow 5-fold from 2012 to 2017; IP traffic in 2017 would be equivalent to 10 billion DVDs per year, 866 million DVDs per month, or 1 million DVDs per hour; Consumer Internet traffic grew 83 per cent in 2012 and business Internet traffic grew 63 per cent in the same year; In 2017, the gigabyte equivalent of all movies ever made will cross Middle East and Africa's IP networks every 2 hours.
He noted that 10 per cent of consumer Internet traffic was mobile in 2012, but that 31 per cent of consumer Internet traffic will be mobile in 2017. He also said 5 per cent of business Internet traffic was mobile in 2012, but that14 per cent of business Internet traffic will be mobile in 2017. Consumer fixed Internet traffic, he said, grew 80 per cent in 2012 and had 53 per cent of total IP traffic in 2012, but predicted it would be 48 per cent of total IP traffic in 2017.
Internet-Video-to-TV traffic increased 3-fold in 2012, and the average broadband speed grew 20 per cent from 2011 to 2012, from 3.1 Mbps to 3.7 Mbps.
Fixed/Wi-Fi was 54 per cent of total Internet traffic in 2012, but is estimated to grow 54 per cent of total Internet traffic in 2017.
Given statistics on the global IP traffic drivers, Ogunlade said there would be more global Internet users in the future.
He said by 2017, there would be about 3.6 billion Internet users, which would be more than 48 per cent of the world's projected population of 7.6 billion.
The statistics also showed that in 2012, there were 2.3 billion Internet users, which is about 32 per cent of the world's population of 7.2 billion.
Ogunlade said by 2017, there would be more than 19 billion global network connections for fixed/mobile personal devices, M2M connections, among others.
Globally, the average fixed broadband speed will increase 3.5-fold from 2012 - 2017, from 11.3 Mbps to 39 Mbps, he said, adding that the average fixed broadband speed grew 30 per cent from 2011 - 2012, from 8.7 Mbps to 11.3 Mbps.
For increased global use of video services/applications, the statistics revealed that global network users would generate 3 trillion Internet video minutes per month, which is 6 million years of video per month, or 1.2 million video minutes every second or more than two years worth of video every second.

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APBN boss also asked the Federal Government to correct the imbalance in the nation’s budgeting system

The Association of Professional Bodies of Nigeria, APBN, has taken up the Federal Government on the need to reduce the escalating domestic debt of the nation which stands at $43.99billion (N6.5 trillion).
Speaking during the Annual General Meeting/ Awards for Professional Excellence organised by the association in Lagos yesterday, its President, Alhaji Bawa Bala Kaoje, urged the Federal Government to reduce the swelling domestic debt considerably in order to provide succour to local contractors and consultants.
Bemoaning the high local debt profile, Kaoje said the nation’s debt ratio locally stood at 88 per cent currently, while the foreign debt ratio stood at 12 per cent. He pointed out that the appropriate debt ratio is 60 per cent for domestic borrowing and 40 per cent foreign loan; urging the government to, as a matter of urgency, strike a balance in the interest of the nation.
Besides, the APBN boss also asked the Federal Government to correct the imbalance in the nation’s budgeting system where about 70 per cent of the budget is for personnel and recurrent cost while a paltry 30 per cent or less is left for capital development.
Some of the highlights of the meeting are the induction of new body into its fold and Awards for Professional Excellence on financial, environment, engineering/construction, management/ communication, health/ medical categories to Hajia Maryam Ladi Ibrahim, Mr Nweke Umezuruke, Mr. Josiah Okoronkwo, and Professor Innocent Ujah respectively.
APBN is made up of more than 28 professional bodies in Nigeria. Kaoje, the APBN boss noted that the nation is currently facing challenges and uncertainties characterised by activities of various forces with the resultant effect of socioeconomic and political tension. He, therefore, enjoined government to find solution the challenges of insecurity, unemployment, Boko Haram insurgency, kidnapping and epileptic power supply among others.
He also urged the federal authorities to settle the impasse between it and the Academics Staff Union of University , ASUU so that the nation’s tertiary institutions can reopen quickly to avoid production of half baked university graduates.
He added, “Today oil theft and bunkering is more than seven per cent of total production daily which is at least 150,000 barrels per day, the Federal Government must try harder to stop oil bunkering and fish out these crude oil thieves soonest.”
http://nationalmirroronline.net/new/professional-bodies-task-fg-on-n6-5trn-domestic-debt/

