REDMOND, Wash., Jan. 19, 2000 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that it anticipates more than 30,000 additional IT professionals worldwide will be trained on the Microsoft® Windows® 2000 operating system as part of February Training Month, designed to prepare the industry and ready customers for the release of the final Windows 2000 product. Microsoft has been preparing IT professionals for the business operating system’s release since April 1999. Highlights of February Training Month include discounted, one-day hands-on Microsoft Official Curriculum (MOC) training courses delivered by the Microsoft Certified Technical Education Center (Microsoft CTEC) channel; Technology Week, a one-week event providing professional trainers with information on Microsoft Windows 2000 and other related sessions; and four new TechNet briefing sessions to optimize IT professionals’ solutions based on the Microsoft Windows 2000 operating system.
“We have been preparing IT professionals since early 1999 for the release of Microsoft Windows 2000, and already more than 145,000 have been trained,”
said Marsha Kabakov, director of training channel programs at Microsoft.
“Our goal is to ramp up significantly in the month of product launch to encourage IT professionals from all corners of the industry to participate in Windows 2000 training and help their own companies and customers maximize their investments in the technology.”
To prepare small and medium-sized corporate customers for Windows 2000, Microsoft will kick off a training program on Feb. 17, the day of product launch, to train 20,000 technology consultants and support administrators that will be deploying and supporting Windows 2000 worldwide. The one-day Microsoft subsidized training offer is available at participating Microsoft CTECs worldwide* and will provide an overview of the knowledge and skills required to install, configure, administer and implement Microsoft Windows 2000 Professional and Windows 2000 Server. For U.S. residents, the course will be offered for $99 at participating Microsoft CTECs and in a Web-based training offer from Microsoft CTECs for $49. Those interested in signing up for the course should visit http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/default.asp?PageId=training & LearnCenterHtm=win2000 .
In addition, through the Microsoft Direct Access (MSDA) program, U.S. value added provider (VAP) students will receive 120-day evaluation versions of the final release of Windows 2000 Professional and Windows 2000 Server, electronic versions of the Windows 2000 Professional and Windows 2000 Server Resource Kits and copies of the Windows 2000 Channel Readiness Kit. Additional MOC will be provided to students to deepen their knowledge of Windows 2000. For more information, VAPs should visit http://www.microsoft.com/directaccess/training/tech/win2k/ .
“I am extremely excited about the business opportunities that come with a product like Windows 2000 and definitely plan to take advantage of the offers for Windows 2000 in February,”
said Martin Sacher, president and CEO of 2CoolWeb Inc.
“The kind of knowledge I will gain from this one-day course about Windows 2000 will help prepare me to deploy and manage our servers for our clients.”
To prepare professional trainers for Windows 2000, Microsoft is offering Technology Week, a one-week intensive technology training conference in New Orleans Feb. 6-11 that will give professional technical trainers the information they need to train students. The conference is Microsoft’s largest trainer event and is the only opportunity for professional trainers to receive in-depth technical preparation directly from Microsoft. To register, Microsoft Certified Trainers (MCTs) should visit https://partnering.one.microsoft.com/mct/ and professional technical trainers (non-MCTs) should visit http://www.microsoft.com/mct/techweek/ (password: PRO-TW2000).
For all IT professionals, Microsoft TechNet is releasing four new sessions on Windows 2000 that will be delivered Feb. 17, 2000, in cities worldwide in conjunction with the product launch of Windows 2000. The TechNet sessions are free and provide IT professionals with detailed how-to technical information pertinent to the deployment of Windows 2000. In addition, TechNet events are delivered by Microsoft Technical Specialists and provide an opportunity for IT professionals to directly interact with Microsoft employees. Customers interested in participating in these offerings may register for available sessions online at http://www.microsoft.com/technet/events/ .
Microsoft is dedicated to preparing IT professionals worldwide for the release of Microsoft Windows 2000. In addition to February Training Month, Microsoft has made several investments to help ensure that a highly skilled base of technology professionals will be available to meet the demands of customers for training on Windows 2000. Last April, Microsoft announced a multifaceted $40 million training initiative to train IT professionals, Microsoft channel partners and developers on Microsoft Windows 2000. Special offers pertaining to Windows 2000 training requirements for MCSEs have been announced over the past several months. A list of all the resources for Windows 2000 can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/trainingandservices/default.asp?PageId=training & LearnCenterHtm=win2000 .
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*Offer varies from country to country
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