Global devices and services giant has announced the official end of support for Windows XP

Microsoft, global devices and services giant has announced the official end of support for Windows XP, Windows XP Professional for Embedded Systems and Office 2003 by April 8, 2014 and therefore urged its customers and partners to migrate to Windows 8 and Office 2013 platform.

Businesses in particular are feeling the most pressure to stay up-to-date with an increasing need to protect their data and manage all their devices while ensuring security and compliance.

Windows 8 is Microsoft’s latest operating system for modern businesses, building on Windows 7 fundamentals such as speed, reliability and security while creating a modern platform designed for new generation of hardware experiences from tablets and innovative touch devices to traditional desktops and laptops.

With the Official End of support for Windows XP, Windows XP Professional for Embedded Systems and Office 2003, partners and customers will no longer receive security updates and technical support from Microsoft, which will result in vulnerability to security threats.

Awawu Olumide-Sojinrin, Acting Country Manager, Microsoft Nigeria while speaking at a media briefing to announce end of support for the Windows XP and Office 2003 in Lagos, explained that Microsoft is proactive in communicating changes that are critical and important to our customers. As a result, she said Microsoft is taking its time to notify its customers and partners ahead of the April 8 2014 deadline.

 “Migration is taken for granted until it is experienced. It is therefore wise for customers and partners to move with the changing technology trend by migrating to the Windows 8 and Office 2013 platform within the 8-month period.” She said.

In recent times, it has been observed that PC desktops are now commonly found side by side with laptops, and newer form factors like Ultra books, All in Ones, and tablets. Writeable CDs are today replaced by cloud-based storage solutions like SkyDrive.  Connectivity and accessibility once limited to offices is now possible at home, in the car or even on a beach.

Businesses can now achieve greater productivity and mobility through Direct Access in Windows 8 by enabling remote users to seamlessly access corporate resources over a secure VPN tunnel through the Internet.

“There are several re-engineering and attacks that needs to be catered for as a result of the changing technology landscape. Businesses stand to have huge risks if they do not migrate because there will be no security updates to meet security requirements,” said Oluyomi Alarape, Director, Solutions & Sales Datacenter Specialist at Microsoft Nigeria.

In addition, Windows 8 provides mobile security through Bit locker, Windows To Go, which is a full version of Windows 8 on a USB stick which readily support BYOD “Bring Your Own Device” initiatives.

As Windows XP goes off into the sunset, many applications that were originally written for it will cost extra in support costs- especially as independent software vendors increasingly stop supporting their newer apps running on windows XP. This is why firms like IDC predict the longer businesses wait to move Windows XP to windows 7 or Windows 8, the pricier customer support for Windows gets.

Abiodun Ogunjobi, Head, Marketing at Ha-Shem Network Services Limited, a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner opined that technology is always changing and enjoined customers on the Windows XP and office 2003 to migrate to the Windows 8 and office 2013 platforms.

 “Ha-Shem is intensifying efforts to ensure customers migrate to the Windows 8 platform and it is important that they know it is not all about the cost but about the security of their data and the risks of system failure and business disruption could increase because of the end of support and therefore urged its customer do not have to wait until their systems are infected before migrating to either the Windows 8 or Office 2013.”

Ade Famoti, Acting Director, Enterprise and Partner Group, Microsoft Nigeria explained “that for the SMBs space, Office 365 is a possible option businesses migrating off Office 2003 should be on whilst the license cost can be done on a per subscription basis.”

While windows XP remains the most successful operating system on the planet- Windows 7 install base beat Windows XP last year.

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The Certification for the Right Job

What makes these credentials evergreen and valuable? The answer varies by category and by perceived demand and cachet.

At the lowest level, the CompTIA "holy trio" (A+, Network+ and Security+) have long constituted a basic set of checkbox items for entry-level IT workers, and are universally taught at technical schools, community colleges, and job training programs.