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Top Paying Certifications for 2013

 source
Having earned an IT certification, many individuals think they are automatically entitled to a huge raise. The truth is that several factors, including geography, industry, experience, and yes, certifications, combine to play a major role in determining an individual's salary. However, certain certifications do have greater impact on the earning potential of an individual. Here, we take a look at the 15 certifications with the highest earning potential for 2013.
Note: The rankings below are derived from certifications that received the minimum number of responses to be statistically relevant in the Global Knowledge annual salary survey completed in October 2012. Certain certifications pay more, but are not represented due to their exclusive nature. These include CCIE: Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert and VCDX: VMware Certified Design Expert, for example.

1. PMP: Project Management Professional - $105,750

The Project Management Institute's (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) credential is recognized as the most important certification for project managers. It is globally acknowledged, in heavy demand, and highly sought after by corporations and individuals alike. A Project Management Professional designation demonstrates that you have not only the experience but also the education to successfully lead and direct projects. The PMP credential is for experienced project management professionals, as the qualifications and testing for this certification are rigorous, as are the required continuing education requirements. All of these factors ensure that the PMP credential is widely respected. The PMP experience and exam requirements focus on five process groups: Initiating, Planning, Executing, Controlling, and Closing.

2. CISSP: Certified Information Systems Security Professional - $103,299

The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) credential is primarily intended for security managers and profes¬sionals who develop policies and procedures in information security. The CISSP certification has become the gold standard in information security certifications and education. Earning and maintaining a CISSP certification is required for many government, military, and civilian security positions. The CISSP was the first credential in the field of information security, accredited by the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) to ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Standard 17024:2003.

3. MCSD: Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer - $97,849

The Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer is the new Microsoft developer certification that replaces the old Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer certification. The new certification validates a candidate's ability to design and build application solutions. These solutions may span multiple versions of a single technology or integrate multiple technologies. Developers are expected to analyze and design enterprise solutions using different Microsoft languages and development tools.
Currently, there are three separate certification tracks for those seeking to earn this certification: MCSD: Windows Store Apps, MCSD: Web Applications, and MCSD: Application Lifecycle Management. Each MCSD track requires anywhere from three to six separate exams. Microsoft has introduced a recertification requirement for the new MCSD. Current certification holders will have to recertify every two years, ensuring that they remain current on the base technology that will have changed due to service packs, revisions, and new product releases. (Those holding MCSE certifications will have to recertify every three years).

4. MCDBA: Microsoft Certified Database Administrator - $95,950

Access to information is critical in today's fast-paced, global environment. Corporations are even more dependent on quick and reliable systems to process and retrieve information. This means they must operate their own database servers and business intelligence software to access this information in order to grow and become more successful, and Microsoft Certified Database Administrators (MCDBA) are the ones who provide this expertise. An MCDBA-certified individual has proven his or her ability to design, implement, and manage SQL Server 2000 databases. This certification was retired on September 30, 2012, though if you achieved it before that date it will still appear on your transcript as a legacy certification. There are two new MCSE certifications for SQL 2012: Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Data Platform and Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE): Business Intelligence.

5. CCDA®: Cisco Certified Design Associate - $94,799

The Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA) indicates that the certified individual has a strong foundation and apprentice knowledge of network design for Cisco converged networks. A CCDA certification is for network design engineers, technicians, and support engineers, who enable efficient network environments. The CCDA-certified individual has the skills to design a routed and switched network infrastructure and services involv¬ing LAN, WAN, and broadband access for businesses and organizations.

