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For Immediate Release
MICROSOFT OFFICE CERTIFICATIONS ECLIPSE 500,000 GLOBAL SUCCESS TEST MARK
MOUS Program Reaches Half Million in Just Over Four Years
SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH (Jan. 29, 2002) - Certiport, Inc., the exclusive administrator of the Microsoft® Office User Specialist (MOUS) program, today announced that the MOUS program has reached the 500,000th certification mark. Achieving this milestone in just over four years since the program's inception, the growing popularity of the MOUS program is demonstrated by over 20,000 certification recipients worldwide each month.
The MOUS program's success follows in the wake of a family of successful certifications that have facilitated adoption of Microsoft software. "We are pleased with the popularity of the MOUS program as a means of measuring worker proficiency in the global standard for office productivity software, Microsoft Office," said Barbara Decker, training and certification product manager, Microsoft. "The MOUS program has joined a distinguished list of Microsoft certification programs that allow individuals to demonstrate their proficiency with Microsoft products in solving key business problems."
Measurable Results in a Tough Economy
In a recent study* of MOUS professionals and supervisors, 85 percent of respondents indicated that MOUS certified employees are more productive in Office applications than other non-certified workers. The vast majority of supervisors (71 percent) agreed with the assertion that MOUS certification provides an advantage to employees in hiring, promotion and advancement decisions.
"In a survival-of-the-fittest type economy, the breaking of the 500,000 mark confirms the growing use of MOUS certification as a means to measure return on investment for Microsoft Office training," said Bill Wall, vice president of worldwide sales, marketing and services for Certiport. "It further confirms the test-takers use of this certification as a means of 'standing out in a crowd' of workers in today's tough job market."
MOUS exams are developed and validated by industry experts and are administered at iQcenters (authorized testing centers) worldwide. CompUSA Inc. currently operates 220 CompUSA Computer Superstores in 84 major metropolitan markets across the United States. Many of the stores include classroom training facilities that have achieved iQcenter status.
"Microsoft Office is everywhere and proficiency in its applications is not really an option anymore," said Brian Woods, vice president of technology services, CompUSA. "The combination of training and testing for proficiency creates synergy for both the test-taker and the employer. MOUS certification allows us to prove to employers that their highly scrutinized training investment is paying off."
MOUS Facts
- The MOUS program was launched in 1997
- The MOUS program is available through thousands of corporate and academic iQcenters in 137 countries and 18 languages
- Over 20,000 MOUS certificates are issued monthly
- MOUS is the only Microsoft Office certification program endorsed by Microsoft
About MOUS
The Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) program is globally recognized as the skill standard for Microsoft's Office suite of business productivity applications, including Microsoft Word, Microsoft Excel, Microsoft PowerPoint®, Microsoft Access and Microsoft Outlook® and Microsoft Project. MOUS certification is available at three levels: Core, Expert, and Master. More information on MOUS can be found at http://www.microsoft.com/mous/.
About Certiport
Certiport, Inc. is the leading provider of global, performance-based certification programs and services designed to enable individual success and lifetime advancement through certification. As the exclusive worldwide provider of the Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) program, Certiport is responsible for the development, marketing and administration of certification programs for the Microsoft Office suite of products. For more information about Certiport's offerings, visit http://www.certiport.com/.
Note: Certiport is a registered trademark of Certiport, Inc. in the United States and other countries. The Microsoft Office User Specialist (MOUS) program is a trademark of Microsoft.
* Source: Microsoft Office User Specialist Certification: Making a Difference in the Workplace Robert Hunt, Ph.D. Sean P. Gyll, Ph.D.
Press Contacts
John Pilmer
Certiport
801-847-3128
jpilmer@certiport.com
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