Matt Just – IPexpert, Inc.

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For almost 11 years I’ve been running IPexpert (and the other affiliated companies) – and have been heavily involved in the CCIE arena globally the entire time (mostly behind the scenes). I’ve decided to begin a blog series (probably a blog every other week) where I will discuss industry news, trends, statistics, history and where I think the market for CCIEs is going. I view this market differently than most of you – because I’m a CCIE (#5244 – with my re-cert coming up soon!), I’m a former Cisco SE, I’m published but now I’m an entrepreneur who is also looking at various trends which are more focused on the business aspect of the CCIE community – and not just the technical aspect (That’s why I have geniuses like Vik, Tyson, Marko, Jason, Matt and Anthony – and many more helping me out from the technical perspective! ;-). I have a list of topics, and I’m actively getting requests from various friends on Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter (although I don’t use Twitter that often), but I’d love to get some more ideas from the great group of CCIEs or CCIE-soon-to-be engineers out there following our blog! Please reply back to this blog – or to me directly through FB or LI and I’ll work on trying to fit in your requested topic. Thanks, and have a great weekend!

Regards, – Wayne

Wayne A. Lawson II – CCIE #5244
Founder / CEO / President of IPexpert, Proctor Labs, & Platinum
wlawson@ipexpert.com
+1.810.326.1444 ext. 101
www.IPexpert.com
www.PlatinumPlacementServices.com
www.ProctorLabs.com

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The first, Platinum Placement Services (www.PlatinumPlacementServices.com) is a CCIE-focused career community that will provide several services to CCIEs, companies (seeking to hire CCIEs) and even recruitment agencies. The services provide will be unique, and this will be a “one of a kind” community for CCIE job seekers and CCIE-seeking companies and recruiters. Platinum Placement Services will be launching on – or before – November 29th, 2010.

The second, an online publication entitled CCIE Magazine (www.CCIEMagazine.com) will be a monthly publication (online), featuring some of the world’s most recognized CCIEs, that will provide industry news on everything relating to Cisco prestigious CCIE certification(s). The website will also act as a social networking catalyst / gathering portal for CCIEs and will provide a wealth of information (knowledge base of CCIE-related questions and best practices). CCIE Magazine will be launching in January 2011.

I’m very excited about these initiatives, and quite confident that these 2 websites will provide a wealth of information that will be extremely useful for engineers, worldwide, who are – or who are chasing the world’s most recognized certification, the CCIE.

Regards, – Wayne

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China, Michigan, March 31^st 2010 – IPexpert, Inc., a Michigan-based IT training company, announced today that it has launched a new division that will focus on high-end Cisco consulting services. Platinum Solutions Group, a sister company of IPexpert Inc, is a corporation formed by some of the world’s most distinguished and experienced Cisco Certified Internetwork Experts (CCIEs).

Platinum Solutions Group (PSG) provides high-end consultative services for small to medium business and enterprise-size corporations. Services consist of Planning, Designing, Implementing, Support, and Optimization of large-scale intra, and internetworks. PSG will also provide training for clients who require customized education. PSG will focus its efforts on the Data Center Virtualization, Network Security, Service Provider and Unified Communications arenas.

President of IPexpert, Wayne A. Lawson II, founded IPexpert in 2001, Proctor Labs, Inc. in 2005 and now Platinum Solutions Group, after becoming a CCIE and designing some of the world’s largest networks. “Our team consists of some of the world’s most experienced technical experts. It’s a natural evolution as we’re consistently asked to provide guidance and assistance to our students and their network design teams. We’re excited to offer a level of service that most consulting companies can’t match because of our high-end focus within the CCIE training space,” says Mr. Lawson.

About Platinum Solutions Group:

Founded in 2010, Platinum Solutions Group is a high-end consulting services company that provides technical services pertaining to Data Center Virtualization, Network Security, Service Provider and Unified Communication-enabled networks. For more information, please visit Platinum Solutions Group at www.platinumsolutionsgroup.com.