6. MCAD: Microsoft Certified Application Developer - $93,349

The Microsoft Certified Application Developer (MCAD) credential provides industry recognition for professional developers who build powerful applications using Microsoft Visual Studio .NET and Web services. Responsibilities include implementing requirements, developing, testing, deploying, and maintaining department-level applications components, Web or desktop clients, or back-end data services by using Microsoft tools and technologies. The MCAD certification is appropriate for Programmers, Analysts, Software Engineers, Software Application Specialists and Application/Software Developers.

7. VCP-DV: VMware Certified Professional Datacenter Virtualization - $92,400

Virtualization, and those who are knowledgeable on virtualization products, are in heavy demand, especially those professionals with datacenter virtualization skills. In the highly competitive virtualization market it is essential to distinguish yourself with a certification that validates your technical capabilities. VMware is one of the leading vendors of virtualization products and earning a VMware certification is the first step toward gaining industry-recognized expertise in virtual infrastructure. Earning the VCP-DV certification demonstrates that you have not only completed a VMWare-authorized training course but also have the necessary experience and training to successfully install, deploy, scale, and manage VMware vSphere environments.

8. CNE: Certified Novell Engineer - $91,350

The Certified Novell Engineer (CNE) shows that those certified individuals have the expertise and knowledge to solve advanced company-wide support problems and high-level network problems. They perform planning, installation, configuration, troubleshooting, and upgrade services for networks. The Certified Novell Engineer (CNE) has been recognized as one of the IT industry's leading certifications for advanced networking and troubleshooting professionals.

9. ITIL v3 Foundation - $90,900

The Information Technology Infrastructure Library (ITILv3) is a foundational process that provides for quality IT Service Management. The success of ITIL is through the use of documented and proven processes that cover the entire Service Lifecycle. The ITIL Expert level is the third of four levels. The ITIL Expert level certification is aimed at those individuals who are interested in demonstrating a superior level of knowledge of ITIL Version 3 (v3) in its entirety. Once you have achieved ITIL Expert level you will also satisfy the pre-requisite entry criteria for the ITIL Master Level; the highest level of certification within the ITIL v3 scheme, though the Master level is still under development.

10. CCA: Citrix Certified Administrator - Citrix XenServer 6 - $90,850

The Citrix CCA is an entry-level certification. Earning this certification validates the candidate's skills with one of 11 specific Citrix products, the most popular being XenApp, XenDesktop, and XenServer. The Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA) for Citrix XenServer 6 certification validates the certified individual's ability to effectively install, configure, administer, troubleshoot, and maintain XenServer 6.0 Enterprise edition and Provisioning Services 6.0 in an enterprise environment.

11. MCITP: Database Administrator - $90,200

The MCITP certification validates that the IT professional is capable of deploying, building, designing, optimizing, and operating technologies for a particular job role. MCITP certifications builds on the technical proficiency measured in the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) certifications. In order to earn the MCITP: Database Administrator you must first pass the Microsoft Certified Technical Specialist certification in SQL Server 2008 (by passing the 70-432 exam) and then pass the 70-450 exam. The MCITP Database Administrator demonstrates knowledge of SQL Server instances and database solutions, database server security solutions, high availability databases, backup and recovery solutions, monitoring strategies, database management and maintenance strategies, and data distribution strategies.

12. MCTS: SQL Server 2005 - $90,100

Those who have earned the MCTS: SQL Server 2005 certification are IT professionals who may pursue careers as database administrators, database developers, or business intelligence developers. They may also be people who do not work with Microsoft SQL Server as a part of their primary job functions but who want to show their breadth of technology experience, such as developers, systems administrators, and others. This certification validates that the IT professional can implement and maintain databases by using specific instructions and specifications.

13. MCT: Microsoft Certified Trainer - $89,949

Those holding the Microsoft Certified Trainer (MCTs) certification are the premier technical and instructional experts on Microsoft technologies. An MCT has earned at least one premier certification on a Microsoft product and maintains that certification. Some of the benefits of earning and maintaining an MCT include access to the complete library of Official Microsoft Learning Products; substantial discounts on exams, books, and Microsoft products; members-only newsgroups and online community resources; and invitations to exclusive events and programs. MCT's must renew each year by completing an online application, pay an annual fee, and meet a number of program requirements to renew your certification for the coming year.