The Cisco CCNA is the stepping stone to the company's intermediate level/professional (and specialist) credentials. Likewise, the MCSA is an important entry point into Microsoft's popular certifications and acts as a lead-up to higher levels.

At the intermediate level, Cisco and Microsoft continue to attract major mindshare. But this is where other key platforms and technologies — most notably, VMware for virtualization and Oracle for database development and administration — have started to stake out some space. The Project Management Professional credential teaches IT professionals how to plan, budget, manage and control projects, and has become a go-to "soft skills" certification that can help midcareer pros garner accolades.

Finally, at the advanced level, the Cisco CCIE remains the prototype evergreen IT cert: popular and highly sought after for more than a decade now, despite a difficult, expensive and demanding lab exam. (It costs $1,500 and requires travel to one of only six authorized testing centers.)

The CISSP is an information security certification without peer. The Oracle and Microsoft master level credentials are scarce, but also document valuable skills for IT workers in specific technical areas including messaging, database, directory services and more. And with the explosion of computing into the virtualized cloud, VMware's pinnacle expert-level credential is in high demand.

Obtaining and keeping credentials current is essential to all IT pros serious about their career. The evergreen certifications outlined here are great places to start.
Category 1: Entry Level

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

    CompTIA A+
    CompTIA Network+
    CompTIA Security+
    Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA)

 Category 2: Intermediate

    Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP)
    Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)
    Oracle Certified Professional (OCP)
    VMware Certified Professional Datacenter Virtualization (VCP5-DCV)
    Project Management Professional (PMP)

 Category 3: Advanced

    Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
    Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)
    Microsoft Certified Master (MCM)
    Oracle Certified Master (OCM)
    VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX5-DCV)

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Getting an ict Certification or a College Degree

 source
Over the past month or so I have received a number of questions on this topic. Interestingly, most of these questions referred to Cisco based certifications versus undergraduate college degrees in computer science. Thank you to all those who wrote to me with this question.
If you currently have neither a college degree nor a professional certification, such as one of the Cisco certifications, both would be of professional advantage to you in different ways and for different reasons. As a result, the one you should work on first is based upon your personal and financial ability to go to school full time for a four year Bachelor of Science (BS) degree.
If your answer is yes and you have the opportunity to do a full time four year degree program, then I would suggest going to college for a BS in Computer Science first. Not only will you learn an enormous amount on a wide range of technical topics, it will also give you a permanent credential that can increase your life-long earning power. Additionally, don’t underestimate the great benefits of being immersed in a full time academic environment in regard to:
• The non-technical topics in your curriculum will broaden you as a person by providing insights into topics outside of your chosen professional vocation
• The people you will meet that will ultimately become professional contacts
• The wide range of personal and professional opinions and outlooks you will observe
• The power of having your university’s alumni as potential employers and mentors
• Having a little fun in the process
In effect, the full time academic experience grows you as a person, increases your worldliness, and helps prepare you for both work and life in general. Then, with your degree in hand, and hopefully a job upon graduation, getting a technical certification early in your career will help you gain and illustrate specific technical proficiency. This proficiency, in turn, can help you move up more quickly within the technical ranks.
If your answer to my earlier question regarding your ability to attend college full time is no, then I suggest getting the certification first and then attending night school on a part time basis for your degree.
The reason for this rationale is that the certification will take less time and less money to achieve and as a result, you will have a marketable professional credential much sooner. Then, use your newly gained skills and credential to get the type of job that will start you on your professional technical journey.

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New Credentials Validation Service Available for CompTIA Certified IT Professionals

New Credentials Validation Service Available for CompTIA Certified IT Professionals

DOWNERS GROVE, Jul 23, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE via COMTEX) -- IT professionals who hold skills certifications from CompTIA, the non-profit association for the IT industry, can now validate those credentials for prospective employers through a new service launched this week.

CompTIA has teamed with two organizations - Blue Ribbon Techs and Zylog Systems (Canada) Ltd. - to allow IT professionals to include validation of their CompTIA credentials in online job profiles.

