Axis Communications announced that it opened a new training center at its U.S. headquarters in Chelmsford, Mass., for members of its Channel Partner Program, and will provide Axis Communications’ Academy trainings. The primary driver for the training program is to educate and certify partners on the ongoing technology shift from analog CCTV to IP-based video surveillance systems.

“Network video is growing rapidly and the benefits of the technology have become clear to a wide range of end users,” said Fredrik Nilsson, general manager, Axis Communications Inc. “Higher image quality, better scalability, and greater flexibility are advantages that give an extra push to the technology shift, along with lower total cost of ownership. The courses offered by the Academy enable security and IT professionals to smoothly adopt network video and to learn about the new technology.”

The Mikael Karlsson Training Center was named in honor of one of Axis’ founders, Mikael Karlsson, who passed away in 2005. The first of its monthly training sessions in Chelmsford began on February 14, 2008. The Academy consists of a number of different levels, starting at an introductory level and going on to higher levels with a focus on more specialized topics.

To support Axis partners and customers globally, Axis Communications’ Academy conducts training at a number of locations in the United States, Europe and Asia. Since the start of the Academy in 2005, more than 5,000 professionals have been educated on the benefits of network video.

“The market for network video products is currently growing at about 40 percent per year, creating a great need for knowledge exchange,” Nilsson said. “This has become very evident in the market response for the Academy. In 2007 alone, we educated close to 3,000 persons worldwide, of which more than 1,000 were in North America.”

For information visit www.axis.com/us/academy/agenda1.htm.