Nortel overhauls Enterprise product certification process

Telephony vendor Nortel has overhauled its partner programme certification process to make it more accessible to partners.

The vendor claimed its new approach is simpler and provides partners with a faster path to certification on its Enterprise product portfolio.

Partners will now be able to sit Segment exams, which involves taking exams after they complete each section of the partner programme. Previously, partners were required to undertake training from all sections before sitting one final exam.

Lee Cocozza, certification manager for Europe at Nortel, told CRN: “Customer and channel partner demand has driven these changes. Previously, our training tracks were complex and it took longer to get certified.

“It was quite something for our partners to get certified with us, so we wanted to reduce the barriers to doing business with Nortel.”

Cocozza claimed the changes allow partners to become certified quicker.

“If a partner passes all the segments they get the full certification in the same way as if they took the exam at the end,” he said.

Cocozza said in the past that VARs would have to take days off to prepare and revise for the final exam, but they can now sit the Segment exams while the knowledge is fresh in their minds.

“We want to attract the best channels out there,” he said. “Our product is attractive in itself, but we also need to be a channel-friendly company and ensure we are easy to work with. This is the first stage and there will be other announcements to come out by the end of the year.”

Cocozza added that Nortel has also released exams, called Delta, for certification on new Nortel products and a carrier specific certification.

Susie Ward, marketing director at Nortel VAR Spitfire, said: “Nortel’s enhancements are very positive because it is very difficult to find time for training. These changes will make this simpler.”

Ward added that Spitfire finds it difficult when it loses employees for training over long periods of time, and the Segment exams allow the VAR to timetable when employees are out of the office.

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