"This is a fast and simple way for IT pros to validate for prospective employers that they are CompTIA certified," said Terry Erdle, executive vice president, skills certification CompTIA. "Until now, these IT pros had to validate their skills and certifications for every job they took on. Now they can provide this information once and have it available to any and all customers or prospective clients they work with."

"Zylog recognizes the value of CompTIA certified professionals and has invested with CompTIA to enable real time certification verification," said John Mehrmann, chief executive officer, Zylog Systems (Canada) Ltd. "With certification verification we are able to match qualified professionals with quality opportunities on contract and in permanent positions."

"Enabling contractors to maintain their credentials in one place where it can be shared by a number of companies reduces overall costs for everyone, reduces the risk of using contractors with less screening or unverified qualifications and improves the consistency of the independent contractor vetting process," said Michael G. Kraemer, chief executive officer, Blue Ribbon Techs.

The service is available to all CompTIA certification holders regardless of how many certifications they have or when or where they were obtained.

With more than 1.7 million certifications awarded worldwide, CompTIA is the largest provider of vendor-neutral certifications for IT professionals. To learn more, visit http://www.comptia.org/home.aspx, http://www.facebook.com/CompTIA and twitter.com/comptia.

About Blue Ribbon Techs (BRT)

BRT is the first independent, online service providing independent service professionals a single and neutral place to obtain and/or maintain professional credentials. BRT's "One and Done" concept is designed to reduce the endless and expensive cycle of obtaining redundant credentials such as drug and background checks. Additionally, BRT provides a centralized repository where your clients can come to validate your industry credentials, e.g. CompTIA certifications, background checks, and drug tests. For more information, visit www.blueribbontechs.com or email to support@blueribbontechs.com.

About Zylog

Providing professional services and solutions with local delivery teams, Zylog proudly represents top talent in IT, Engineering, Health Care, Government, and Retail positions. As an application designer and developer, Zylog has introduced an Enterprise Social Media CRM to empower consultants, contractors, and employers with powerful HRIS supported by highly skilled recruiting and customer care representatives. Brainhunter.com by Zylog provides contractors, technicians and job seekers with unparalleled services, benefits, training and personal development previously reserved for employees of Fortune 500 organizations. The people of Zylog take a personal interest in our customers and the community.

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VMware or Microsoft? Let’s Talk Certifications!

Excellent question, so glad you asked.  There are actually quite a few reasons:

    My boss told me to  Smile
    My teammates and writers of this series are VCP certified.
    I am a technologist and a fan of all technologies.
    For the IT Pro’s that I serve, folks like you..

With the last reason being the most important to me.   Even though I have been with Microsoft for over 12 years and a huge advocate of our technologies.  I like to learn about other technologies.  So for me getting VMware certified was really a no brainer.  Whenever I am in front of audiences I ask the question, who here runs VMware, 99% of the crowd raises their hand.  It is a fact that a majority of our customers run VMware in their datacenters.  While I have seen an uptick in Hyper-V, I found myself becoming a technology language translator between VMware and Hyper-V.    For example:

    Vmotion = Live Migration
    PowerCLI = PowerShell
    vCenter = System Center Virtual Machine Manager
    etc….

Many of these “translations” will be covered throughout this series.  Especially since from a technical perspective Microsoft Hyper-V and System Center 2012 SP1 has caught up (and in some cases leapfrogged VMware) with VMware vSphere Hypervisor, vCloud Suite & vCenter.  So really it was so I could understand the questions that I was going to get from all of you.

The Process

Now that I have taken a look at why, let me talk a bit about the process.  When I started to look at the requirements to get the VCP certification I was surprised that I was required to take a 5 day ~$3000 class before I could event sit through the exam.  You can see the full list of requirements here: VMware VCP5 Certification   While I was surprised, I was happy that I was going to get to sit down in a class and work with VMware.  What surprised even more is how much I knew conceptually about the product just based on my knowledge of Hyper-V.  It actually made the class fairly straight forward, and I truly enjoyed working with the product.

