Santa Ana, CA - June 5, 2008
- Lumen21, today announced it has attained Gold Certified
Partner status in the Microsoft Partner Program with a competency in
Advance Infrastructure, Network Infrastructure and Security,
recognizing Lumen21’s expertise and impact in the technology
marketplace. As a Gold Certified Partner, Lumen21 has demonstrated
expertise with Microsoft technologies and a proven ability to meet
customers’ needs. Microsoft Gold Certified Partners receive a rich set
of benefits, including access, training and support, giving them a
competitive advantage in the channel.
Lumen21 has services that are focused on Infrastructure Services
(Rationalization, Virtualization, Storage Services, Network Services
and VoIP), Managed Services, and Application Development. Lumen21,
through its heritage of being a vendor-neutral provider of information
technology solutions, is uniquely positioned to provide infrastructure
recommendations that solve business problems and allow for maximum
flexibility. Lumen21 is partnered with top-tier technology partners
that enable us to provide expertise on best of breed Technology
products, coupled with architectural, design, and consulting services,
allowing us to address the specific goals and objectives of your
business.
“We are extremely pleased to have attained Gold Certified Partner
status in the Microsoft Partner Program. This allows us to clearly
promote our expertise and relationship with Microsoft to our
customers,” said Eduardo Don Jr., President. “The benefits provided
through our Gold Certified Partner status will allow us to continue to
enhance the offerings that we provide for customers. This is quite an
accomplishment for our company and employees as we not only achieved
Gold Partner status but we did that in three areas of competencies,
Advance Infrastructure, Network Infrastructure and Security. This
further demonstrates our strong capabilities in the infrastructure
arena."
“Customers are looking for partner companies that can bridge the gap
between their business demands and technology capabilities,” said
Allison Watson, corporate vice president of the Worldwide Partner Group
at Microsoft Corp. “They need to trust in a company that can act as an
expert adviser for their long-term strategic technology plans.
Microsoft Gold Certified Partners, which have certified expertise and
direct training and support from Microsoft, can build a positive
customer experience with our technologies. Today, Microsoft recognizes
Lumen21 as a new Gold Certified Partner for demonstrating its expertise
in providing customer satisfaction using Microsoft products and
technology.”
As one of the requirements for attaining Gold Certified Partner status,
Lumen21 had to declare a Microsoft Competency. Microsoft Competencies
are designed to help differentiate a partner’s capabilities with
specific Microsoft technologies to customers looking for a particular
type of solution. Each Competency has a unique set of requirements and
benefits, formulated to accurately represent the specific skills and
services that partners bring to the technology industry. Within select
Competencies, there are Specializations that focus on specific solution
areas that recognize deeper expertise within that Competency. Serving
as a specialized path to earning those Competencies, Specializations
give direct access to the tools and resources that support that
specific area of focus.
Competency: Advanced Infrastructure
Solutions
The Advanced Infrastructure Solutions Competency is
designed for partners with proven expertise in designing and/or
implementing complex infrastructure solutions, such as the Active
Directory service, and Microsoft Host Integration Server-based design
and deployment solutions, and Microsoft Exchange Server migration or
deployment solutions. Because customers are increasingly asking to do
more with less, partners with the Advanced Infrastructure Solutions
Competency can identify their unique skill in helping customers access
management solutions, improve operational efficiency and reduce
security risks. Specializations within the competency include Microsoft
Active Directory and Identity Management, Microsoft Exchange Server
Migration and Deployment, Microsoft Hosting Solutions, Microsoft
Systems Management Solutions and Microsoft Storage Solutions.
“Our industry partners allow us to deliver high-quality solutions and
applications to our customers. And we’re always looking at ways to
improve our relationships,” said Paul Flessner, senior vice president
of Server Applications at Microsoft Corp. “Solutions competencies
enable Microsoft to provide resources and training to partners seeking
to meet, and even surpass, customer needs. The competencies also
provide industry partners with a way to showcase their expertise to
customers that depend on them for services, such as building critical
infrastructure including storage and hosting solutions.”
“Partners need resources designed to support their expertise in
delivering security-enhanced, reliable, anytime, anywhere access to
messaging and collaboration solutions using Microsoft Exchange Server
technologies,” said Alisa Lahti, senior product manager for the Unified
Communications Group at Microsoft Corp. “Specializations such as
Exchange Server Migration and Deployment enable partners to expand
skills and help customers understand the basics of the latest version
of Exchange Server.”
Competency: Networking Infrastructure
Solutions
Microsoft Gold
Certified Partners enrolled in the Networking Infrastructure Solutions
Competency have proved their expertise in implementing technology
solutions based on either the Microsoft Windows Server 2003 or Windows
2000 Server operating system, with a particular focus on Microsoft
Small Business Server 2000 and Windows Small Business Server 2003.
These implementations may include crafting solutions that connect
Windows-based servers, PC locations and the Internet; installing a
server farm; or building a small-business Windows Server stand-alone
solution that includes file and print capabilities.
“We place tremendous value on our partners, which help us deliver
solutions and applications to customers,” said Allison Watson,
corporate vice president of the Worldwide Partner Group at Microsoft
Corp. “Solutions competencies provide an integrated partnering
framework that recognizes an enterprise’s expertise and rewards it for
the effect it has in the technology marketplace. It also allows
companies to demonstrate for customers their knowledge of building
solutions based on Microsoft technologies, such as setting up networks
using Windows Server 2003 R2 and Windows Small Business Server
2003.”
Competency: Security
The Security Solutions Competency is designed to
recognize the unique skills and requirements of partners specializing
in delivering security-based solutions. Microsoft Gold Certified
Partners enrolled in this competency have proved their skill in
advanced security solutions to help protect customer information assets
by building solutions such as security management and operations,
anti-malware protection and network-edge security, and identity and
access management solutions.
“Security is a priority for Microsoft, and we rely on our partners to
help us deliver security-based solutions to our customers,” said Mark
Hassall, director of Security and Access Product Management at
Microsoft Corp. “As customers continue to automate business processes,
solutions competencies such as this one enable our partners to better
identify and showcase their security solutions skills to respond to
increasing customer demands to better secure and optimize their
infrastructure.”
“Customers having an integrated security solution that spans client and
server technology, mobile devices, and across the network edge to
enhance protection of their business and its assets is crucial,” said
Mark Hassall, director of Security and Access Product Management at
Microsoft Corp. “Partners specializing in Infrastructure Security
through the Security Solutions Competency are uniquely able to work
with customers to better secure and manage their infrastructure from
platform to network.”
The Microsoft Partner Program was launched in October 2003 and
represents Microsoft’s ongoing commitment to the success of partners
worldwide. The program offers a single, integrated partnering framework
that recognizes partner expertise, rewards the total impact that
partners have in the technology marketplace, and delivers more value to
help partners’ businesses be successful.
About Lumen21
Lumen21 is a leading consulting firm specializing in infrastructure
optimization, application solutions, network and operations management.
Lumen21 works with clients to provide visibility and control of their
physical, application and operations environments. Lumen21 consultants
are equipped with the methodology and tools that allows them to
integrate the business issues and the needed technology solutions to
address them. Visit www.lumen21.com
Media Contact: PR@Lumen21.com or (714) 862-2171 ext. 5230