CWNP WIRELESS LAN TRAINING NOW USED IN 75% OF FORTUNE 100 COMPANIES

Organizations and Wi-Fi Industry Leaders Continue to Fuel Growth of Vendor Neutral Program

ATLANTA, Georgia, January 10, 2005 - The CWNP Program, the industry standard for wireless LAN training and certification, today announced that employees at 75 percent of Fortune 100 companies have turned to CWNP for their wireless LAN training and certification needs. The vendor-neutral CWNP certifications appeal to organizations that want their IT staffs to become experts at wireless technology, rather than one specific product line. The 75 percent use rate of the Fortune100 was determined by reviewing the companies of customers that have taken CWNP exams, self-studied, and by polling CWNP Learning Partners that provide instructor-led training in 18 countries.

This news follows a year of significant growth of the CWNP Program, including being named the third fastest-rising certification by the CRN 2004 Certification Study. With the importance of network security, CWSP wireless LAN security training and certification is a favorite among customers for its breadth of wireless security information covered.

"Your best investment is your career, and IT professionals are investing their future in wireless with CWNP training," said Kevin Sandlin, CEO and cofounder of the CWNP Program. "Fortune 100 companies are the biggest and most well-known corporations in the United States, and it makes a significant statement when employees at 75 percent of them choose CWNP to help their careers and their wireless networks."

The CWNP Program also saw significant growth in 2004 outside of the United States, where certification now accounts for 30 percent of all people certified. This dispersion rate is coming closer to matching that of the wireless LAN hardware market itself. A study conducted in November 2004 by Infonetics Research found that North America accounts for just under half of WLAN hardware revenue; EMEA (Europe, Middle East, and Africa) accounts for about a quarter, followed closely by Asia Pacific at 24 percent. A world map of the distribution of CWNPs shows the commitment and importance North America, EMEA, and Asia Pacific has placed on training and certification. As wireless continues to grow in other countries, CWNPs in those areas will rise as well. View the map here.

The CWNP Program continues to attract the top Wi-Fi industry leaders as partners that recommend or require the CWNP certification. Six additional technology partners were added in 2004, resulting in an impressive list that includes AirDefense, Airespace, AirMagnet, Airwave, Aruba Wireless Networks, BlueSocket, Chantry Networks, Colubris Networks, Fortress Technologies, Funk Software, Network Chemistry, Network Instruments, Propagate Networks, smartBridges, Symbol, TamoSoft, Trapeze Networks, Vernier Networks, and WildPackets.

About The CWNP Program

The CWNP Program is the industry standard for wireless LAN training and certification. IT professionals in 86 countries have achieved CWNP certification in how to make wireless LANs more secure, cost-effective, and reliable. More than 20 Wi-Fi industry-leading companies have become technology partners with the CWNP Program. The CWNP Program was created by Planet3 Wireless, Inc., a privately-held Georgia corporation. For more information about the CWNP Program, visit www.cwnp.com