IKM joins forces with Majinate to provide knowledge measurement solutions to the new and burgeoning open handset market

London, UK – Thursday, September 15, 2005IKM, a leading provider of web-based employee and candidate knowledge measurement solutions and services, and Majinate, a telephony software engineering and consulting company, today announced the signing of a partnership contract to provide a complete and tailored solution to the mobile market.

The partnership is a result of a growing need to improve quality and streamline engineering productivity within the open mobile handset market.

Using IKMā€™s open assessment platform, Majinate will be the first to provide a knowledge measurement program to assess the skills and capabilities of developers for key operating systems in the mobile space.

ā€œThe rise of open operating systems for data-enabled handsets has improved the capabilities of phones, but creates a new level of complexity in production.Ā  Combined with the massive scale of mobile phone deployment, production errors are very costly to rectify once phones are shipped,ā€ said Ian Weston, Founder, Majinate.

IKM and Majinateā€™s joint knowledge measurement program ensures the capabilities of engineers are maintained at the right level to minimize manufacturing errors and optimize production.Ā Ā  It also improves the quality of complimentary applications developed for the open handset market, allowing greater creativity and innovation.

A user-friendly solution that encourages self-learning, IKM and Majinateā€™s knowledge measurement program is already being adopted in Europe.

ā€œIndividuals can assess their skill levels to identify any training requirements before embarking on development projects. Accessed via the Internet using an authorisation process for developer validation, the program provides a unique ā€˜self-helpā€™ approach to optimise usability,ā€ said Weston.

IKMā€™s knowledge measurement solutions use an unparalleled assessment methodology to provide the most efficient and effective way to identify strengths, weaknesses and overall proficiency, at an individual or group level.Ā  Using IKMā€™s methodology platform, web-based assessments will be developed for the engineers of open operating handset developers.

ā€œIKMā€™s methodology platform can quickly and easily be developed for knowledge measurement and certification programs in any discipline, including mobile phone engineering,ā€ said Marie-Paule Donsimoni, CEO, IKM.

With Majinateā€™s expertise in mobile open operating systems and processes, the partnership will allow IKMā€™s assessment solutions to be used for skill gap analysis, training needs analysis, training evaluation and recruitment across the industry.

ā€œIKM and Majinate will provide the ability to assess, accredit and co-ordinate training of engineers in the mobile space, ensuring that individuals get the development they need and that production teams perform at an optimum level,ā€ said Donsimoni.

This partnership further solidifies IKMā€™s position as a leader in knowledge measurement and certification solutions for the enterprise.

ā€œThis year IKM has experienced substantial growth, having added new clients such as Reuters Software in Thailand, CountryWide Finance in the USA, or Birlasoft in India.Ā  We are now pleased to have Majinate as a partner to provide tailored solutions for the mobile market which will further expand IKMā€™s footprint across the globe, ā€œ said Donsimoni.

About IKM

IKMā€™s web-based assessments produce an objective and comprehensive profile of knowledge and skill of candidates and employees to enhance and optimize hiring, training, project staffing, skill-gap analysis, benchmarking, career development and certification.

Known for its flagship solution IKM TeckChekTM, IKM has a wide range of assessment and certification packages for all industries and disciplines, including IT, Project Management, Sales, ECDL/ICDL, MS Office, Clerical, Legal, Accounting, Retail, Nursing and Call Center.

Featuring a unique assessment methodology for its professional range of solutions, IKM offers the most effective and cost efficient way of measuring knowledge, creating a clear competitive advantage by increasing your return on investment (ROI) for your human capital initiatives.

Used by corporations, IT Outsourcing companies, staffing agencies, training organizations and schools, IKM is a subsidiary of Krest LLC and is headquartered in the US, with offices and affiliations spanning the globe.
IKMā€™s client base includes Keane, Compuware, Accenture HR, Bank of America, Deutsche Bank, HSBC, GE Capital, Lloyds TSB, Prudential, IBM, Siemens, Nortel and Reuters Software. For more information visit:Ā www.IKMnet.com

About Majinate

Founded in 2004, Majinate is a specialist software engineering and consulting company for the mobile industry.Ā  With expertise in mobile operating systems and processes, Majinate provides high level consulting services including project management, product delivery, procurement and supplier management. With in-depth understanding of partnership approaches, Majinate is able to rapidly bring together project teams to implement solutions using best of breed components, leading to long term business engagements and substantial project risk reduction.

For more information visit:Ā www.majinate.com

IKM Americas
COO
Ken Strauss
Ph: +1 (732) 249 9812 x100
Email: [email protected]
IKM Europe
VP European Operations
Richard Newton
Ph: +44 (0)20-8401-1188
Email: [email protected]
IKM Australasia
VP Asia Pacific Operations
Frank Palinkas
Ph: +61 (3) 9580 1633
EMail: [email protected]
Majinate
Founder
Ian Weston
Ph: +44 (0) 7747 065 410
Email: [email protected]
IKM Africa
Andrew Stark
VP Africa Operations
Ph: +27 (84) 554-9238
Email: [email protected]