14. CCNP®: Cisco Certified Network Professional - $89,749

There are two tracks available at the Associate and Professional levels - Designing and Networking. The Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) demonstrates that you have the ability to plan, implement, verify, and troubleshoot local and wide-area enterprise networks. A CCNP-certified individual is expected to work collaboratively with other Cisco specialists on advanced products such as security, voice, wireless, and video solutions.

15. CCA: Citrix Certified Administrator - Citrix XenDesktop 5 - $89,499

The Citrix CCA is an entry-level certification. Earning this certification validates the candidate's skills with one of 11 specific Citrix products, the most popular being XenApp, XenDesktop, and XenServer. The CCA for Citrix XenDesktop 5 certifies the expertise required to install, administer, and troubleshoot an enterprise environment containing a XenDesktop implementation, including Provisioning Services, XenServer, XenApp and the Desktop Delivery Controller

Summary

Earning a certification does not guarantee that you will walk into a higher paying job. Certification counts, but employers look at several factors, including experience. There was a time when certification holders were reasonably assured of landing a job. Today it is more of a qualifier - not having a certification means you may not even get an interview.

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Firm advocates data centre security management for financial sector

TO boost card payment system in Nigeria, a United Kingdom firm, Capitoline LLP, has tasked the financial sector of the economy on data centre security management compliance.
  Capitoline LLP advocated this in Lagos, at a data centre seminar, organised by KITS Technologies limited, a data centre infrastructure service provider.
  According to the Director of Business and Strategy of Kits Technologies Limited, Taofeek Okoya who made a business case for the financial sector, informed that data centre security management compliance does not end in Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI- DSS) alone.
  A statement by a founding partner of Capitoline, Barry Elliot corroborated this, when he said that the PCI- DSS and a couple of other standards must be constantly demonstrated by any company that wishes to share financial information, and in particular credit card information, with other organisations.
  Elliot added: “All industries and corporations now rely upon IT for the success and very survival of their business and none more so than the finance sector of the economy. Financial industries have particular requirements put upon them for the security of their data and physical assets, ability to back up their data and an audit trail of transactions.
  “In some areas of the world legislation has been passed to force financial institutions to demonstrate this required level of security and backup. In Europe there is the Basel II Accord and the EU Data Retention Directive and in the USA the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, the Health Insurance Portability and accountability Act and the Gramm-Leach Billey Act.
  “Other countries have a mixture of regulations and best practice recommendations, such as Threat Vulnerability and Risk Assessment (TVRA), Singapore Ministry of Home Affairs, Guidelines for Enhancing Building Security in Singapore (GEBSS): 2010 and from the UK the Centre for the Protection of the National Infrastructure (CPNI) Protection of Data Centres Guidelines.”
  Meanwhile, to ensure the Nigerian financial sector is carried along in this compliance drive, certification data centre training was done for data centre managers and IT heads of banks, insurance and oil and gas companies.
  According to Okoya, all standards that cover both the physical and design aspects and the operational management aspects of data centres were made apparent, which include the ISO/IEC 27002:2005 and TIA 942 amongst others.
  “No one standard meets all requirements and occasionally there are composite standards in the market place such as the AMS-IX Business Continuity Management standard for data centres, hence there is strong need by the IT, Data Centre and Infrastructure managers for constant knowledge update and compliance to these standards,” he stated.

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PMP vedio for almost free

project management(pmp) is a tough cerrtification to get, thats why it considered one of the best certification in the realm of human endeavors,it requiers regorous study and passing an exam of over 200 objective questions to get certified

i would say it not a certification for every one,i mean it not for fun

so what are you suppose to know as a project manager

A project manager certified by pmbok which is the certificate awarding body for PMP  is considered to have aquired the knowlegde and skill of project management such as planning, executing, budgeting, and lot more of other skills so as to complet all sorts of projects.

