JSE-listed Vesta Technologies today launched an e-business training division, E-Commerce Business School (ECBS), which will introduce the Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) certification to SA.
Raymond Watt, executive director at Vesta Technologies, said ECBS targets both business and technology professionals. The first courses, which start in April at Vesta`s Midrand premises, will offer the CIW certification programme, secured through Vesta`s partnership with US-based ProSoftTraining.com.
According to Watt, CIW is one of the few certifications that includes both vendor-neutral and vendor-specific e-business training, which is in line with Vesta`s status as an IBM premier business partner, a Lotus business partner and a Microsoft Certified Systems Partner.
Watt said that ECBS should not be perceived as just another training organisation. "E-business means re-engineering business processes and introducing new ways of marketing your business. We need to ensure that organisations understand e-business and that they have skills in-house to realise their initiatives."
Watt pointed to Vesta`s in-house training skills with hands-on experience in e-commerce implementation as an important advantage. "They are not pure trainers but people with a passion for business, who have worked on the roll-out and support of the national payment system."
Watt said the initial investment in getting the certification rights and setting up the training centre "was hectic", but the company didn`t expect the new division to bring "a huge revenue in the first year".
ECBS`s first class in April should have 45 candidates, and the company expects a 20% monthly growth thereafter. A five-day course costs R5 985.
Watt said ECBS will also work closely with universities and technikons to offer the CIW certification as part of the curriculum. There are also plans to launch a fully-fledged online training facility at a later stage.
CIW is endorsed by top Internet professional associations, such as the International Webmaster Association, The Association of Internet Professionals and the Internet Certification Institute International.
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