REDMOND, Wash., May 28, 1997 — Microsoft Corp. today announced the Certified Microsoft® Office User (CMOU) program. Customer feedback has indicated that organizations need a way to measure Office users’ skill levels in Office applications. Microsoft, in conjunction with training and testing centers across the U.S. will provide testing and certification for Office 97, Office 95 and the individual applications within those suites: Word, Microsoft Excel, Outlook
™desktop information manager, the PowerPoint® presentation graphics program and Microsoft Access.
To complement this new initiative, a Web site was launched today that provides full details on the CMOU program. The site, which can be found at http://www.mous.net , offers additional information, including the following:
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A full description of the program and product testing choices
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Product certification levels
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Training available for Office
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Information on becoming a testing center, as well as links to existing training sites
The program provides benefits to a wide array of organizations, including the following:
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Corporations can use the Certified Microsoft Office User program as a training benchmark for existing training as well as a hiring requirement. In addition, the more certified Office users corporations hire and retain, the more efficient the work force and the less strain on the help desk.
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Educational facilities that offer the program are providing students with real-world business skills.
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Staffing firms that employ CMOU-certified staff will have proof that their temporary personnel is efficient with Office applications, which are used by 90 percent of Fortune 500 companies.
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Training companies can attract more clients by offering testing as well as existing Office training.
“Since ExecuTrain trains over 1 million people a year on Microsoft Office, the Certified Microsoft Office User program will complement the value of that training by having end users validate their skills with certification,”
said Peter A.S. Pfeiffer, vice president and general manager of ExecuTrain Corp.’s desktop application division.
“We’re happy to deliver to our customers a program that tests their Office skills and proves their ability to get the most out of Microsoft Office.”
“We are excited about the Certified Microsoft Office User program and plan to use it to augment the extensive training Norrell provides its employees,”
said Chip Grissom, vice president of marketing at Norrell Corp.
“The Certified Microsoft Office User designation will not only provide our clients further quality assurance, but will provide our employees a distinct competitive edge.”
Microsoft is working with hundreds of training and testing centers across the United States, including NewHorizons and ExecuTrain, to roll out Office certification testing. Two levels of certification will be offered – proficient and expert. Both levels are available for Microsoft Excel and Word, and expert-level testing is available on many of the Office applications and Office family products. The cost for each certification test is $50; training and testing are available immediately.
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, Outlook and PowerPoint are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Other product and company names herein may be trademarks of their respective owners.
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