PRESS RELEASE
November 2008

Torque IT, a division of the Kelly Group, boasts a comprehensive and remotely accessible Cisco lab that is dedicated to training. This lab is accessible from anywhere in the world over the Internet. Sean Evans, Cisco Business Unit Manager for Torque IT, says “Our remotely accessible lab facility has allowed Torque IT to take authorized Cisco training to a new level in South Africa, with scheduled Cisco classes running in our branches in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Durban, and Cape Town. Torque IT has taken this approach a step further and we have successfully run 40 different authorized Cisco courses in Kenya, Amman, Nigeria, Tanzania, Namibia, DRC, Bangalore, Ghana this year.”

With the proliferation of broadband and Internet bandwidth in general, the timing of the launch of WebEx technology could not have been better. Torque IT, in partnership with Cisco Systems, will revolutionize the manner in which students attend authorized Cisco training regardless of their physical location.
Torque IT will initially run the Johannesburg Cisco training schedule in their Pretoria and Cape Town branches using WebEx technology. This will allow our clients to attend Cisco training in these branches via WebEx without the need to travel to our head office in Rivonia.
Using our WebEx implementation, delegates will be able to attend a training course remotely and still be able to enjoy full interaction in the classroom environment using only a telephone and their web browser.

Anthony Bell, General Manager of Torque IT Africa Operations, says that “Torque IT will broaden this offering to our franchise operations in Kenya and Angola. This will allow students who are clients of these Torque IT branches to attend our locally scheduled classes from the comfort of their favourite local training centre.”

Carl Raath, Technical director of Torque IT, has been outspoken about the pitfalls of online learning for many years. The lack of interaction, the inability to ask questions, the monotony of the “learning” experience, and the fact that those who attempt to learn using this media are unable to set aside dedicated learning time within the workplace, have together made e-learning an unattractive and ineffective learning mechanism for those who are serious about gaining technical skills and certification.

Raath says that Torque IT has found the perfect blend of technology and instructor led training that will offer our clients the best of both models without any of the negatives associated with either model.

Torque IT will begin the transition to WebEx in November 2008. Clients of Torque IT will be invited to 1 hour technical for non-technical sessions in order to facilitate the necessary paradigm shift that will see our clients supporting this technology after witnessing first hand the ability to interact and learn in the virtual classroom.

About Torque IT

Torque IT, a 66% black-owned business, is made up of 3 divisions viz, Torque Technical Training, Torque Career Campus, and Torque Education Resources. As a specialist in education, Torque IT provides high-level technical and user training through Torque Technical Training, one of the largest Cisco Learning Solutions Partner (CLSP) in the emerging markets worldwide.

Torque IT currently has branches in Johannesburg, Pretoria, Cape Town, Durban, Nairobi (Kenya) and Luanda (Angola), and provides training in over 22 countries in Africa through the Torque Education Resources division. Torque Technical Training is also a Microsoft Gold Partner (Learning Solutions), an Authorised SUN Education Centre, a Novell Gold Training Partner, a VMWare Authorised Training Centre and a CompTIA Gold Partner.

Torque’s largest clientele concentration is 65-70% corporate, with blue chip clients in its top 20 including clients from verticals as disparate as the ICT sector, telecommunications, food & beverage and financial. Torque Career Campus provides customised training to school-leavers seeking skills in the ICT industry, with a specialist focus on Learnerships.

For more information contact:
Torque IT
Tshepiso Mojanaga
Tshepiso.Mojanaga@torque-it.com
011 602 9000