Developing skills on line with Xceed Labs
Microsoft Gold Partner Xpertise is to introduce 'Xceed Labs' to provide IT professionals with practice servers and structured exercises on line via the Internet.
Xpertise has introduced Xceed Labs so that IT professionals can fully get to grips with new technologies by extending the learning experience beyond initial classroom courses. On line practise labs allow students to develop their technical skills in a safe, structured learning environment without risk to live networks. Xceed Labs enables students to bring down a server or router and recover, and thereby learn from their mistakes.
Xceed Labs is an on line learning environment containing networking equipment where IT professionals develop and practice IT skills in a safe and supported environment. Xceed Labs offers users real hands-on experience with server software and equipment including Microsoft, Cisco, Citrix and Linux/Unix technologies. Access is provided through a browser, removing the need for physical access to spare servers, configured locally, for practice purposes. Each lab lasts from between forty-five and ninety minutes and contains short, real-world scenarios with learning objectives for the student to work through.
Xceed Labs' Microsoft libraries contain around one hundred separate labs covering Windows 2000, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003, Exchange Server, SQL Server, Commerce Server, SharePoint Portal Server and Microsoft Project.
Xpertise's CEO, Bob Bradley, said: "Xceed Labs is an ideal way to develop technical skills and build up confidence in the use of new technology following initial training. Until now networking professionals would either use their existing networks or have to set up separate, independent servers to practice their skills on. Xceed Labs ensures live networks need not be used for practicing on and reduces the need for IT departments to allocate expensive server resources and other networking equipment, for day-to-day skills development."
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About Xpertise
Xpertise - Microsoft's Western European Training Partner of the Year 2002 and a Microsoft Gold Certified Partner for Learning Solutions - is one of the UK's leading providers of IT training and skills services. Xpertise is a leading provider of public-scheduled IT training, company-specific training and skills development programmes nationwide. Xpertise provides training courses and programmes for IT professionals and developers, including A+ and Network+, C++, Checkpoint, Cisco, Citrix, Help Desk, Java, Linux/Unix, IBM, Lotus, Microsoft, Novell, OO, Oracle, project management and PRINCE2. Xpertise is an Institute of IT Training accredited training provider. Xpertise is part of The Xpertise Group PLC, which is listed on the Alternative Investments Market (AIM) of the London Stock Exchange.