The challenges

At times this certification alone can get you a nice job or even a promotion but the cost of getting certified seems to be a major problem

trainings may cost upto 150000

while exams stands @80000

exam are written @ vue centers nation wide

My solution

I am giving out a vedio tutorial for this coures for  =N=3500

click here for a preview

Requirement for the pmp certification

 candidates with national diploma  must have five years  of project management experience or three years of project management experience for bsc holders and 35 hours classroom education.A minimum of national diploma(ND)  is required as a nigerian

email ;olaegbejoe@gmail.com

         to get payment information

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New Cisco SMB specialization

This week Cisco announced a new specialization -- the Cisco Small and Midsize Business (SMB) Specialization -- for channel partners interested in selling strategically across all technologies to the SMB market.

Topics such as borderless networks, collaboration, data center, updated services training, cloud concepts, telepresence, virtualization and data center switching will be included in the new trainings.
According to the vendor, the SMB Specialization combines two Cisco specializations -- the former Small Business (SB) and the Small Business Foundation (SBF) -- and takes the curriculum up a notch to reflect its advanced-level specializations.
Partners holding the existing SB and SBF Cisco specializations will have to take additional classes by March 3, 2014 to maintain specialization status and, therefore, the Select Certification. Cisco's Select Certification offers benefits such as Cisco branding, recognition in the Cisco Partner Locator, and access to Cisco Channel Incentive Programs.
For new SMB Specialization candidates, Cisco has significantly reduced the number of training courses from 15 to four, all of which are available on the vendor's Partner Education Connection (PEC) site.
The new specialization comes with a number of partner benefits, such as the Cisco Value Incentive Program (VIP); the Partner Helpline and distribution sales support; business planning and demand generation sales tools, such as collateral and Web content; and eligibility to sell Cisco Smart Care Service.
SMB Specialization holders will be eligible to apply for the Cisco Select Certification.

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Microsoft Rated Top Employer In Africa

Microsoft has been certified for the second year running as one of Africa’s Top Employers in 2013/2014 for its operations in Kenya, Nigeria, Egypt, and South Africa. This makes the company part of the CRF Institute’s Top Employers in Africa Index along with the first class of certified multinationals.
Economies across Africa are growing rapidly and opportunities are abundant, but attracting, retaining, and engaging top talent remains a challenge. According to the CRF Institute, Microsoft has successfully demonstrated its excellence in the application of its Human Resources policies and practices across all of the countries where it operates, and this is the key criteria for certification.
Doing business in Africa does have similarities to other dynamic emerging markets where infrastructure and availability of technology can be limited. But Microsoft has a fundamental belief that no matter where it is in the world, the brand needs to stay consistent. This means that what is available to employees in the US or Europe is available to employees in Africa.
According to Cherise Mendoza, HR Lead in West East and Central Africa and Indian Ocean Islands: “We strive to make our programs, processes and overall way of working with our employees first class.”
The tech giant has been on the continent for over 20 years and sees enormous potential for growth, particularly within the ICT sector.
And with more businesses starting up and expanding across Africa, the company’s aim is to bring products and services that meet their unique needs and help grow their organisations.
“As we grow on the continent, we work continuously with our 10 000 partners across Africa to ensure the best possible reach and impact. We are constantly adding to our team of dedicated people on the ground who truly understand the African economic and business environment, this is what makes the difference,” says Mendoza.
In February this year, Microsoft launched its multi-million dollar 4AAfrika initiative, a new effort through which the company will actively engage in Africa’s economic development to improve its global competitiveness. “This forms part of our vision to give more people and businesses in Africa access to technology at a more affordable price.
“To achieve this vision, we have made a significant investment in our talent pool, to allow us to enable businesses in Africa to realise their full potential through innovative technologies,” says Mendoza.

