Influential attracts top-notch Apple training clients in 2020

This year has been an uphill struggle for us all — but let’s not forget that necessity is the mother of invention. Our Apple training division has responded to the pandemic with innovations that give us more delivery options and ultimately help us serve our customers more effectively.

1. Reaching students worldwide with virtual Apple training

We had been planning to launch virtual training for some time, but the UK lockdown made it an urgent priority. Thankfully we were able to launch these trainer-led online Apple courses without any technical hiccups.

Student feedback from the virtual courses has been overwhelmingly positive, and the format has enabled Apple technicians in the US and Ireland to train more cost-effectively.

On the back of this success, we have also made it easier for international customers to join us by introducing virtual Apple training in six time zones.

2. Opening up Apple training with flexible finance options

For those in the Apple repair and support world, certifications are the best investment they can make. But funding that training can be a challenge for people who are changing careers or starting a small business. Recognising this challenge, we partnered with finance provider Payl8r to offer flexible finance options for our Apple courses.

3. Offering an updated revision app for the ACSP 10.15 exam

The Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) certification is a must for Apple support professionals. As a complement to our popular macOS Support Essentials 10.15 course, we updated the Revise IT app with 10.15 exam questions and answers. The app’s realistic exam simulations give exam-takers the confidence to pass their ACSP exam first time around.

In the first three quarters of this year we’ve trained clients in the UK and abroad, across education, government, sciences, and IT. From the US Embassy in London to local repair shops, organisations large and small have become Apple certified with our expert trainers.

So without further ado, the highlights of our new clients this year are (in alphabetical order):

• The American School in London
• The Cabinet Office
• CERN
• Derivco
• Enfo Oyj
• First Derivatives
• Flat World Works
• Gilead Sciences
• The International School of Zug and Luzern
• MacMan
• Middlesex University
• The U.S. Embassy London

The American School in London is an independent school in St John’s Wood, London. The school was founded in 1951 by Stephen Eckard, an American journalist and teacher. Today the school has 1,350 students and more than 15,000 alumni living in 77 countries. This year the school engaged us to provide its staff with the ACMT skills needed to repair Apple mac devices in-house.

Another high-profile client this year was the Government Digital Service (GDS), which is part of the UK Cabinet Office. This body is responsible for transforming how the government provides public services online, with a focus on agile software development and lean software development methodologies. Our Apple trainers got the GDS technicians up to speed with the latest Apple support certifications.

The CERN laboratory is a physics research institution straddling the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva. Physicists at CERN are using some of the world’s most powerful particle accelerators to find answers to the question “What is our universe made of?” One of Europe’s first joint ventures, the laboratory now has 23 member states. This year CERN’s IT department benefited from our Apple mac support training.

Derivco is a software house and gaming development company with locations worldwide. With a host of creatives including graphic designers and game music composers on board, many of the company’s staff prefer to use Apple devices. That’s why Derivco called on our training team to teach them the latest Apple support techniques.

Enfo is a Nordic IT service company that aims to empower data-driven business transformation for its customers. The company comprises 900 IT experts, covering areas such as digital platforms, analytics, integration, and security. Using a large number of Apple devices, the company had our staff train its IT department in Addigy Mobile Device Management (MDM) software.

First Derivatives (FD) is a consulting and software company that specialises in ultra-high-performance analytics technology. Incorporated in 1996, FD works with some of the world’s largest finance, technology, manufacturing and automotive institutions. Due to their mix of Windows and Apple devices, the company asked us to teach the Mac Support for Windows Techs course.

Flat World Works is a digital services agency providing consultancy, engineering, and quality assurance expertise. Based in the UK and Australia, Flat World Works covers digital areas such as UX, blended testing, and cloud services. Our training team travelled to the company’s site to provide private Apple Certified Mac Technician (ACMT) training.

Gilead Sciences is an American biopharmaceutical company with a focus on research and development of antiviral drugs. The company made headlines recently for developing remdesivir, a drug that the NHS has approved for shortening COVID-19 recovery times. This year our Jamf training team helped Gilead streamline their Apple device management with Jamf 200 and 300 training.

The International School of Zug and Luzern (ISZL) is an independent school serving the international community of Central Switzerland from ages 3 to 18. ISZL is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School and is accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). One of ISZL’s Apple technicians flew all the way from Switzerland to attend our macOS Support Essentials course in London.

MacMan is an independent provider of Mac repairs, support, training, and sales. Based in South East England, the company has stores in Brighton, Horsham, Sevenoaks, and Tunbridge Wells. This client was one of the first to benefit from our virtual macOS Support Essentials training.

Middlesex University London is a public research university located in Hendon, north-west London. Middlesex currently has a student body of over 19,000 in London and 37,000 globally. The university’s IT department joined our trainers for the advanced macOS Command Line course.

The US Embassy in London is the largest American embassy in Western Europe. The current embassy chancery building in Battersea was formally opened in January 2018. The embassy’s IT staff benefited from our popular macOS Support Essentials 10.15 course.