HDI Partners with Microsoft to Develop New Generation of Certification
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Focus on 'soft' skills to improve quality of IT service and support
HDI, the world's largest membership association for IT service and support professionals and the premier certification body for the industry, has announced that it has recently signed an agreement with Microsoft Corporation to develop what Microsoft is calling 'a New Generation of Certification' (NGC).
Under the terms of the agreement, the NGC will be awarded to individuals who possess both Microsoft certified technical skills, in addition to HDI Support Center Analyst Certification, beginning autumn 2007.
Microsoft's New Generation Certification program for IT service and support professionals focuses on both technical expertise in designing, developing, implementing and supporting solutions with Microsoft products, as well as the customer service and IT service management skills including business processes, trouble shooting and communication, which are core elements of HDI certification.
The new certification is predicted to improve the quality of IT service and support worldwide, by encouraging organisations to focus equally on customer service and technical support skills. The most recent HDI Practices and Salary Survey reports that soft skills are the most coveted skills for a support professional, with 98 percent of respondents viewing them as very important.
Bill Wall, Director of Certification, Microsoft Corporation, commented, "The evolving support industry demands that IT service and support professionals be not only technically qualified to solve problems, but also have the customer service and IT service management skills necessary to satisfy the customer. Microsoft recognizes that delivering high quality service and support requires more than just technical abilities and understanding; customer service and IT service management skills are also vital."
"Selecting a certification to meet these requirements was done with careful consideration. In HDI we chose a recognized global industry leader that was focused on service management skills and that was technology neutral. HDI Certification combined with Microsoft's Certification meets the needs of the support industry," Wall added.
During the previous two years, HDI-MEA has already trained more than 1800 support center specialists in the Middle East and Africa region alone; however the new partnership enables HDI-MEA to certify all professionals to meet the new Microsoft requirements.
HDI certification workshops are highlights at the HDI-MEA 2007 Conference and Expo, being held in Cairo for the second year from May 26 -31 at the Hotel Intercontinental-City Stars. Under the theme of "Gateway to New Horizons," the event features international experts and top executives on an all-new agenda focused on globalization, outsourcing, call center, and IT services best practices.
"The Middle East is becoming a very important international hub for the call center, outsourcing, and IT service and support industries, and initiatives such as this will help to create more growth and generate more employment opportunities. HDI-MEA is ready to support the new Microsoft certification requirement with HDI training throughout the region immediately. This partnership underscores the organization's commitment to providing very high standards of training and certification globally to encourage further maturation of the international support industry," noted Moustafa Kadous, President and Chief Operating Officer, HDI-MEA.
HDI-MEA serves 71 countries with headquarters in Dubai, UAE, and support offices in Egypt and Saudi Arabia. For more information, visit www.hdi-mea.com.
About HDI Certifications
HDI Certifications are built on standards determined by an independent committee of global industry experts and practitioners. Achievement of HDI Certification demonstrates that individuals understand the customer service skills and support center processes required to provide quality IT service and support. Each HDI Certification is designed to reflect the level of knowledge required for that specific role, ranging from Customer Service Representative to Support Center Director. For more information, visit www.hdi-mea.com.
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