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ICAN set to review syllabus

As part of it efforts to align with global trend in accounting profession, Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) has announced plans to review its syllabus to give students competitive advantage.
Adedoyin Owolabi, 48th president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (ICAN) who disclosed this at the presentation of accreditation/recognition certicates to tertiary institutions and tuition houses in Lagos recently said the rationale for the new syllabus is to meet the challenges posed by the world being a global village.
Owolabi pointed out that any profession which expects to be continuously relevant in the scheme of things must be prepared to equip its members for the capacity to adapt to the ever changing circumstances both locally and internationally.
According to him, “e Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria had tried to respond to these imperatives by continually revising its examination syllabus.”
Owolabi, in his keynote address said as a professional body committed to technical excellence, the institute embarked on accreditation of tertiary institutions when it realised the need to initiate quality control and improve pass rate of students in its various examination.
e ICAN president further urged the tertiary institutions being presented with certicates to sustain at all costs the standard to which the institute now lends credence, adding that to lower such standard will ultimately impact negatively not only on the quantum of professionalism in the country, but also on the global accounting profession.
Razak Jaiyeola, chairman, students’ affairs committee, the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, in his welcome address reiterated the need for institutions being presented with the accreditation and recognition certificates by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria, to seize the opportunity of this gesture to ensure that the high standard for which they were found worthy is continuously maintained.
Jaiyeola further disclosed that the Institute in her bid to continue to set the standards and ensure that students who are willing to pursue Accountancy profession are given the best, by introducing pre-accreditation exercise to newly established universities, adding that the essence is to oer advice and to help lay a solid foundation for the establishment of Accountancy departments in each of the tertiary institutions.
“It is my belief that every institution and recognised training centre present here today would see this ceremony as a good gesture from the Institute to provide technical support to the Accountancy profession in all institutions,” he said.
http://businessdayonline.com/2013/04/ican-set-to-review-syllabus/

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Microsoft plans to retire its Masters level certification exams by Oct. 1

Microsoft plans to retire its Masters level certification exams by Oct. 1 this year, generating strong protests on blogs and community forums from IT professionals.
The Redmond, Washington, software company, however, defended the move, with an executive stating that the Masters program reaches only "a tiny proportion of the overall community," and only a few hundred professionals had bagged the certification in the last few years. The certification was designed so that professionals could aspire to it as the peak of the Microsoft certified program.
The company said in an email to IT professionals that Microsoft will no longer offer Masters and Architect level training rotations and will be retiring the Masters level certification exams as of Oct. 1.
"The IT industry is changing rapidly and we will continue to evaluate the certification and training needs of the industry to determine if there's a different certification needed for the pinnacle of our program," Microsoft said in an email, reproduced in a blog post on TechNet by Neil Johnson, a Microsoft senior consultant.
The certifications that will be ended are Microsoft Certified Master, Microsoft Certified Solutions Master and Microsoft Certified Architect. These are top certifications for IT professionals working on Microsoft's products.
"As a Microsoft Certified Master, Microsoft Certified Solutions Master, or Microsoft Certified Architect, you have earned one of the highest certifications available through the Microsoft Certification program," Microsoft said in the mail. "Although individuals will no longer be able to earn these certifications, you will continue to hold the credential and you will not be required to recertify your credential in the future."
The criticism from professionals came fast and strong over the weekend. "It is a clear sign of how Microsoft values the skills of on-premises administrators of all its products (because all the MCSM certifications are going away, not just the one for Exchange)," wrote IT professional and author Paul Robichaux in his blog. "If all your messaging, directory, communications, and database services come from the cloud (or so I imagine the thinking goes), you don't need to spend money on advanced certifications for your administrators who work on those technologies," he wrote.
The decision to end the Masters program was a painful one, wrote Tim Sneath, senior director of Microsoft learning at Microsoft. The cost of running the program did not allow scaling further, and the US$20,000 program was limited to English and the U.S., creating non-technical barriers to entry, he wrote. Microsoft has decided to take a pause from offering the program, and see if there is a better way to have a new pinnacle certification, Sneath added.

http://www.pcworld.com/article/2047982/microsoft-ends-top-masters-certification-exams-for-it-pros.html

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