Information Technology Reference
In-Depth Information
Manufacturer-Specific Certification
Manufacturer-specific product training usually offers a certificate of completion as
evidence of certification. Naturally, all that is certified is that the person has
attended the class, and presumably has received all the relevant information and
training. In a few instances, the trainee will be given an end-of-course test, and may
have to demonstrate assembly competence on the product being covered.
Some manufacturers require that the organization performing an installation
be trained on their products in order for the end-user to receive a long-term war-
ranty. These warranties are valuable to the end-user because they guarantee cable
link performance to the prescribed level for up to 15 years. The value to the manu-
facturer is that an additional incentive is provided the end-user in return for speci-
fying that manufacturer's wiring products. In some cases, two or more
manufacturers may coordinate a warranty program, as long as properly trained and
certified personnel install each manufacturer's components. This type of program
would allow a connector and a cable manufacturer to cooperate, and to compete
against manufacturers who offer both components with an extended performance
warranty.
Many contractors will offer manufacturer-certified installation technicians as
an incentive to the customer to use their services. Conversely, many end-users may
require such certification for installation work that they contract out. Specific prod-
uct installation training is an important supplement to general-purpose training at
any level.
Training and certification resources are constantly changing. Fortunately, a compi-
lation of training information is available on the LAN wiring Web site at
http://www.LanWiringGuide.com.
This information is updated regularly from a
variety of industry sources, including industry associations, manufacturers, public
institutions, and independent training organizations. You may also consult many of
these organizations through their contact information in the Appendixes.
