CAMBRIDGE, MA -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 09/19/06 -- The Competitive Intelligence Certification Program (CIP(TM)) run by the Fuld-Gilad-Herring Academy of Competitive Intelligence (ACI), a program that has trained over 8,000 managers worldwide, recently awarded its 150th CIP certification, coinciding with its fifth anniversary. The CIP certificate signifies the highest level of professional achievement in the field of CI.

"If more companies took care to thoroughly train their managers and executives in how to produce and how to use intelligence in all levels of the organization, fiascos such as those at HP and Coke would be much less likely to occur," says Dr. Ben Gilad, President of the Academy.

In a survey of the certified graduates, 42% reported that the certification had helped advance their careers. The same percentage said the professional accreditation improved their credibility with senior management. Over 87% claimed new knowledge for analyzing competition. Over 20% reported gaining a promotion or being more attractive to recruiters in job searches.

ACI is an educational institution dedicated to training corporate managers to use competitive intelligence to improve their effectiveness in developing strategies and anticipating new market opportunities. It is the only institution to offer an externally accredited Competitive Intelligence Professional (CIP(TM)) certificate program -- a complete intelligence program, from basics to advanced analysis -- developed and led by the leading thinkers and educators in the field: Leonard Fuld, Ben Gilad and Jan Herring.

Certification as a Competitive Intelligence Professional requires a rigorous course of training in the collection, analysis, management and use of intelligence in any given company and any given industry. CIPs are required to be proficient in such diverse areas as sales and market intelligence, strategic risk/strategic opportunity analysis and applying ethical guidelines. Graduates are required to sit through a qualifying exam before they are certified.

CIPs surveyed report tangible benefits from their rather arduous training. One participant, Ben Iosafa of Methanex, a global leader in methanol production, said his training "provided practical tools that allowed awareness and excitement around CI to flourish throughout my company. On many occasions, we have been able to generate millions of dollars on transactions made possible by having industry-leading competitive intelligence. We have shared CI-based industry forecasts with our customers and gained credibility through the accuracy of our predictions to help our customers plan their business. Our position as an industry leader has been significantly enhanced by using some of the ACI tools to gather, analyze, and act on value adding CI."

ACI's alumni come from 28 countries with over half the Fortune 500 having attended its courses since inception. The Academy's founders, Leonard Fuld, Ben Gilad, and Jan Herring, represent the leading thinkers in the industry and have all received the highest awards from the Society of Competitive Intelligence Professionals. They have been recognized for their expertise in competitive intelligence by: Business Week, CNBC, The Economist, Fast Company, Forbes, Fortune, FNN, The New York Times, United Nations and The Wall Street Journal.

For further information on the CIP Certification Program, go to http://www.academyci.com/.

Contact:
Leonard Fuld
Fuld & Co.
617-492-5900