APC introduces online training

WEST KINGSTON, R.I.--American Power Conversion launched in January Data Center University, a web-based training opportunity that leverages the company's expertise in end-to-end infrastructure solutions. The curriculum on data center engineering--DCU is an IEEE educational partner--but one of the 15 curricular spokes does deal with the physical security of data centers. Cristiana Quinn, director of worldwide customer education for APC, said the courses are "designed by our instructional designers, along with the NCPI [an IT certification house]." Users take the courses through Macromedia Breeze, an e-learning product that allows for self-paced learning with voice and video. Quinn said courses have already been approved by telecom association BICSI, but DCU has not approached security associations yet, mostly because APC doesn't currently have the knowledge base to create high-level courses. However, said Quinn, "APC did just acquire NetBotz, and because that happened recently we might gain more interest in knowledge in security." NetBotz's company mission involves closing "the coverage gap between traditional physical security and cyber security," so this could be interesting in the future for integrators working with IT departments. The courses at www.datacenteruniversity.com are free until April 1; after that date users will pay $79 a course. Live classroom courses will begin in the third quarter of 2006. This reporter took the free physical security of the data center course and can report that it's mostly targeted toward the end user, like a corporate security officer. It outlines which assets need physical security, the basics of access control and takes about 45 minutes to complete. The woman who narrates the course sure does have a pleasant voice, however.