About IPexpert:

Founded in 2001, IPexpert is an industry-recognized, privately held, training company for computer networking engineers pursuing the highest level career certification offered by Cisco. The company has become a global leader serving its niche market, boasting the most distinguished offering of self-study products, courses and online hardware available for online equipment rental. IPexpert has appeared in Inc. Magazine’s annual list of the fastest growing private companies in America for the past two years. Please visit www.ipexpert.com for more information.

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First of all, in order to qualify, students need to undergo the authorized 360 “workshop” (be sure to recognize that it’s 2 weeks of training and quite a bit more expensive than some of the other options out there) and, as usual, waiver requests need to be approved by the instructor from the workshop. The waiver is then submitted to Cisco for approval and approved or disapproved without clear indication of success of that request. The program is temporary and begins on April 1^st 2010… just as another waiver program (that seems to have failed) is about to end.

The IPexpert team is determined to provide our students with the best possible training material available on the market. For that reason, we pledge right here and right now, that we will have the best preparation material on the market for the Core Knowledge section of the lab exams… by the time this program goes live. Yes, by April 1^st of this year. All IPexpert clients will have access to an OEQ / Core Knowledge eBook (we will be delivering eBooks for the R&S, Voice, Security and Service Provider labs).

Combine that with our current products and offerings:

• World-class Video on Demand (with supplemental Student Slide & Topology Books)
• World-class Audio on Demand (lecture different than VOD)
• World-class ILT Training (Week 1)
• World-class OWLE Training (Week 2)
• World-class Workbooks (and accompanying Detailed Solution Guides)
• World-class Workbook Video Walkthroughs (Hundreds of hours of video solutions)
• World-class Rack Rental at ProctorLabs (Latest & greatest hardware, online, with an unmatched GUI)
• World-class Online Community at OnlineStudyList.com (free online mentoring avenues)
• World-class Technical Support for all issues
• The largest alumni of successful CCIE students overall

In addition to all of the above (current offerings and upcoming FREE Core Knowledge eBook), we are shortly going to introduce two additions to our family of products in all tracks. We call them “vLectures” and “Ask the Expert Sessions”.

vLectures will be 2-4 hour long, live online lectures, delivered by one or more of our instructors on a given subject through our online classroom. These sessions will also be recorded and posted to our student accounts.

Ask the Expert sessions will be 2-4 long online sessions with one or more of our instructors and will focus on either a specific technology or a given lab from our Workbooks. Students attending the sessions will interact with the instructors, ask the questions and gain invaluable expertise. These will, also, be recorded and posted to student accounts.

Oh and one more thing…

These three new products … are going to be FREE for all our current BLS customers in all tracks. No need to qualify or pay premium.

Do our students need OEQ waivers? We think not. Here at IPexpert, we deliver on our promise to make you experts – with no shortcuts. We don’t think you need to “purchase” the ability to pass or “waive” the OEQ portion of your lab (by paying upwards of x2 or x3 as much for less training, less support and less proven success).

Good idea by the 360 team, or an act of desperation to salvage a failing program? You make the call…

Regards,

- Wayne A. Lawson II (CCIE #5244) – Founder & President, IPexpert, Inc.

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Wayne A. Lawson II, IPexpert President, founded the company in 2001 after becoming a CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert). He credits the success of IPexpert to hiring and retaining the right team members and focusing on customer satisfaction. “It’s an honor to receive this recognition for the 3rd consecutive year. We’ve worked very hard to get where we are and we’re very optimistic about our continued growth over the next several years,” says Lawson. Elizabeth Stewart, IPexpert’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing, adds, “We have implemented an aggressive growth strategy both domestically and internationally, recruited an outstanding team, and built a detailed execution plan. I’m very excited about our future in 2010 and beyond.”

