iPasifika UpSkills

APIA, SAMOA - June 29, 2001 - iPasifika (Internet Pasifika Samoa Ltd) is pleased to announce the attainment of Microsoft Certified Partner status. This is a prestigious honor bestowed on us by the largest software company in the world. It was in recognition of our attainment of the necessary technical qualifications for our staff. We are especially proud of this as we are the first company in the Samoan islands to receive this recognition. We became eligible to become Microsoft Certified when one of Systems Engineers, Mark Bartley, passed his Windows 2000 exam on his first attempt. He thus became the second Microsoft Certified Professional on staff at iPasifika. Mark's effort was particularly noteworthy as he sat the exam without taking the necessary course. He studied on his own for three months and that along with his 4 years of work experience allowed him to pass with flying colours. He is a graduate of the fine Computer Studies programme at the National University of Samoa and also worked there for two years prior to joining iPasifika. Managing Director, Aitken Fruean said, "Mark is a credit to himself and to his family. We at iPasifika are proud of his achievement and feel fortunate that we have someone of his caliber on our team. He is an example of the outstanding talent that is available in Samoa. We are committed to identifying this talent and to nurture it for the betterment of our service to our valued customers." Microsoft® Certified Partners are independent companies that offer their clients leading-edge technology through consulting, deployment, remote and on-site maintenance, helpdesk support, packaged software applications, hosting services, training, and more. Microsoft Certified Partners encompass a broad range of expertise and vendor affiliations and have experience ranging from networking, e-commerce, collaboration, business intelligence, and other leading edge disciplines. Microsoft Certified Partners have Microsoft Certified Professionals on staff who have proven their knowledge in the latest technology through rigorous certification exams. Microsoft shares with Microsoft Certified Partners proven frameworks and templates to deploy Microsoft-based projects predictably. By reusing prescriptive techniques and architectures, Microsoft Certified Partners advance your solution almost immediately.