Citrix Announces Asia Pacific Training and Certification Contest Winners
Citrix certified Technicians Recognised for Achieving Individual and Corporate Benefits through Citrix Training and CertificationP rograms
Citrix Systems, a global leader in virtual workplace software ands ervices, today announced then winners of its "Look Smart, ActS marter!" Training and Certification Contest. The contest recognised individuals from around the world who have participated in Citrix training courses or hold Citrix certifications.
Benjamin Chong, special projects manager, Volvo IT Australia in Sydney, was recognised as one of the two Australian based winners. Chong's testimonial highlighted that Citrix Certified Administrator(tm) (CCA) certification provides hands-on knowledge about the enormous capabilities of Citrix MetaFrame, saving hours of time and massively increase Volvo's return on investment.
"I undertook the CCA exam which comprehensively tested all the areas that we covered in the course. Now that I'm a CCA, I feel confident about being able to solve many of the issues that arise in our company's Citrix environment," said Benjamin Chong. "I also have great confidence in the knowledge that CCAs are in high demand in the IT industry"
Jason Choy, infrastructure analyst, EDS Australia, was the 20th Australian to complete the CCA exam,
"This certification has opened up doors that I could not have opened before, including being accepted into myc urrent position, a position which has a strong Citrix focus," said Choy. "The certification is viewed favourably in Australia unlike some other certifications and it makes me stand out from the crowd."
In total, more than 350 entries were received, with the majority coming from the United States, Australia, India, Korea, Canada, the UnitedK ingdom, Sweden and the Netherlands. Other entries were received from individuals based in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Italy, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Switzerland.
"The response to this contest was outstanding. In fact, we received all 350 entries within the first 24 hours of opening the contest," said Al Monserrat, vice president of worldwide consulting and education services for Citrix. "The contest entriesh ighlight the ever-growing importance and associated benefits of training and certification programs at both the corporate and individual levels. We're thrilled to hear first-hand that our programs are making such a positive impact."
In addition to the grand prize winners, the following Citrix technicians were honoured as finalists for their positive testimonials:
Matt Bonar, technical support specialist, Wheeling-Nisshin, Inc. (Follansbee, W.Va. US)
"My supervisor and I attended Citrix's administrator training and knew it was going to save us in supportc osts . . . out of the gate we saved $250,000," said Bonar.
Al Boyce, senior systems engineer, GE Capital ITS (Raleigh, NC, US)
"With the help of Citrix's training, I was able to manage the upgrade of a 58-serverM etaFrame1.8 farm environment serving 96 applications to MetaFrame XP(tm) for Windows. The training not only guided me through each step of the upgrade - including consolidating serverf arms - it also helped me to troubleshoot problems as they arose."
Gord Boyes, systems engineer, Shared Healthcare Systems (Anacortes, Wash. US)
"After successfully deploying Citrix technology in our Washington facility, I soon had a list of a couple hundred end-users requesting access to applications via Citrix. My training enabled me to fill the needs of our end-users and gave us lower operating costs, higher staff efficiency and higher end-user satisfaction," said Boyes.
Cheryl Christopherson, systemse ngineer, ITCO Solutions (Redwood City, Calif. US)
"I attribute my consultant staying power, despite two recent layoff rounds at my customer's site, to my specialized Citrix Training and CCEA which I achieved through an extensive employee development program," said Christopherson.
Gilbert Downer, network controla nalyst, MeadWestvaco (North Charleston, S.C. US)
"I have a salary survey posted in my cube which shows the average salary of a Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator (tm)(CCEA); I'm not quite there yet but I have received substantial raises and, more importantly, during a recent merger Ib elieve being Citrix certified helped me stand out among the pack - as others were being laid off I was offered a job with the newly merged company, MeadWestvaco," said Downer.
Michael Duggan, project manager, IT Force (Dublin, Ireland)
"In all, Citrix Training and Certification has provided me with the tools and capabilities to do my job now and expand on my skills in the future," said Duggan.