IPexpert is doubling the amount of training offerings it will supply to its customers, thus positioning the company as a global leader in providing self-study multimedia learning tools and classroom training that prepare computer networking engineers for all levels of career certification offered by Cisco Systems. Since its founding in 2001, the company has honed its focus and expertise on training solutions for those seeking the CCIE certification and currently leads the market with the most comprehensive portfolio of CCIE lab preparation products and courses in the world. Although Cisco is the leading provider of computer networking solutions worldwide, less than 26,000 engineers have been able to attain the prestigious CCIE certification over its 11-year lifetime. Those that have joined this elite group are highly sought after by the world’s top companies and government agencies, commanding six-figure salaries, job security and a respected status amongst peers. In 2009, IPexpert expanded their course portfolio to also include training for the Cisco CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Associate), CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional), CCSP (Cisco Certified Security Professional), and CCVP (Cisco Certified Voice Professional) certification products and courses. By launching training options for these tiers of certification, IPexpert is able to assist the IT Networking Professional with the full range of certification options, from the entry to the expert level. Boasting a wide range of self-study tools, clients can choose professionally formatted and produced workbooks, audio products, video on demand, and eLearning products. For clients that prefer live instruction from qualified, industry-recognized experts, the company offers instructor-led, classroom-based courses that are now delivered all over the world.

With the addition of new training locations in Amsterdam, London, and Sydney, as well as the hiring of dedicated international instructors, IPexpert will execute on its goal to grow its classroom delivery business to outside of the United States. “Our self-study products have consistently been a very popular study tool for our international customers for years, and we are answering their demand for instructor-led training as well,” states Lawson. The company will also grow its US classroom delivery business with the recent hiring of three more instructors, which allows for more training classes in more locations. “We are hiring the instructors that live and breathe these technologies in order to create, maintain, and constantly update our products,” Lawson continues. “It is common in our industry to contract outside engineers to teach training courses … after that, they leave. We have built a solid foundation of staff instructors to provide consistent quality training to our customers and who are invested in the long-term success of our students.”

The company has also launched a completely redesigned website in order to better serve its clients. The website,http://www.ipexpert.com, includes more detailed course descriptions, samples of self-study products, free downloads, and user outlets such as an online blog and email discussion list. “Our new website funnels more information directly to our clients than ever before,” says Stewart. “We are looking to create strong relationships with our students, many of which will be with us for several years as they pursue their certification goals from entry level to expert level. The website is a reflection of that collaborative effort and the sense of community we provide to our clients.”

About IPexpert: Founded in 2001, IPexpert is an industry-recognized, privately held training company for computer networking engineers pursuing the highest level career certification offered by Cisco. IPexpert is a global leader in providing self-study multimedia learning tools and classroom training preparing computer networking engineers for all levels of career certification offered by Cisco Systems. Boasting a wide range of self-study products, clients can choose professionally formatted and produced workbooks, audio lecture products, video on demand, and streaming eLearning products. For students that prefer live instruction from qualified, industry-recognized CCIEs, IPexpert Boot Camp courses are second to none.

About Inc.com: The Inc. 5000 is ranked according to each company’s percentage of revenue growth from 2005 through 2008. The list is the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy – America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy. To qualify, companies must be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent – not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and a list of the fastest-growing companies that can be sorted by industry and region, can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000/. Inc.com, the Daily Resource for Entrepreneurs, delivers advice, tools, breaking news, and rich multimedia to help business owners and CEOs start, run, and grow their businesses more successfully. Information and advice covering virtually every business and management task, including marketing, sales, finding capital and managing people, can be found at http://www.inc.com.

Contact:

Wayne Lawson
Phone: (810) 326-1444

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Elizabeth is a phenomenal asset to the team. She understands, probably better than anybody, what a company needs to do to be successful (all around) in the lower-level Cisco training space. She’s been named our VP of Sales & Marketing and will be overseeing our sales processes & procedures and our marketing (traditional and social) efforts. She brings a wealth of sales, management and leadership experience and I’m truly relieved to have a “right hand woman” of her caliber! Expect to see some exciting things that haven’t been thought of, or attempted by traditional Cisco-focused training organizations.

Dan, a former instructor at Global Net Training, has been teaching for over ten years and has developed proprietary training curriculum for the CCNA R&S, CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, CCNP, CCSP and CCVP certification tracks. His track record is second-to-none and his pass rate is unmatched! (He’s a former Marine – as I am, so if you attend one of Dan’s classes – be ready for a challenging “Marine-like” BOOTCAMP! ;-). At IPexpert, Dan is responsible for all aspects of classroom delivery for these Associate and Professional level certification programs. He will also be instrumental in the development process and customer support for IPexpert’s various Cisco Associate and Professional level self-study products. In addition to a classroom background that’s extremely uncommon and hard to match, Dan has also been heavily involved in the field, obtaining real-world experience by actively planning, developing, implementing, monitoring and managing networks for Government and State Agencies as well as Private Corporations. For over 10 years, Dan has extensive experience managing, operating and consulting in technical support centers with customers such as ATT&T, Verizon, Secure Logix, Source Inc., Austin American Statesman, MaryKay, and The State of Texas.

