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HDI and Wave Technologies Partner to Develop a Certification Program for Help Desk Professionals
COLORADO SPRINGS, COLORADO [November 2, 1999] -Help Desk Institute (HDI), one of the largest and fastest-growing associations of support professionals in the world, and Wave Technologies International have partnered to develop the HDI-Analyst Self-study Career Pack. This is a comprehensive multiple media self-study tool that will cover the responsibilities, skills and competencies necessary to pass the new, industry-defining HDI-Analyst certification program.This partnership between HDI and Wave Technologies, an information technologies training company, will have a significant impact on the support industry by lowering the cost of learning for individuals who want to become proficient in customer service skills, problem solving skills and support process skills. The HDI-Analyst certification program is being guided by the HDI Individual Certification Standards Committee, an open standards committee representing more than 20 companies from Europe, the United States, Canada and Japan.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there are currently approximately 406,000 help desk professionals in the United States alone. "There is a clear need for a comprehensive certification program for help desk professionals, which include the front-line analysts and all of the stakeholders in the support services chain," said Ron Muns, HDI chairman and chief member advocate. "We have chosen Wave to help us develop an internationally accepted certification program for customer support professionals because they are a global leader in certification training, and they have an excellent flexible, and proven training methodology. This program will complement technical certifications, such as CompTIA's A+ certification, as well as Microsoft and Novell programs."
Ken Kousky, president and chief executive officer of Wave Technologies, added, "Wave prides itself as a leader in the development and delivery of sophisticated information technologies training materials geared toward professional certification. We're embracing the opportunity to develop a multiple media program for HDI because of the clear complement it represents to our existing curriculum. As a worldwide leader for customer support professionals, the Institute is a vital resource for many of Wave's existing clients. The materials we're developing for the HDI-Analyst certification program will be a wonderful addition to the materials we're already delivering in support of CompTIA's A+ certification program."
Under terms of the agreement, Wave will develop the HDI-Analyst Self-study Career Pack, which will cover the areas of competencies expected of Help Desk/Customer Support professionals. Wave also plans to eventually offer instructor-led and Web-based training formats. The Career Pack will incorporate Wave's industry-leading certification methodology. It will become available between January and March 2000, and tentatively consists of:
Getting Started, a user's guide that ensures professional get the most from the program
Six manuals that contain the course content - The Foundations of Technical Support; Customer Communications: Phone, Internet and Face-to-Face; Diagnostics and Troubleshooting; Incidence Management Reporting and Escalation Processes; Computer and Networking Basics; and HDI-Analyst Study Guide
Interactive Learning CD-ROM that contains digital videos, job simulations, and certification test-prep questions.
Under a separate agreement, HDI has entered into a master distribution agreement to sell Wave's existing product portfolio to its members.
About Help Desk Institute
Help Desk Institute is a member centric organization, focusing on the needs of internal and external support organizations and the vendors who support them. The association's mission is to set customer support standards, establish certification and training programs, and encourage member collaboration. HDI's vision is to lead the customer support profession worldwide. HDI provides targeted information about the people, processes, technologies, and trends that impact the customer support industry.
Help Desk Institute offers public and on-site training to prepare professionals for their individual certification programs. HDI has also convened the Open Standards and Site Certification Committee which represents an international initiative to define the criteria and methodology for the evaluation of support organizations worldwide. The Institute provides numerous opportunities for its members to network with their peers, either via participation in one of its 50 local chapters or at gatherings in which HDI hosts such interactions. HDI co-sponsors the Support Services Conference and Expos, offers regional training, and publishes a wide range of training and research materials. It is a leading support services association with more than 3,500 members in North America and over 2,000 additional members worldwide. HDI's Web site is located at www.helpdeskinst.com.
About Wave Technologies
Wave Technologies develops, markets and delivers training and instructional products related to sophisticated information technologies. The company provides its products and services through instructor-led courses, seminars, multimedia-published products and over the Internet. Wave markets its services to information management systems professionals, system integrators, value-added resellers and others with systems management responsibilities. Wave's Web site is located at www.wavetech.com.
Certain forward-looking statements are included in this news release. They use such words as "anticipate," "may," "will," "expect," "believe," "plan," and other similar terminology. These statements reflect management's current expectations and involve a number of risks and uncertainties. Actual results could differ materially due to changes in the market acceptance of Wave's integrated program, market delays related to anticipated or new releases of Windows 2000, the speed and success of new direct mail initiatives, global and local business and economic conditions, legislation and governmental regulations, competition, the Company's ability to effectively maintain and update its product portfolio, shifts in technology, political or economic instability in local markets, weather-related issues, and currency and exchange rates.
For more information on Help Desk Institute's training and certification programs, simply call 1-800-248-5667 and request a brochure. Information is also available on the HDI web site at www.helpdeskinst.com and on Wave Technology's web site at www.wavetech.com.
Contact either Help Desk Institute or Wave Technologies for a press kit and/or analyst kit featuring product specifications.
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Editorial Contact:
Dana Gardiner
Help Desk Institute
dgardiner@helpdeskinst.com
800-248-5667
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