Davor Vajtner, systems engineer, SYS d.o.o. (Zagreb, Croatia)
"My company's profit increased 30 percent, my salary 50 percent and my colleagues' envy 100 percent when I earned my Citrix certificates," saidV ajtner.
Brandon Witcher, systems administrator, Apex Systems, Inc. (Richmond, Va. US)
"With Citrix training under my belt, my job and responsibilities have not only become more exciting and challenging, but my job is now more secure," said Witcher.
About Citrix Training and Certification Programs
Citrix Training and Certification Programs offer professional training courses through Citrix Authorized Learning Centers (CALCs), using Citrix Professional Courseware developed to educate industry professionals on the company's products. CALCs are worldwide technical training facilities that provide instruction for the installation and administration of Citrix products, including Citrix MetaFrame XP(tm), Citrix NFuse Elite and Citrix NFuse Classic. The Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA) and Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator(tm) (CCEA) certifications have been ranked among the industry's leading certifications in surveys such as CRN's 2002 Salary Survey and 2002C ertification Study, Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine's 2002 Salary Survey and CertCities'" Hottest Certifications of 2002."< /SPAN>For more information on the Citrix certification programs, and to obtain a detailed list of Citrix Authorized Learning Centers, please visit http://www.citrix.com/training/.
About Citrix
Citrix Systems, Inc. is a global leader in virtual workplace software and services that provide access to applications, information, processes and people on any device, over any network, anywhere, anytime. Citrix makes today's digital office completely virtual - instead of having to go to youro ffice, the office follows you. Working with the world's top industry, integration and consulting partners, Citrix delivers enterprise-ready solutions to business challengesi ncluding application deployment, remote office connectivity, workforce mobility and business continuity. More than 120,000 companiesw orldwide use Citrix Solutions for the Virtual Workplace to give users morem obility, give IT organizations more flexibility and reduce the cost of computing.
Citrix offers two families of products that enable virtual access to information: Application Server software, including MetaFrame XP, MetaFrame for Windows and MetaFrame for UNIX; and Access Portal software, including NFuse Elite, NFuse Classic and Enterprise Services for NFuse. The Company markets its products through a well-established indirect channel comprising approximately 6,000 resellers, integrators and consultants. Citrix is traded on the Nasdaq Stock MarketSM under the symbol CTXS, and is part of the Standard and Poor's 500 Index. Citrix is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For more information, please visit the Citrix Web site at http://www.citrix.com.
For Citrix Investors
This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance.< /SPAN>Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release, which are not strictly historical statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding planned product introductions, management's plans, objectives ands trategies, and management's assessment of market factors, constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, acceptance of the company's MetaFrame and portal software product line; the company's productc oncentration and its ability to develop and commercialize new products ands ervices; the company's success in expanding into new geographic and vertical markets; the company's ability to expand its core business in large enterprise accounts; the size, timing and recognition of revenue from significant orders and other revenue recognition changes; increased competition, including potential competition from Microsoft and other companies; the results of the company's new licensing programs; changes in the company's pricing policies or those of its competitors, including Microsoft; the costs and risks of developing, acquiring, or integrating new technologies or enhancements toe xisting products; the risks associated with third party licensing arrangements; the company's reliance upon its strategic relationships with Microsoft and other strategic partners; management of growth and higher operating expenses; thep ossibility of undetected software errors; dependence on proprietary technology; charges in the event of thei mpairment of assets; the maintenance of the company's growth rate; as well as risks of downturns in economic conditions generally, and in the software industry specifically, and other risks detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Citrix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein.
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Citrix, MetaFrame, MetaFrame XP, NFuse, Citrix Certified Administrator, Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator and Citrix Authorized Learning Center(tm) are registered trademarks or trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. in the U.S. ando ther countries. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the U.S. and other countries. Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
Benjamin Chong, special projects manager, Volvo IT Australia in Sydney, was recognised as one of the two Australian based winners. Chong's testimonial highlighted that Citrix Certified Administrator(tm) (CCA) certification provides hands-on knowledge about the enormous capabilities of Citrix MetaFrame, saving hours of time and massively increase Volvo's return on investment.
