Toolwire to Deliver Virtual Hands-On Learning for Avaya IP Telephony and Unified Communications

UK (SANEPR.com) May 19, 2009 -- Toolwire, a leading innovator of experiential distance learning solutions announces their agreement with Avaya Inc. to develop and deliver a virtualized, on-demand lab environment to train Avaya worldwide solution partners.

With major changes occurring almost daily in the IP Telephony and UC markets, the company’s global ecosystem of partners and resellers needs to remain highly competitive in the dynamic IP and messaging marketplace as Avaya moves to a whole new generation of products and programs. The training had to be cost-effective and available in an on-demand fashion so it could be accessed by partners anytime, from anywhere without having to take time out of the field.

“Working with Toolwire to develop and deliver an experiential training solution to meet the objectives of our Avaya global partner network enables us to cost effectively extend our training footprint,” said Rick Romine, Director of Technical Training. “We see on-demand, hands-on education as a value-add to our partners and a differentiator that will contribute to an increase in our global IP Telephony and Unified Communications market share as we move into our next generation of product offerings.”

Toolwire was chosen to participate in “The Art of Evolution” the 2009 INAAU worldwide partner event in Orlando FL to demonstrate this innovative learning technology to over 3,300 attendees. The program developed for Avaya utilizes Toolwire’s unique Enterprise Live Labs OnDemand (ELO) solution. Authorized users sign into a dedicated Communication Manager 5.1 environment on the Toolwire platform, which provides hosting and delivery for the IP Telephony and soft phone software environment and access to hands-on Live Labs for the CM product suite. Avaya systems “powered by Toolwire” are identical in functionality and operation to hardware-driven systems, without the overhead and hardware footprint required of traditional systems to achieve global scale.

Integrating Avaya CM within its platform, Toolwire provides each user with the ability to access physical devices and virtual “sandbox” practice sessions. Each session includes labs focusing on a range of technical topics within the Avaya certification pathways. For instance, users have the ability to install and configure phone switch and IP messaging system components on a physical device as well as on a virtual machine image, as needed.

Additionally, Toolwire created an Avaya University Sandbox Environment for users to return to after the initial training so they may access the same capabilities to refresh, reinforce, explore and practice critical Avaya CM and Unified Communications and Messaging learning objectives. Upon achieving technical certification, Avaya University will be providing their certified partners with access to this environment based on their partner role within Avaya’s global ecosystem.

Avaya partners and resellers benefit from:

• A reduction in training expenditures associated with site set-up of physical lab hardware.

• Increased global reach and enablement, reducing the time-to-market and providing a competitive edge during new product launches and ongoing product support operations.

• The elimination of travel and associated expenses of down-time and lost opportunities characteristic of traditional instructor-led training.

• Improved project execution and installation performance by providing users with virtual access to products and software in the field during critical project implementations resulting in less rework and costly mistakes.

“Toolwire is proud to have been selected by Avaya University for the delivery of this critical training program,” said John Valencia, President and CEO of Toolwire. “Virtualization is rapidly becoming a key enabling technology for IP Telephony and Unified Communications organizations worldwide. This innovative learning initiative will enable Avaya employees, partners, and end users to gain access to the learning environment where and when they need it to acquire the skills to accelerate the global adoption of Avaya IP Telephony and Unified Communications products and services.”

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About Toolwire
Toolwire, Inc. is a learning solutions provider specializing in products and services for experiential learning. Toolwire's hands-on Live Labs and Scenarios provide on-demand, personalized practice with live systems for blended training initiatives. “Learning by doing” provides the quickest and most effective way to develop skills and ensure ongoing competency with technology. The company is headquartered in Pleasanton, CA. For more information, please visit www.toolwire.com

About Avaya University
Avaya University offers Avaya customers and partners a solid knowledge base of Avaya products, technology and best practices. This is accomplished through a robust curriculum that includes instructor-led and v-Learning courses, and culminates with certification exams. Avaya training and certifications enable IPT professionals to build, maintain and maximize Avaya environments. For more information about training and the industry-recognized certifications offered by Avaya University, go to http://www.avayauniversity.com.
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Avaya® and Communications Manager ™ are trademarks of Avaya Inc. and/or one or more of its subsidiaries, and may be registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office and in other countries. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are property of their respective owners.

Media Contact:
Cameron D. Crowe
Vice President, Marketing and Corporate Development
Toolwire, Inc.
1-925-227-8500
ccrowe@toolwire.com