When I download the blueprint for the exam, I was surprised the amount of gaps between the class and the actual exam.  I knew I had a lot of work and studying ahead of me to pass the exam.  I read a lot of great resources and this book by Brian Atkinson was really good VCP5 VMware Certified Professional on vSphere 5 Study Guide: Exam VCP-510.  While the book did help pass the exam, the true benefit is that I will be able to use it as a reference guide.  Speaking of the exam…

The Exam

After all my prepping, I was ready for the exam.  The registration process was interesting, before I could go to  Person Vue to register for the exam I had to get authorization from VMware (only took about 15 minutes).  Now the exam did present a challenge, as do all exams.  IMHO, this exam was one of the easier exams I have taken in my career, with the hardest being a series of Exchange 5.5 – 2003 exams that absolutely buried me.  The exam was a lot of memorization style questions, and I found the prepping I did really helped.  It only took me about 40 minutes to take and pass the exam.  While I cannot provide details (I signed agreement), if you want to see the style of questions that are on the exam I would recommend taking a look at VMware’s sample questions: Practice Exam

In Comparison

imageWow this is probably the toughest part of the post I had to write.  In short I could not really find a 1 to 1 comparison with the VCP certification to a Microsoft Certification.  Before I go any further I have a confession to make, my MCSE is not current.  I am still in pursuit of updating my MCSE, I let it expire some years ago.

I thought I would try to compare to the MCSA or even the MCSE, but in reality there is no comparison.  You can see the list here: Find the right Microsoft IT certification   I think fundamentally it comes from how we approach certifications at Microsoft.  Our Microsoft certifications have shifted to more solution focused based exams, and the newer exams are harder than previously.  While, from my experience, VMware’s exams are still product focused.

In a sense the VCP  exam did remind me of the old NT 4.0 exams that I took way back when I first started down my certification path.  So what changed with our certifications other than the exams got harder and more solution focused. In talking with my teammate Keith Mayer, I learned that Microsoft Learning actively reached out to IT Pros, IT Hiring managers and Industry experts worldwide to gain insight into the skills that companies were looking for.  This is reflected in the holistic approach we have to our certification process.  To make the certifications more valuable you have to move from a product focused to implementation and solution focused.   This is what companies are looking for, while it is important to know what port you need for xyz technology, it is more valuable the underlying solution that needs that port opened.

I think this comparison also highlights the difference between the companies and their approach to private cloud technologies.  At Microsoft we see private cloud more of as a how and not a what.  It is about the automation and process and not just about virtualization.  In a sense knowing about the hyper visor and virtualization technologies is really just table stakes.

This is not to say that there is not value in the VCP certification, it is just to say that the certification approach of both companies is very different.

    Certifications at any level are a good thing.

I know early on in my career my certifications from NT 3.5 and up were a differentiation for me.  The certifications were not only lucrative for me but also the training centers I worked for.  Back in those days certifications were life, and being an MCT certifications were a requirement for my job.

Fast forwarding to today’s day and age, certifications still provide a way for all of us to showcase our technical credibility.  If you are currently a just a MCSE or a VCP today, I would highly recommend that you also look at getting the other certifications to help balance out your knowledge and technical portfolio.  This will provide not only more value for you but also for your employers

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7 IT security skills certifications for the future

A number of IT security skills certifications requiring candidates to pass exams have sharply gained in terms of demand and pay value, according to a new Foote Partners report.

The “2013 IT Skills Demand and Pay Trends Report” is based on the tracking of the demand for a wide range of IT skills at 2,496 private and public-sector U.S. and Canadian employers for a total of 151,864 IT professionals.



For the second quarter, seven IT security certifications gained 10% or more in market value in terms of demand from the previous quarter, according to Foote Partners. David Foote, chief analyst and research officer, says obtaining certifications in IT skills typically means the worker’s pay gets a boost, often as a bonus for having been certified for certain skills through training and passing an exam of some type.