"I undertook the CCA exam which comprehensively tested all the areas that we covered in the course. Now that I'm a CCA, I feel confident about being able to solve many of the issues that arise in our company's Citrix environment," said Benjamin Chong. "I also have great confidence in the knowledge that CCAs are in high demand in the IT industry"
Jason Choy, infrastructure analyst, EDS Australia, was the 20th Australian to complete the CCA exam,
"This certification has opened up doors that I could not have opened before, including being accepted into myc urrent position, a position which has a strong Citrix focus," said Choy. "The certification is viewed favourably in Australia unlike some other certifications and it makes me stand out from the crowd."
In total, more than 350 entries were received, with the majority coming from the United States, Australia, India, Korea, Canada, the UnitedK ingdom, Sweden and the Netherlands. Other entries were received from individuals based in Belgium, Croatia, Denmark, Italy, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, South Africa and Switzerland.
"The response to this contest was outstanding. In fact, we received all 350 entries within the first 24 hours of opening the contest," said Al Monserrat, vice president of worldwide consulting and education services for Citrix. "The contest entriesh ighlight the ever-growing importance and associated benefits of training and certification programs at both the corporate and individual levels. We're thrilled to hear first-hand that our programs are making such a positive impact."
In addition to the grand prize winners, the following Citrix technicians were honoured as finalists for their positive testimonials:
Matt Bonar, technical support specialist, Wheeling-Nisshin, Inc. (Follansbee, W.Va. US)
"My supervisor and I attended Citrix's administrator training and knew it was going to save us in supportc osts . . . out of the gate we saved $250,000," said Bonar.
Al Boyce, senior systems engineer, GE Capital ITS (Raleigh, NC, US)
"With the help of Citrix's training, I was able to manage the upgrade of a 58-serverM etaFrame1.8 farm environment serving 96 applications to MetaFrame XP(tm) for Windows. The training not only guided me through each step of the upgrade - including consolidating serverf arms - it also helped me to troubleshoot problems as they arose."
Gord Boyes, systems engineer, Shared Healthcare Systems (Anacortes, Wash. US)
"After successfully deploying Citrix technology in our Washington facility, I soon had a list of a couple hundred end-users requesting access to applications via Citrix. My training enabled me to fill the needs of our end-users and gave us lower operating costs, higher staff efficiency and higher end-user satisfaction," said Boyes.
Cheryl Christopherson, systemse ngineer, ITCO Solutions (Redwood City, Calif. US)
"I attribute my consultant staying power, despite two recent layoff rounds at my customer's site, to my specialized Citrix Training and CCEA which I achieved through an extensive employee development program," said Christopherson.
Gilbert Downer, network controla nalyst, MeadWestvaco (North Charleston, S.C. US)
"I have a salary survey posted in my cube which shows the average salary of a Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator (tm)(CCEA); I'm not quite there yet but I have received substantial raises and, more importantly, during a recent merger Ib elieve being Citrix certified helped me stand out among the pack - as others were being laid off I was offered a job with the newly merged company, MeadWestvaco," said Downer.
Michael Duggan, project manager, IT Force (Dublin, Ireland)
"In all, Citrix Training and Certification has provided me with the tools and capabilities to do my job now and expand on my skills in the future," said Duggan.
Davor Vajtner, systems engineer, SYS d.o.o. (Zagreb, Croatia)
"My company's profit increased 30 percent, my salary 50 percent and my colleagues' envy 100 percent when I earned my Citrix certificates," saidV ajtner.
Brandon Witcher, systems administrator, Apex Systems, Inc. (Richmond, Va. US)
"With Citrix training under my belt, my job and responsibilities have not only become more exciting and challenging, but my job is now more secure," said Witcher.
