NEC America, Inc./Corporate Networks Group

Presents

The

Master Technician 2000

Program

A program for the development of expert level technicians

engaged in the support of NEC IVS 2000 systems

June 6, 1997

Important Notice

The terms and conditions of the Master Technician 2000 program may be changed without prior notice and the entire program may be terminated at the sole discretion of NEC America, Inc., the Corporate Networks Group.

Introduction

Product Training and Education is the cornerstone of a successful plan for the support of any technologically advanced product. Presently a variety of instructor-led courses and multimedia-based materials are being offered by the CNG Product Education and Training department. In general, these offerings are adequate for routine situations arising during the installation and maintenance of our products.

There are circumstances, however, when a higher level of expertise is required on the part of the field tech. These situations may be related to the interoperability of CNG equipment with that of other manufacturers; the need to use sophisticated test equipment; or the efforts to introduce and support new technologies. To cope with these complex issues, the field tech needs to be empowered with technical knowledge well above that acquired in standard training courses. She or he must become a Master Tech.

In recognition of this need for superior expertise, CNG is initiating the Master Technician 2000 program aimed at developing field experts for the IVS 2000 product line. This program was developed jointly by CNG and the NEC Dealer Council's Training Committee, based on a survey sent out to members of the North American Dealers Association.

Program Description

Scope:

The program encompasses all aspects of technical support for the IVS 2000 product line

Goal:

It is the goal of the program to elevate the technical support of the product to the highest level possible, through the intensive and continual product education of selected qualified individuals representing CNG Associates.

Objectives:

Benefits of Master Technician 2000 certification:

Being a Master Technician 2000 means being able to solve a large variety of complex problems independently and offering leadership to other techs in the organization. This, in turn, means better service for the end user and lower costs for the Associate. Other benefits:

Tuition and Fees:

Candidate Selection Criteria:

The Certification Process

Upon application for the Master Technician 2000 program, the candidate, once accepted, will attend a specially designed course (see Exhibit C) culminating in a comprehensive oral and written examination. Failure to obtain the grade level necessary for certification will result in the sponsoring Associate being billed the full tuition for the course.

If the sponsoring Associate has also opted for the Train-the-Trainer certification, the candidate will undergo additional training and testing, with emphasis on teaching skills. Use of the Instructor License is subject to certain terms and conditions (see Exhibit D).

Availability

The Master Technician 2000 program will be available in October, 1997. The schedule of Master Technician 2000 classes will be posted on the Internet in August, 1997 with application availability via the CNG Internet Enrollment Program in August.

Conclusion

By working together, CNG and its Associates have the opportunity to improve their joint ability to support the IVS 2000 product line. The creation of the Master Technician 2000 will reduce product support costs for both Associates and CNG and will dramatically increase customer satisfaction.

Exhibit A

Master Technician 2000 Course Fees and Tuition

Administrative Fees

Students enrolled in the Master Technician 2000 program will be charged an administrative fee of $250.00. This fee will include all appropriate training materials. Use of co-op funds is acceptable.

Course Tuition

The tuition for the 12 day training program is $3,600. This tuition is waived for the first successful candidate from each one of the participating Associates. Use of co-op funds is acceptable.

Exhibit B

Master Technician 2000 Candidate Selection Criteria

1. Candidates must already be certified on all IVS 2000 subjects for which CNG offers courses (whether instructor-led or multimedia-based), except IVS 2000 WCS and TSAPI, and must have graduated from the respective courses with scores of 90% or better

2. Candidates must have a minimum of one year certified field experience on installation and maintenance of the IVS 2000 PBX

3. Candidates must be proficient in the use of PCs (DOS, Windows, communications, ports, modems, etc.)

Exhibit C

Proposed Master Technician 2000 Course Outline

(Actual curriculum will be jointly developed by NECAM and Dealer Council Training Committee)

LECTURE AND LAB NUMBER OF DAYS

PBX Trunking Options

T1 Theory

T1 Data

Synchronous

T1 Testers

LCR (Complex LCR programming)

Open and Closed Numbering Plans for Networks

CCIS

Line Memory

Trunk Memory

Line Status Memory

MP to AP Trace set up

MP to AP Trace decoding

CCIS MP - AP Trace

CPU occupancy readout command

Register cards (DTMF, FSK, MF)

PRI lecture

BRI lecture and lab

BRI Testers

Determine where the problem is located

Database programming problems

Hardware failure

Written Test - Essay

Lab - Assemble the IVS and program advanced features

Find trouble and fix (may be hardware or programming fault)

_______________________________________________________________________

Total Number of Days: 12

Exhibit D

Master Technician 2000 Train-the-Trainer Terms and Conditions

Training License Fee

The successful graduate of the Train-the-Trainer course will not be charged an annual license fee. Renewal of instructor certification is subject to auditing by CNG.

Administrative Fees