Building on an already-established, overachieving team of industry-renowned Instructors, and the most-recent announcements including Amy Ryan (CCIE Voice, CCVP and CCNA Voice Instructor & Developer), Marko Milivojevic (CCNA, CCNP and CCIE Instructor – International), the team of 8 additional Support Engineers (all of them CCIE certified, most of them holding multiple CCIEs) we’ve announced over the past few months and a few additional “all stars” that we’ll be announcing in the upcoming weeks, we’re poised to deliver an extremely technical, professional, personalized experience to each and every student. Our goal is to provide a complete “end-to-end” solution for all levels – Associate to Expert beginning with quizzes, written prep, self-study materials, online hardware access and then ILT while also providing “second-to-none” online mentoring and support.

We plan on creating content that’s based on our “learn by doing” approach that we’ve mastered in the CCIE space.  We’ve trained more CCIEs than any company in the world – put simply, our “Structured Learning Approach” is proven and it works. I’m excited to be rolling this down to the Associate and Professional level. We’re going to train and create great engineers that really understand the technologies and protocols, engineers that “get it” – and aren’t “paper certified”.

Stay tuned for our new website which will showcase new product offerings – it should be up and live within the next few days!

Regards,

Wayne A. Lawson II – CCIE #5244
Founder & President – IPexpert
Mailto: wlawson@ipexpert.com
Telephone: +1.810.326.1444, ext. 701
Live Assistance, Please visit: www.ipexpert.com/chat
eFax: +1.810.454.0130

IPexpert is a premier provider of Classroom and Self-Study Cisco CCNA (R&S, Voice & Security), CCNP, CCVP, CCSP and CCIE (R&S, Voice, Security & Service Provider) Certification Training with locations throughout the United States, Europe and Australia. Be sure to check out our online communities at www.ipexpert.com/communities and our public website at www.ipexpert.com.

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Marko has been working with IPexpert over the past few years developing several self-study products, and will now be more-heavily involved in product development and training (classroom training throughout Europe, Australia and Asia) full time.

With the new CCIE R&S Lab 4.0 update, which involves a large amount of troubleshooting and service provider-like content, Marko is an incredible fit.  His background and technical skills are a great match! Marko will be a double IE (adding the 4.0 R&S) very soon, and is a great addition to the team!

- Wayne

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Just a quick update….for R&S, the following labs (and Detailed Solution Guides) are either published (existing members accounts) – or will be published within the next day to your accounts:

Routing & Switching – Volumes 1, 2 and 3:

• Volume 1 (Done w/ 34 mock lab scenarios)
• Volume 2: Labs 1, 2, 6, 7, 11, 12, 13, 16, 17, 18, 19 and 20 (12 out of 15 completed)
• Volume 3: Labs 1, 6, 7, 8, and 9 (5 out of 10 completed)

Security – Volumes 1 and 2:

• Volume 1: Labs 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B, 3A, 3B, 5A, 5B, 6A, 6B, 7A, 7B and 8A (13 out of 16 completed)
• Volume 2: Labs 11, 12, 13, 14 and 15 (5 out of 10 completed)

We will be updating timelines on the full suite of products soon too!  Thanks for hanging with us – this year has been filled with lots and lots of development with the 4.0 R&S, 3.0 Voice and 3.0 Security changes!

Regards – Wayne

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Just a quick note to remind everyone that on occasion we push special promotions, updates, announcement, etc. – through our Facebook Fan Page, LinkedIn Group and through our Twitter Account.  Be sure to follow us – we’ve got some very major announcements and initiatives that will be announced over the next 2 to 4 weeks – that you WON’T want to miss!!

Thanks – Wayne

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