New CompTIA Convergence+ Certification Now Available

Convergence technologies such as voice-over-IP (VoIP) telephony, unified messaging and web conferencing continue to gain market share among organizations of all sizes and across multiple industries.

"Organizations believe that convergence solutions will provide them with enormous flexibility to manage and administer voice and data networks together; to boost efficiency; and to contain costs," said John Venator, president and chief executive officer, CompTIA. "To turn these beliefs into reality, our industry must develop a workforce capable of helping customers maximize the benefits and opportunities made possible by the delivery of data, voice and multimedia over the same network.

"CompTIA Convergence+ was developed at the urging of the convergence industry," Venator added. "This certification fills a void and a need for an industry-accepted credential that validates foundation-level skills for IT and communications professionals working with these emerging technologies."

Research by CompTIA and other industry sources indicates that organizations are aggressively deploying convergence solutions. Nearly one-third of the more than 350 small and medium-sized businesses surveyed last fall by CompTIA said they intend to buy new phone systems or make significant new investment in their current phone systems in the next 12 months. Other indicators of the growing presence of convergence solutions include the following:

• The VoIP market for small and medium-sized businesses is expected to reach US $1 billion-plus by 2009. (Source: Yankee Group)
• The total market value for services using VoIP is forecast to grow almost 10-fold in revenue terms over the next five years. (Source: Juniper Research)
• By 2012, there are projected to be 267 million residential VoIP subscribers worldwide. (Source: ABI Research)
• The number of IT and telephony workers around the world will exceed 20 million by 2008. (Source: U.S. Department of Labor)

Organizations that worked with CompTIA to develop the convergence certification included Siemens Enterprise Communications, one of the world's leading vendors of Open Communications solutions for enterprises of all sizes; Avaya, a leading global provider of business communications applications, services and systems; Catalyst Telecom, a value-added distributor of convergence communications solutions including data, voice and video; Collin County Community College District in Texas, which serves more than 40,000 credit and continuing education students annually and offers more than 100 degree and certificate programs; Intel Corporation, the world's largest chip maker and a leading manufacturer of computer, networking and communications products; Marcraft International Corp., a leading producer of technical textbooks, hardware, software and courseware for over 30 years; and Thomson Course Technology, the worldwide leader in computing education.