Microsoft NSI Gets Apple Mobility Technical Competency
As the iPad's corporate momentum encourages more solution providers to consider partnering with Apple, one of Microsoft's top U.S. partners recently publicized its deepening ties with Cupertino.
Capax Global, a Microsoft National Systems Integrator partner based in Parsippany, N.J., late last month promoted the validation of its mobile device management practice through its achievement of the Apple Mobility Technical Competency.
The competency is a credential within the Apple Consultants Network. The competency has a very straightforward path for Microsoft partners, according to documentation on the Apple Web site. Microsoft Certified Technology Specialists who have passed exams for Exchange Server 2010 configuration and any of several exams covering Windows Server 2008, Active Directory or Windows Small Business Server 2008/2011 are eligible to be designated as the Certified Consultant of record for their company. To finalize the certification, the consultant must take some free technical training on the iPhone and iPad and complete a $400, two-day implementation workshop.
The Capax public endorsement of Apple mobility comes less than a month before Microsoft is set to release Windows 8, which Microsoft clearly hopes will challenge the iPad in the enterprise.
Like many of the 30-plus Microsoft NSIs, Capax plays the vendor field, although the company chooses a relatively small number of strategic partners. Capax's major alliances are with Microsoft, Google, Amazon Web Services, Autonomy and Apple.
Still, Capax's announcement clearly lays out how critical it is for even committed Microsoft partners to have solid Apple credentials if they want to compete in the corporate Bring Your Own Device market. Most striking are three facts the firm lists: that Apple is expected to sell 53 million iPads this year, that iPads are outselling any individual PC manufacturer's entire PC lineup, and that "nearly all" Fortune 500 companies are testing or deploying iPads.
Posted by Scott Bekker on October 05, 2012