EDS: When People are the Product

At the heart of the Technical Excellence Program is a variety of blended-learning opportunities that provide independent study in structured curriculum paths, live hands-on labs for experiential learning, Web-based courseware, resource subscriptions, coaching and mentoring, and courses taught over the EDS Global Broadcast Network.

The program features newly developed Skills Enhancement Fast Tracks focused on a dozen key EDS partner technologies, including Microsoft .NET, Java 2 Enterprise Edition (J2EE), Cisco Networking, Oracle Enterprise Applications, Windows Server 2003 Management, SQL Server, Sun Solaris and others. EDS leverages Toolwire LiveLabs to provide on-demand and scheduled virtual labs for the majority of these prioritized fast tracks.

The blended learning solution has been deployed to all EDS consultants worldwide. Feedback from participants has been positive—many rave about the enhanced opportunities for skills development. The program has received complete support and endorsement from the highest levels of executive leadership at EDS.

The corporate goal of the Technical Excellence Program is to directly impact bottom-line costs and enhance delivery capabilities, with a positive ROI in the field. Initially, EDS management set a goal of 20,000 trained individuals by the end of 2005. Amazingly, the Skills Enhancement Fast Tracks touched more than 50,000 consultants with over 170,000 technical courses in the first year—250 percent ahead of plan and one year ahead of schedule. “We have been able to provide our consultants with greater skills transfer because they are quickly able to translate concepts into skills, thus bridging the gap between education and experience,” Bridges said.

David James Clarke IV is co-founder and chief evangelist for Toolwire. He can be reached at dclarke@clomedia.com.