gtslearning and Toolwire Announce Groundbreaking Hands-on Experiential Learning Solutions for CompTIA Certification

LONDON and PLEASANTON, Calif., Jan. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- gtslearning, the leading supplier of CompTIA-approved learning content, and Toolwire, a world-leader in experiential learning solutions for IT and the 2009 IITT Innovation in Training Services Gold Award Winner, announced a new training solution today for CompTIA A+ 2009 Edition. This new collaborative learning solution combines the widely lauded strength of gtslearning content and the award-winning hands-on power of Toolwire LiveLabs and "Day-in-the-Life" Interactive Scenarios.

The CompTIA A+ certification is the industry standard for computer support professionals and has long been acknowledged as a primary catalyst for careers in Information Technology. The vendor-neutral certification has been designed to prove competence in a broad range of computer support skills, including installation, preventative maintenance, networking, security, and troubleshooting. In addition, certified technicians must prove that they command the necessary customer service and communication skills to work with clients in today's modern, highly connected world.

The announcement took place today, at the Learning Technologies Conference in London, and Matthew Poyiadgi, Vice President EMEA for CompTIA said "bringing together two of the IT industry's most innovative learning leaders is a significant vote of confidence in the latest version of CompTIA A+. We look forward to implementing these experiential learning solutions and providing certification candidates with first-class preparation, no matter what challenges of time and distance they may be confronted with."

This latest CompTIA A+ certification, 2009 Edition, requires candidates to prepare for, and pass, two exams: CompTIA A+ Essentials and CompTIA A+ Practical Application. CompTIA A+ Essentials measures the necessary competencies of an entry-level IT professional with hundreds of hours of hands-on experience in the field. CompTIA A+ Practical Application is an extension of the knowledge learned in Essentials, with more of a "hands-on" orientation focused on troubleshooting scenarios in which specific tools must be applied to resolve "real-life" problems.

gtslearning and Toolwire have joined to co-create compelling CompTIA A+ courseware featuring real-world virtual labs and scenarios for Essentials and Practical Application. These Interactive Scenarios bring the learning to life with several weeks in a "technology apprenticeship" with real equipment, operating systems, and applications – all delivered anytime, anywhere via a web-enabled browser.

"We are delighted that Toolwire has partnered with gtslearning to create a unique CompTIA A+ learning solution that will have strong appeal to education centers around the world," said Robin Adda, gtslearning's Managing Director. "Toolwire is recognized as a leading provider of online experiential learning and combining Toolwire's purpose-built virtual labs with gtslearning's award-winning CompTIA-approved curriculum enables us to offer a 'best of breed' blended learning solution to meet changing demands in the CompTIA education market."

These unique Interactive Scenarios are designed around an IT Technician's roles and help students translate realistic requests from co-workers and customers (via phone, email, meetings and site visits) into viable IT solutions. For example, in a customer service Scenario involving viruses, the student is guided through the process of gathering all relevant data, identifying the virus, and then inoculating it in a risk-free, insulated hands-on virtual data center.

This breakthrough blended learning solution embraces the latest technologies to provide not only individuals with a great learning resource, but also instructors and lecturers with a flexible, scalable, anytime, anywhere, solution to power their online IT programs so they can focus on what they do best: educating their students.

"We are all being challenged daily to rapidly and profoundly change our approach and attitudes towards learning, and embrace innovative solutions in order to remain competitive in the fast-changing global economy," said John Valencia, CEO and President of Toolwire. "We look forward to ensuring the success of future CompTIA A+ certification candidates through their use of these combined world class technologies."

About gtslearning

gtslearning's mission is to be the leader in the global distribution of training solutions leading to internationally recognized certifications for generic IT baseline technical skills which are underpinned by internationally recognized certifications. Since 1998, we have provided IT technical courseware and online learning tools to academic and commercial training centers, vendors and channel partners in every corner of the world, and have made a significant contribution to the growth of CompTIA certifications both inside and outside of North America. Visit www.gtslearning.com for more information.

About Toolwire

Toolwire, Inc. is the world-leader in experiential learning solutions for Information Technology. Toolwire's hands-on LiveLabs and Scenarios provide on-demand, personalized practice with live systems for blended training initiatives. "Learning by doing" provides the quickest and most effective way to develop skills and ensure ongoing competency with technology. The company is headquartered in Pleasanton, CA. For more information, please visit www.toolwire.com

About CompTIA A+

CompTIA A+ is part of the certification track for corporations such as Microsoft, Hewlett-Packard, Cisco and Novell, while other technology companies, including CompuCom and Ricoh, have made CompTIA A+ certification mandatory for their service technicians. More than 700,000 people worldwide have become CompTIA A+ certified since the program's inception in 1993. www.comptia.org

SOURCE Toolwire