Foote Partners tracks 61 separate IT security certifications overall, and over the past three months five of the seven hottest are produced by the Global Information Assurance Certification (GIAC) organization, which is affiliated with SANS Institute for training.

The five GIAC certifications singled out are:

    Certified Incident Handler, which spiked 22.2% in demand according to the companies reporting to Foote Partners.
    Foote says which typically translates into a 1% to 2% pay bonus to the employee holding the security certification.
    Certified Firewall Analyst, rising 20%.
    Certified Forensics Examiner, up 16.7%.
    Certified Intrusion Analyst, up 10%.
    Certified Forensics Analyst, up 10%.

Two other IT security certifications were also considered valuable in terms of boosting pay during the past three months.

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4Afrika Scholarship Program FROM MICROSOFT

In recognition of International Youth Day on August 12, 2013, Microsoft introduced the 4Afrika Scholarship program, through which the company will provide mentorship, leadership and technical training, certification, university-level education and employment opportunities for promising African students. Mentorship will be provided by Microsoft employees from around the world, and employment opportunities will include internships and both part-time and full-time jobs within Microsoft as well as with the company’s more than 10,000 partners across Africa.

Through the company’s 4Afrika Initiative and YouthSpark program, Microsoft has committed to helping millions of Africans get critical skills for entrepreneurship and employability. The 4Afrika Scholarship program is one way the company intends to meet that goal, by ensuring that promising youth have access to the education, resources and skills they need to succeed, regardless of their financial situation. To help redress gender disparity in higher education in Africa, the company is actively encouraging young women to apply.

Microsoft also announced that in the coming year, it will provide 4Afrika Scholarships to 1,000 youth to pursue associate degrees in computer science and business administration with the first participating higher education institution, University of the People, an American online university dedicated to the democratization of higher education which is affiliated with the United Nations, the Clinton Global Initiative, NYU and Yale Law School ISP.

Together with participating education institutions, Microsoft’s goal with the 4Afrika Scholarship program is to level the playing field for talented young African minds who might not otherwise have the resources, enabling them to get the education and skills they need to thrive in technology-related fields. The 4Afrika Initiative was designed to help ensure that Africa can become globally competitive, and investing in our highly motivated youth is a critical step toward making that a reality.

Students wishing to apply for 4Afrika Scholarships to attend University of the People must be at least 18 years of age, have a high school diploma and proficient English, as all its coursework is English-language. They must also have access to the Internet to be able to participate in the online classes. To help address the connectivity issue, the company is making available working space in its Microsoft Innovation Centers in Tunisia, Tanzania, Uganda and Botswana for successful applicants near those locations. In addition, Microsoft is working with various partner hubs across Africa to make similar arrangements for students in other locations.

Applications for 4Afrika Scholarships to University of the People can be submitted on the following site: www.uopeople.org/4afrika.

4Afrika Scholarship Program Q&A

• - What is the 4Afrika Scholarship program
• - Why are university scholarships an important part of the 4Afrika Initiative?
• - Why are you “actively encouraging” women to apply?
• - Does that mean men will have fewer opportunities in this program?
• - Are there other institutions participating, besides UoPeople?
• - How will the mentorship work?
• - What kind training and certification will be offered?
• - How will the employment opportunities work?
• - What are the pre-requisites for admission to the UoPeople and 4Afrika Scholarship program?
• - Can non-native English speakers apply?
• - University of the People is tuition-free. What is the “scholarship” actually covering in this case?
• - Why did Microsoft select University of the People for these scholarships?
• - Is University of the People an accredited university?
• - How long will it take for the grantees to get a UoPeople degree?
• - What kinds of degrees are available?
• - Where do people go to apply?

