Google Apps Certification Program Stands To Give VARs An Edge

By Doug Caverly
Staff Writer
Article Date: 2011-02-25

Value-added resellers with ties to Google Apps now have a new way to stand out from the crowd. This week, Google introduced the Google Apps Certification Program, which will allow IT professionals to earn an online certification attesting to their expertise.

To get one important matter out of the way at the start: this is not something that will rob VARs of hundreds or thousands of dollars. The cost of the first exam is just $100, plus $45 for a Kryterion Flexible Neck Webcam (it will allow test proctors to do their job and can be reused).

Otherwise, a post on the Official Google Enterprise Blog explained, "As our partner community has more than doubled in the last year to over 2,500 partners in over 70 countries, partners have been seeking opportunities to demonstrate their expertise and competence to a growing customer base."

Then the post added that the new Certification Program "recognizes IT professionals for demonstrated abilities to sell, deploy, develop, and support Google Apps. Available today globally, is the first of these certifications, the Google Apps Certified Deployment Specialist, which certifies IT professionals who have demonstrated the fundamental knowledge and skills required to migrate to, configure, and deploy Google Apps."

More information is available here if anyone's interested. And this definitely looks to be something worth checking out, as it could provide qualified VARs with an edge over the competition.

About the Author:
Doug is a staff writer for WebProNews. Visit WebProNews for the latest eBusiness news.