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Certiport Tests the World
By Heather Beers, a Salt Lake City-based freelance writer.
Are you certified? Oui. Jawohl. Si. Yes. More than 800,000 people in 100 countries can affirm they are certified as Microsoft Office Specialists, thanks to the work of American Fork-based Certiport, Inc. As the world's leading provider of global performance-based certification programs and services, Certiport offers students, employees, educators and management the competitive advantage of certification in the Microsoft Office suite of products.
"Virtually all workers in today's business environment need to have basic skills with desktop computing. Since Microsoft Office has garnered 90 percent of the marketplace, it's important for most of us to be able to effectively work with Microsoft Word, Excel and other applications," explains Randy Pierson, Certiport president and CEO.
While Certiport does not offer education courses, it partners with private and public centers that do. Tom Rhoton, senior director of marketing, explains the motivation for individual certification: "Worldwide, most people take our exams to differentiate themselves. They feel certification sets them apart, that it helps them in their job, or in entrance to higher education."
Founded in 1997, Certiport's exclusive relationship with Microsoft began in 1998 when Microsoft turned to the company for a standardized system of testing and certification. Certiport involved subject matter experts—professional researchers, psychometricians, academic experts and others—from around the world to develop exams based on job tasks. To date, Certiport partners with more than 5,000 independent testing centers worldwide, which deliver the exams in 18 languages. And just since February, Certiport has seen a more than 60 percent increase in certifications delivered worldwide.
All business workers need basic computing skills says Certiport CEO, Randy Pierson.
"The program has really gained momentum. We've become very well-known, particularly in the educational space, and we're beginning to become known in the domestic and international corporate environment," says Pierson.
Certiport has turned its expertise to the development of a new certification program launched this year, called IC³, which measures three areas of digital literacy—computer fundamentals, key applications and Internet skills. "Governments, educational organizations, workforce development groups—they all consider digital literacy to be fundamentally important for any country hoping to compete in the global marketplace. We worked with a group of about 270 subject matter experts in 19 countries to devise these standardized tests," says Pierson.
In fact, IC³ is the only computer certification program that has been recognized by the U.S. National Skills Standards Board. "We're excited about the opportunities the IC³ brings to Certiport," says Pierson.
Supporting this growth is a highly skilled team in Utah, which handles much of the development, programming, translation and revisions for Certiport's programs and services. "We are thrilled with the skills base in Utah. We've also found Utah has a unique advantage over other states with its large pool of people with the capability of speaking and understanding an additional language," says Pierson.
With Microsoft's exclusive relationship and a new digital literacy certification program, how does Certiport feel about its long-term growth? Bien! Wunderbar! Bueno! Great!
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