Affiliate Classroom to Launch Affiliate Manager Training and Certification Course

COLLEGE PARK, Md., Feb. 5 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- The Affiliate Classroom, a leading publisher of educational tools for the interactive advertising industry, announced that it will launch an innovative training and certification program for professional Affiliate Managers called "AC Certified". The company will officially launch the program at their Affiliate Manager Workshop held on February 23, 2008 at the Rio All Suite Casino and Hotel in Las Vegas, NV.

The program is made up of three components:

1. Training

2. Certification

3. Careers

1 - Training: The foundation of the AC Certified program is an automated, online training course. It includes volumes of text, illustrations, downloadable resources and video presentations. The course offers instruction on a broad range of affiliate program management topics such as how to launch an affiliate program, creating a fair commission structure, and how to recruit, train and communicate with affiliates.

2 - Certification: At the end of the course, individuals are presented with a final exam. When they achieve a passing grade on the exam, they are awarded their official Affiliate Manager Certification. AC Certified Affiliate Managers receive a digital certificate logo to place on their website, and their names are listed on the ACCertified.com website.

3 - Careers: The program is rounded out with a career center designed to join affiliate managers with the merchants, networks and agencies that are looking to hire them. Certified affiliate managers can list themselves and search through open positions. Likewise, employers can post their open positions and search for pre-qualified, certified affiliate managers and certified outsourced program management agencies.

"We didn't want to stop at a pure training series this time," said Anik Singal, the company's CEO. "We set out to create a program that not only allows affiliate managers to learn the information they need to know but also allows them to earn industry-recognized credentials and quickly and easily be connected to the merchants, networks and agencies that so desperately need them. With the help of our expert Advisory Board, we reached our objectives."

The Advisory Board for the AC Certified program includes:

-- Peter Figueredo -CEO and co-founder of NETexponent.

-- Sam Harrelson -CEO of ReveNews

-- Jeremy Palmer - Super affiliate and creator of "Quit Your Day Job"

-- Heather Paulson - President and founder of Paulson Management Group, Inc.

-- Lisa Riolo - Founder of Hammock Ventures

-- Brook Schaaf - CEO of Schaaf Consulting

Lisa Riolo commented, "Having an independent, credible resource offering certifications benefits everyone in Affiliate Marketing. And, with its excellent reputation and years of educational contribution to the industry, Affiliate Classroom is clearly in the ideal position to create and maintain the standards for certifying affiliate marketing professionals."

Certification is a cornerstone in many traditional professions like real estate and accounting. In recent years, the concept has been transferred to the interactive advertising industry as the likes of Google and Yahoo Search Marketing have begun training and certifying marketers.

"As this program grows, I expect to see employers requiring or showing preference for AC Certified Affiliate Managers when they are hiring," said Peter Figueredo.

Brook Schaaf added, "Affiliate marketing management is more complicated and involved than many - perhaps most - people realize. This certification course will provide a solid groundwork for people new to the industry. This is a welcome addition to the affiliate marketplace that should help to cultivate the next generation of affiliate managers, who are generally in short supply."

Affiliate Classroom has been a recognized provider of Affiliate Manager training since hosting an "Affiliate Manager Bootcamp" in January of 2006 that saw over 100 attendees. Following that event, the company published the now retired "The Affiliate Manager 1st Edition" training course which was sold as a workbook, DVDs and audio CDs.

More information about AC Certified can be found at http://www.ACCertified.com

More information about the live workshop and launch event can be found at http://www.AffiliateClassroomLIVE.com

About Affiliate Classroom, Inc.

Established in October of 2004 as a private company, Affiliate Classroom is a leading publisher of educational tools for interactive marketers. The growing product suite includes courses, books, live seminars, digital magazines and online forums for affiliates, merchants and advertisers participating in the affiliate marketing industry as well as materials for PPC (pay per click) search marketing. http://www.AffiliateClassroom.com