HP Launches Industry-s First IT-Focused Business Certification for Students

PALO ALTO, CA — (Marketwired) — 04/23/13 — HP (NYSE: HPQ) today announced the new HP ExpertOne Accredited Technical Associate (ATA) – IT for Business certification to help business students prepare for a job market in which technology insight is critical to achieving business objectives.

IDC states that as organizations increasingly rely on management of big data to meet their customers- needs, marketing and IT must work together more closely to achieve business objectives. IDC also notes that 50 percent of new marketing hires will have technical backgrounds to support data analytics needs.(1)

This research exemplifies a rise in the number of business-driven technology initiatives within non-IT departments such as line-of-business teams and other strategic and operational functions. It also highlights that organizations will increasingly need employees who can understand and effectively collaborate with IT.

The empowers the next generation of business professionals with an understanding of IT concepts to help facilitate this alignment and address the skills gap.

The new offering is the industry-s first academic business certification where students learn through courseware and practical experience by managing real-world scenarios involving business-driven technology initiatives. The certification, which is delivered through HP Institute, will be accessible to students at leading universities and is designed to equip business students with job-ready skills that allow them to understand technology concepts and IT capabilities from a business perspective.

“As technologies converge around big data, cloud, security and mobility, organizations will need professionals who have specific skills to align technology and business objectives,” said Susan Underhill, vice president, worldwide enterprise marketing, HP ExpertOne and HP Institute, HP. “With this new certification, HP is uniquely preparing a new generation of students to enter the workforce with the skills to set them apart and bridge the gap between business and technology.”

HP has leveraged its expertise with organizations globally into courseware that can be delivered in an academic setting. To ensure the course content properly addresses the current skills gap, HP developed the content with chief information officers, information security professionals and educators.

The courseware provides instruction on the types of IT services businesses consume and their financial models. Students learn how to quantify the business impact of proposed technology solutions, as well as how to enhance performance with new technologies.

The course includes practical experiences that require students to plan, execute and monitor three end-to-end technology-driven business scenarios: understanding and managing business stakeholder expectations, executing business-side tasks, and measuring that the final solution meets business and user requirements.

The course methodology is based on industry standards and best practices as opposed to product-specific content. In addition, graduates can join the community, which gives them access to HP and industry experts to further their education.

HP is collaborating with , leveraging its network of more than 12,000 testing centers worldwide and local channel partners in 148 countries, to successfully deliver and deploy the program to academic institutions. Over the next five years, HP and Certiport expect to award more than 140,000 HP ATA – IT for Business certifications.

HP Institute, an program, provides an industry-leading transferable curriculum in the form of HP Accredited Technical Associate (ATA) certifications across five key areas: Connected Devices, Networks, Servers and Storage, Cloud Computing, and IT for Business. HP ATA certifications are focused on the architecture and implementation of end-to-end IT solutions for small and medium businesses, providing hands-on practical know-how, including remote labs experience.

The HP ATA – IT for Business certification is available now in English with other languages available later this year. Teachers and schools can register for the HP Institute preview program at .

Additional information about the HP ExpertOne ATA – IT for Business certification will be available at HP-s premier Americas client event, , which takes place June 11-13 in Las Vegas.

HP creates new possibilities for technology to have a meaningful impact on people, businesses, governments and society. The world-s largest technology company, HP brings together a portfolio that spans , , , and to solve customer problems. More information about HP is available at .

(1) IDC, “Worldwide Chief Marketing Officer 2013 Top 10 Predictions: Today-s CMO Becomes Master of Data,” March 2013.

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