This week, Cisco unveiled the winners of its 2012 Learning Partner Awards at its Global Learning Partner Conference in Cancun, Mexico.

Cisco Learning Partners help Cisco prepare partners to meet their customers' technology needs by providing technical and business-readiness authorized training and enablement. Cisco Learning Partners provide the advanced technical, certification, and product training to individuals that enable Cisco partners and customers to deploy technology and business solutions with greater confidence and increase the overall productivity and profitability of their businesses. Cisco authorized training provides a solid foundation of skills and resources to enable channel partners to design, implement, and manage the latest converging technologies.

The Cisco Learning Partner Awards recognize exemplary Learning Partners who demonstrate best-in-class business practices. These winners also  serve as a model to the industry. Criteria include:

• Collaboration with Cisco and other Learning Partners
• Developing innovative new programs to enhance the student experience
• Acceleration of positive growth
• Delivering the highest quality training and enablement for the channel

Award winners in various categories are below. 

Sakigake Innovation Award
Cisco awarded this year's Sakigake Innovation awards by region to the Learning Partners who aggressively and innovatively leveraged technology to make Cisco IT training dramatically more proactive, productive, and essential to creating business value. These organizations also consistently think differently about what is required to compete in the future.

Regional winners in the Sakigake category are:

• Americas -Tech 2000
• AJPC -Fastlane Asia Pacific
• EMEAR -NIL Data Communications

Cassini Collaboration Award
Learning Partners awarded in this category have demonstrated their dedication to collaboration, including business relationships and alliances that have helped them achieve exceptional results in Cisco IT Training.

Regional winners in the Cassini category are:

• Americas -Skyline Advanced Technology Services
• APJC -Training Partners Pte Ltd
• EMEAR -Torque IT

Chandrayaan Acceleration Award
Cisco awards the Chandrayaan Acceleration award to the Learning Partner in each region who achieves positive growth year over year. Accelerating opportunities to leverage and adopt technology is the key to long-term business growth and productivity.

Regional winners in the Chandrayaan category are:

• Acceleration Award Direct
  • Americas -Centro Netec/Global Knowledge
  • APJC -Global Knowledge Network Asia Pte Ltd
  • EMEAR -Fast Lane Institute for Knowledge Transfer
• Acceleration Award Two Tier
  • Americas - Lexis Educaci