Oracle Education, part of Oracle SA, has appointed Computer Services CS Holdings, through its CS Systems Training division, to be responsible for all Oracle education in the Free State province.
Oracle SA is a subsidiary of Oracle Corporation, the largest provider of information management software in the world.
Oracle Education is the world`s biggest independent training company, having trained 450 000 students globally in 1998. It offers over 200 instructor-led courses and more than 750 media-based courses.
Oracle Education manager, Pieter Bensch, explains: "CS Training is our sole associate in the Free State, and as a full Oracle Education Partner will fulfil all Oracle training requirements in that area."
The partnership between the two was launched in early August to a positive response from users, with CS Training well placed to address the need, says Bensch. "We chose the company because it is the most widely spread computer training operation in the region, and it delivers top-class education."
In terms of the agreement CS Holdings has launched its Oracle Training Centre in Bloemfontein. A number of large, nationally presented companies which use Oracle`s database and other products have a presence in Bloemfontein. Until now they have had to travel to Johannesburg or Cape Town for their training, says Madelise Grobler, a director of CS Systems.
"We have noted a significant demand for Oracle training in Bloemfontein," says Grobler. "This is in both the database and programming areas, where we can ensure corporate staff are trained up to Oracle levels of certification."
CS Systems can train people up to the status of Oracle OCP (Oracle Certified Professional) in the areas of database administrator (DBA) and Development. "This centre reflects our constantly strengthening relationship with Oracle and has the potential to be rolled out to other parts of the country where Oracle training is not readily available," says Grobler.
CS Training has nine branches countrywide - those not in the Free State will become resellers of Oracle Education and will deliver selected curricula.
Bensch says the agreement is in line with Oracle Corporation`s worldwide strategy to expand the business through partners. "We are well underway with this new approach, having already appointed ExecuTrain Cape Town and ExecuTrain Durban, as partners covering the Cape and Kwa-Zulu Natal. Until now, we have had no-one in the Free State, but the partnership with CS Training fills that gap."
"We are limiting the amount of partners to ensure that we deliver good quality business in SA."
Future plans are to appoint three international partners in neighbouring countries - Zimbabwe, Namibia and Botswana. "We are also looking at a select few others to cover the rest of South Africa. Currently CS Training is so widely spread that it is providing the solution."
Bensch says as changing technology has expanded Oracle`s family of products, Oracle Education has kept pace. "We are committed to working closely with customers and Oracle software developers to deliver training to back new products as they are released.
"As a result, we - along with our partners - offer a wide range of introductory-to-advanced courses covering every Oracle product."
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