About Citrix Training and Certification Programs
Citrix Training and Certification Programs offer professional training courses through Citrix Authorized Learning Centers (CALCs), using Citrix Professional Courseware developed to educate industry professionals on the company's products. CALCs are worldwide technical training facilities that provide instruction for the installation and administration of Citrix products, including Citrix MetaFrame XP(tm), Citrix NFuse Elite and Citrix NFuse Classic. The Citrix Certified Administrator (CCA) and Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator(tm) (CCEA) certifications have been ranked among the industry's leading certifications in surveys such as CRN's 2002 Salary Survey and 2002C ertification Study, Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine's 2002 Salary Survey and CertCities'" Hottest Certifications of 2002."< /SPAN>For more information on the Citrix certification programs, and to obtain a detailed list of Citrix Authorized Learning Centers, please visit http://www.citrix.com/training/.
About Citrix
Citrix Systems, Inc. is a global leader in virtual workplace software and services that provide access to applications, information, processes and people on any device, over any network, anywhere, anytime. Citrix makes today's digital office completely virtual - instead of having to go to youro ffice, the office follows you. Working with the world's top industry, integration and consulting partners, Citrix delivers enterprise-ready solutions to business challengesi ncluding application deployment, remote office connectivity, workforce mobility and business continuity. More than 120,000 companiesw orldwide use Citrix Solutions for the Virtual Workplace to give users morem obility, give IT organizations more flexibility and reduce the cost of computing.
Citrix offers two families of products that enable virtual access to information: Application Server software, including MetaFrame XP, MetaFrame for Windows and MetaFrame for UNIX; and Access Portal software, including NFuse Elite, NFuse Classic and Enterprise Services for NFuse. The Company markets its products through a well-established indirect channel comprising approximately 6,000 resellers, integrators and consultants. Citrix is traded on the Nasdaq Stock MarketSM under the symbol CTXS, and is part of the Standard and Poor's 500 Index. Citrix is headquartered in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. For more information, please visit the Citrix Web site at http://www.citrix.com.
For Citrix Investors
This release contains forward-looking statements which are made pursuant to the safe harbor provisions of Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. The forward-looking statements in this release do not constitute guarantees of future performance.< /SPAN>Investors are cautioned that statements in this press release, which are not strictly historical statements, including, without limitation, statements regarding planned product introductions, management's plans, objectives ands trategies, and management's assessment of market factors, constitute forward-looking statements. Such forward-looking statements are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from those anticipated by the forward-looking statements, including, without limitation, acceptance of the company's MetaFrame and portal software product line; the company's productc oncentration and its ability to develop and commercialize new products ands ervices; the company's success in expanding into new geographic and vertical markets; the company's ability to expand its core business in large enterprise accounts; the size, timing and recognition of revenue from significant orders and other revenue recognition changes; increased competition, including potential competition from Microsoft and other companies; the results of the company's new licensing programs; changes in the company's pricing policies or those of its competitors, including Microsoft; the costs and risks of developing, acquiring, or integrating new technologies or enhancements toe xisting products; the risks associated with third party licensing arrangements; the company's reliance upon its strategic relationships with Microsoft and other strategic partners; management of growth and higher operating expenses; thep ossibility of undetected software errors; dependence on proprietary technology; charges in the event of thei mpairment of assets; the maintenance of the company's growth rate; as well as risks of downturns in economic conditions generally, and in the software industry specifically, and other risks detailed in the company's filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Citrix assumes no obligation to update any forward-looking information contained in this press release or with respect to the announcements described herein.
- # # # -
Citrix, MetaFrame, MetaFrame XP, NFuse, Citrix Certified Administrator, Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator and Citrix Authorized Learning Center(tm) are registered trademarks or trademarks of Citrix Systems, Inc. in the U.S. ando ther countries. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group in the U.S. and other countries. Microsoft, Windows and Windows NT are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in the U.S. and/or other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.
