Virtual Training: As Real as it Gets

Just as much of the technology that drives enterprise operations has gone virtual, so too has the training to provide ongoing IT staff education. Live virtual IT training goes far beyond a mere online curriculum. Faced with travel restrictions owing to budgetary or time constraints, more enterprises are opting to limit staff travel.

Rest assured, however, attending virtual training instead of a traditional training session does not mean you have to miss out on the full, immersive training experience. With the right training provider, attending a live virtual classroom delivers almost the same experience as being there in person. And as more IT departments and staff opt for live virtual training, it becomes engrained as part of the ongoing educational culture. Beyond the time and cost savings of live virtual training, it also helps organizations reduce their carbon footprint—no planes, trains, or automobiles.

“There is a big trend toward live virtual training. It has become wildly popular,” says Myles Brown, Senior Cloud and DevOps Advisor for ExitCertified. “Now you can pick classes twice a week no matter where you are. It gives you so much more choice.”

Most of the course material available from in-person instructors through ExitCertified is also available through their Individual Multimedia Video Presence (iMVP®) training delivery platform, which has already empowered more than 31,000 IT professionals to advance their careers.

The technology used to present course material has evolved to the point where it provides as accurate and realistic a live virtual experience as possible. “We use Zoom rooms, which is the best of breed, and the market seems to agree,” says Brown. Class schedules are similar to what they would be if they were being conducted live. “We typically run regular classroom hours. They are live virtual classes, so we want to replicate the live in-class experience as closely as possible.”

While most of the in-person courses are available through ExitCertified’s iMVP, in some cases, there are classes that are only available through iMVP. “If a class is rare or covers an obscure technology, there might not be enough interest to conduct a live class in one geographic area. In that case, we can run a class virtually,” says Brown.

According to Brown, the top factors to consider when choosing a live virtual training provider are experience, inclusivity, a dedicated team, vendor-authorized training, and best-of-breed technology for an immersive experience. “Make sure everyone feels like they are part of a class,” he says.

If live virtual training sounds like a good fit for you or your organization, check out the Individual Multimedia Video Presence (iMVP) program to learn more about the platform and available options.