HDI Expands Global Reach with New Operations in Europe, the Middle East and Africa and New International Certification Partner

HDI's Network Now Spans Every Continent Across the Globe

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. — April 3, 2006 — HDI (http://thinkhdi.com), the world's largest membership association for IT service and support professionals and the premier certification body for the industry, today announced new operations in the Middle East, Africa and Europe. HDI’s parent company, Think Service, Inc. has established Think Service Europe BV. In addition, HDI has established a presence in Dubai, UAE to manage the Middle East and Africa with offices in Saudi Arabia and Egypt. With these latest developments, HDI expands its global family of associations to include operations in North America (HDI’s global headquarters in the US), South America (HDI Brazil), Europe (Think Service Europe BV), Asia (HDI Japan), Australia (Help Desk Association Australia), the Middle East and Africa (HDI MEA).

Under the terms of the new partnership agreement, HDI will achieve exclusive representation for all HDI-related products and services in the Middle East and Africa. HDI-MEA will establish a membership association and provide HDI Certification training to IT service and support professionals, as well as offer the HDI Support Center Certification program and audit process. In addition, HDI-MEA will develop an HDI Annual Conference and Expo in the region. The new European HDI office will open in Amsterdam in the second quarter of 2006, and will be headed by HDI’s executive director of international development, Richard Baucom.

In addition, HDI has expanded its ability to provide HDI Certification testing around the globe through a new agreement with Pearson VUE (http://www.pearsonvue.com). Pearson VUE is the global leader in electronic testing services for academic admissions, certification and licensure programs. The company offers exams through the world’s largest network of more than 4,000 test centers in 145 countries, providing testing services for IT, regulatory and certification boards, academic, government and corporate clients. Pearson VUE now offers HDI Certification testing in the Americas, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and Australia.

“We are delighted to be able to bring the valuable resources HDI provides to help desk and IT service and support professionals to the Middle East and Africa. The service and support industry is quickly expanding in this part of the world, and we are proud to be able to offer HDI-related education and certification to this region,” said Moustafa Kadous, president and CEO, HDI MEA.

“As the global community of HDI grows, so does our knowledge and understanding of the support industry, reaching across cultural and geographic boundaries,” said Richard Baucom, executive director of international development, HDI. “We’re excited and passionate about enabling global communities to come together and learn from one another.”

“Through our new European and Middle East offices and the new global agreement with Pearson VUE, HDI continues to meet its mission of leading and promoting the industry and empowering the IT support profession on a global scale, with industry publications and reports, events and forums and the most internationally recognized, standards-based industry certification and training programs in the world,” said Ron Muns, founder and CEO, HDI.

About HDI
HDI is the world's largest membership association for IT service and support professionals and the premier certification body for the industry. Founded in 1989, HDI's mission is to lead and promote the IT service and support industry by empowering its members through access to timely and valuable industry information, including reports and publications; encouraging member collaboration through events and online forums; and establishing internationally recognized, standards-based industry certification and training programs. In addition to membership, certification and training, HDI produces the world's largest and highest-rated event for service and support professionals, the HDI Annual Conference & Expo. HDI is member-focused, and remains vendor-neutral in its efforts to facilitate open, independent networking and information sharing within its global association network. HDI has more than 7,500 members worldwide including most of the Fortune 500, and 60 local chapters in North America. For more information, visit http://www.thinkhdi.com.

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