THIER VISION FOR YOUTHS IN AFRICA

With 75% of its + 1.1 billion population under the age of 25, Africa is the youngest and one of the fastest growing regions in world. This dynamic youth population of more than 750 million must be educated with relevant skills, given access to affordable devices and services and enabled to create innovative solutions that address Africa’s opportunities and its challenges to enable the continent and its businesses to compete globally.

Microsoft has a long-standing commitment to youth through its global YouthSpark program and many other efforts. The world stands at a crossroads. While there are more young people on the planet than ever before, youth unemployment is double that of the adult population. Countries are struggling to develop modern workforces due to the growing gap between the skills of unemployed workers and the skills needed to perform the jobs of today and tomorrow. This certainly applies to Africa.

Africa's youth face an opportunity divide – a gap between those who have the access, skills and opportunities to be successful and those who do not. Closing this opportunity divide is one of the most important actions we can all take to secure the future of our youth and the future of Africa’s standing in the global economy.

Through our 4Afrika Initiative, we made 3 big commitments all aimed to close this opportunity divide and secure the future of Africa’s youth. They are:

• Deliver tens of millions of smart devices into the hands of young Africans.
• Help 1 million African SMEs get online to improve their competitiveness.
• Train hundreds of thousands of Africans with skills for entrepreneurship and employability.

GET REGISTERED

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How Students Can Prepare for the GRE

An advanced degree and an international destination are the perfect combination. Traveling internationally for school helps students gain the necessary experience to thrive in a competitive world, and a master's degree or doctorate is inarguable evidence of the dedication, drive and academic ability it takes to succeed.
This understanding prompted me to explore educational opportunities outside the borders of my home country. I decided on Michigan not because of a lack of Canadian opportunities, but because I could experience living somewhere new while obtaining a valued and recognized degree.
One challenge for many prospective international graduate students is that the U.S. is a cultural center for business, and English is arguably the lingua franca of the professional world. The country is also home to the Educational Testing Service, creator of the standardized Graduate Record Exam, which most graduate programs require.
[Create an American-style resume for grad school applications.]
The exam is not exclusively required by schools in the U.S. Hundreds of institutions in countries from Argentina to Zimbabwe are approved to receive GRE scores. Whether your program requires the test or not, it is an effective way to measure and represent specific skills.
These skills include the ability to deconstruct the meaning of a complicated question and provide a well-written argument, as well as incorporate an interdisciplinary understanding of numbers and words. Each of these areas is represented in the different sections of the general standardized exam: verbal reasoning, quantitative reasoning and analytical writing.
While there are subject-specific GRE exams, many graduate students take the general test, which has questions that reflect the skills students need to succeed in graduate-level instruction rather than their specific knowledge.
[Find ways to use international roots in admissions essays.]
The computer-based exam includes six sections, including a 60-minute writing portion and four 20-question multiple choice sections, which test either verbal or quantitative skills. The remaining section is an experimental or research section and doesn't count toward the final score – but the test-taker has no way to determine which section it is.
Most graduate schools require GRE scores to be sent in as part of the admissions process. But some institutions, like the one I attend, may offer conditional admission to students before they take the exam. In fact, some of the programs at my university allow students to complete up to half of the program before taking the GRE.
But Andrews University, like many other graduate institutions, takes test scores into consideration for financial aid, scholarships and fellowships. I sent in my scores along with my application and I wish I had waited.
I wrote the test back in Canada, where GRE preparation courses are not as prevalent as they are in the U.S. I borrowed a review book from a friend and worked through it in conjunction with the free downloadable testing software available from ETS. Each helped to simulate the types of questions I would be asked in each section.
I was able to complete at least four sample tests before the real day came, but I didn't feel the sample questions adequately prepared me to deal with the content of the actual test questions. Joining a review class would have better prepared me for the math concepts and the causal relationships between words for the quantitative and verbal sections – as well as given me greater exposure to different questions.
My score was high enough for acceptance and for a scholarship, but I hope to strive for the best during my long educational journey.
[Understand how grad schools see international applications.]
Many U.S. universities have some option for GRE preparation, varying from private tutoring to an enrolled course. As an international student considering your academic future, it is crucial to find the best possible tools to succeed.
Holding a bachelor's degree does not necessarily prepare you for the excruciating gauntlet that is the GRE. I graduated with honors and a dual major in English and education, and there were words on the vocabulary list that I had never heard.
Following through with the preparation tools listed on the ETS website is key, as the sample questions are useful to practice with. There are many excellent guidebooks available now, and I would almost certainly pick up the same one again – but I'd also grab a supplementary text to review math equations and processes.
Depending on your financial situation, I'd recommend students consider retaking the test for a better score after the first grueling attempt.
To successfully attempt the GRE, proficiency in English is the bare minimum. Preparation for this exam while fully immersed in the U.S. through international education is the smartest option for a good score.
The GRE is the official stamp on your educational passport. Completing the preparation while in the U.S. can give international graduate hopefuls a head start.

