Press Release Details


Thursday, June 5, 2008

Lumen21 Attains Microsoft Gold Certified Status

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