Wednesday 1 June 2016

ITPCS gains Microsoft Education Partner status

The IT Providers Consortium Scotland (ITPCS) earns distinction through commitment to academic customers.

ITPCS has become a Microsoft Authorized Education Partner (AEP), demonstrating its ability to meet Microsoft academic customers’ evolving needs in today’s dynamic business environment. To earn a Microsoft AEP authorization, partners must complete a test to prove their level of academic licensing and market expertise.

ITPCS has been dedicated to improving uptake of vendor certification throughout Scotland for over 15 years and this Microsoft AEP authorization shows our commitment and specialism in the academic IT marketplace and demonstrates our knowledge of Microsoft and its academic products. We hope to accelerate our academic customers’ successes by serving as technology advisors for their IT requirements.

“By becoming AEPs, partners show themselves to be committed and trained in providing discounted Microsoft academic products to the education market,” said Anthony Salcito, vice president of Education for Microsoft Corp.’s Worldwide Public Sector. “This authorization, along with our other education partner initiatives, gives our partners recognition of their areas of expertise and our academic customers the confidence that they are buying from academic IT specialists.”

The Microsoft AEP Program is designed to authorize and equip organizations that deliver academic products and services through the Microsoft platform with the training, resources and support they need to provide their customers with superior experiences and outcomes.

Thursday 28 April 2016

Future Trends: The Evolution of Security, Mobility, Data Science and the Cloud

We recently hosted an event as Microsoft's Headquarters in Edinburgh The aim of the event was to provide attendees with skills, knowledge, tools and resources to help them deliver courses and units in the areas of security, mobility, data science and the cloud, which have been cited as the big four for growth.

The event saw the appearance of Linux International's Executive Director Jon 'maddog' Hall in a Microsoft building talking about open source software! This was interestingly backed up by Andy Nagle from Microsoft who outlined that Microsoft are moving towards open source.

Speakers included Microsoft, CompTIA, Linux International and Police Scotland Cybercrime Unit, Cheeky Pea, Prodigy Learning and Risual UK. I am sure all attendees will agree that it was an informative, stimulating and educational event.

Slides from speakers can be downloaded from here

There was a prize draw open to all attendees and the following prizes were won by; Paul McLaughlin - Windows 10 Tablet (on the right) Gary Hendry - GoPro Camera (in the centre) Stephen Duncan - NowTV Box (on the left)

Thursday 10 December 2015

Microsoft IT Academy is changing name!

We want to inform you that the Microsoft IT Academy program will be renamed to Microsoft Imagine Academy effective January 11th, 2016. This name change is part of Microsoft’s transformation in the way we reach and impact students in the education space. With this change, Microsoft Imagine will be the single identity used for all Microsoft programs, tools and initiatives aimed at students to drive technology, computer science, coding and employability skills. As a part of this change, in January we will transition to providing customers’ access to a digital Microsoft Imagine Academy Welcome Kit to enable easier and on demand access to all program marketing materials and resources We will also provide a new Microsoft Imagine Academy logo. We encourage you to start using it right away however Microsoft is providing six months transition time to allow customers to update marketing assets to the new Microsoft Imagine Academy logo. If you have any questions on the change in IT Academy naming to Microsoft Imagine Academy, please contact us. Thank you!

Monday 23 November 2015

Free for ITPCS Members | Linux Professional Institute - Approved Academic Partner status

ITPCS Members can (for no extra fee) become a 'Linux Professional Institute Approved Academic Partner' (LPI-AAP). ITPCS has negotiated an umbrella deal that covers all consortium members. Benefits (other than the kudos!) include training materials for staff/students, reduced price exams and more. There is no commitment from you in terms of exam delivery and there is no requirement to put staff through exams either. If you deliver any Open Source HN units, LPIC-1 or are planning to deliver commercial training in Linux this is a perfect opportunity For more information on the LPI programme visit http://www.futurecert.com/ Background: The Linux Professional Institute is globally supported by the IT industry, enterprise customers, community professionals, government entities and the educational community. LPI's certification program is supported by an affiliate network spanning five continents and is distributed worldwide in multiple languages in more than 7,000 testing locations. Since 1999, LPI has delivered over 230,000 exams and 75,000 LPIC certifications around the world. The Linux Professional Institute promotes and certifies essential skills on Linux and Open Source technologies through the global delivery of comprehensive, top-quality, vendor-independent exams. Established as an international non-profit organization in September 1999 by the Linux community, the Linux Professional Institute continues to demonstrate recognized global leadership in the certification of Linux professionals. LPI advances the Linux and Open Source movement through strategic partners, sponsorships, innovative programs and community development activities. LPI's major financial sponsors are Platinum Sponsors IBM, Linux Journal, Linux Magazine, Novell, SGI, and TurboLinux as well as Gold Sponsors, HP and IDG.

Thursday 12 November 2015

Navigating the new IT Academy Website

IT Academy Overview

Want to review what the IT Academy offers?

View this short video outlining the solutions it can provide


Monday 24 November 2014

Delivering Cyber Security - Microsoft Edinburgh

You are invited to the Delivering Cyber Security Event we are organising in Edinburgh on 12th December 2014.
The aim of the event is to provide you with skills, knowledge, tools and resources allowing you to deliver courses and units in the area of cyber security.
The event will bring together security experts to discuss the area of Cyber Security in computing, an area where many career opportunities exist.  The event will also show how SQA units and vendor certifications can be added to the curriculum that allow students to gain the requisite skills and knowledge in this area.
Confirmed speakers include ZoneFox, Police Scotland Cybercrime Department, Cervello Consultants and Microsoft. A full agenda will be forwarded nearer the event.

I hope you will be able to join us in what will be an informative, stimulating and educational event

Free places can be booked at - https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/delivering-cyber-security-todays-learning-tomorrows-defence-tickets-14478636993