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Nigeria: Brokers Want Journalists, Professional Groups Insured

Nigerian Council of Registered Insurance Brokers (NCRIB) has advocated for insurance cover for journalists and members of other professional bodies.

The NCRIB made the call in a commiseration letter over the death of three Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) officials in an accident last week signed by its President, Barrister Laide Osijo. Several other passengers in the vehicle sustained various degrees of injury.

The NCRIB advised professional and trade associations to take full advantage of group life insurance policies for the protection of their members against circumstances that may lead to death or physical incapacitation.

NCRIB further opined that "a time like this also underscores the need for individuals and associations to appreciate the endemic risks that surround human existence and the need to put in place risk management devices, of which insurance is cardinal, to mitigate losses to lives or materials when they occur."

It also noted that the unfortunate accident was another call to the authorities to accelerate infrastructural development in the country, especially in the areas of roads and safety management.

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Firm Introduces Negotiation Skills Audit Certification Course

 Guardian & Spot Legal Consulting has introduced the International Negotiation Skills Audit Certification course, which is the first in Africa.

Addressing a large audience at its four-day workshop in Lagos recently, Senior Consultant and Programme Officer at Guardian & Spot Legal Consulting Nigeria, Mr. Charles Okeibunor Ayaunor, described negotiation as a common tool engaged by everyone regardless of age or education, but however explained that competent negotiation remained a rarity.

“From nations to businesses and individuals, the difference between superior and inferior deals is in the negotiation tactics deployed. Incidentally, Africans over time have mostly been at the receiving end of unsatisfactory bargains,” he said.
He added that it was an invaluable opportunity for Guardian & Spot (G&S) Legal Consulting to collaborate with the Dispute Resolute Centre of Bond University, Australia in achieving the overall goal of bringing a course to Nigeria that would perfect the negotiating skills of participants and make superior negotiators out of them.

“We are excited by the rich mix of the class of participants comprising of  frontline decision makers in Corporate Organisations, Multinationals, Government authorities, Conglomerates and senior Professionals because we know that your shared experiences will be a substantial addition to this course,” Ayaunor said.

He explained that there were four levels of competence to every learning process, broken in two stages, the “unconscious incompetence” and “conscious incompetence”, followed by “conscious competence” which comes with knowledge and the ultimate “unconscious competence” which is gained by practice.

Pleased with the knowledge gained during the workshop, one of the participants, Mr. Charles Uwensuyi-Edosomwan, who is a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, said "On behalf of the class, I will like to thank the organisers of the course for a job well done. Prior to my attendance, I expressed scepticism about what new thing could be learnt in negotiation, since negotiation forms a constant interface in my daily practice.

“But the last four days have proved me wrong and I have realised how little I knew about effective negotiation. I have also learnt that achieving superior results when negotiating requires unique skills and abilities.”

Commending the training further, he said it would make a huge impact in expanding the frontiers of people's careers and improve outputs in both single and multi-party negotiations. “I would without hesitation recommend this course to government authorities and private sector players”, he added

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