How come none of your MS Office courses are on your schedule?
Our MS Office courses are only available for on-site delivery to our corporate clients. Please contact us if you would like more information, including pricing. Our on-site pricing will probably much less than what you pay now for MS Office training - and we're more than happy to provide you with a reference that will attest to the quality of our MS Office training programs.

What do your "All Inclusive" courses include?
Our "All Inclusive" courses include the following:

• Round-trip airfare from most major airports in the US, as well as portions of Canada
• Individual hotel accommodation for the duration of your course (no room sharing)
• Round-trip transportation from the RDU International Airport to your hotel, and transportation from the hotel to/from our offices.

What airline do you use for air travel, and when can I expect to arrive/depart?
We book air travel much the same way you do - using several online travel web sites (we like sidestep.com and southwest.com the best). As such, we have no specific airlines that we use (though we much prefer to use Southwest or JetBlue if flights are available).

When we book your travel our primary goal is to have you arrive in the Raleigh/Durham area the day before your class begins, and have you return home on the last day of class. Since our time zone is EST, this is typically not a problem.

When you enroll in one of our "all inclusive" packages, you'll get to select your departure airport, smoking preference, aisle/window seat preference, and departure airport. If we need to deviate from any of your preferences, we'll call you first to confirm. Once everything is set, you'll receive an itinerary, e-tickets, etc. all via email (typically within 24 hours).

How can I tell if there is space left in a class?
For competitive reasons, we don't display the space that is available in a class. In order to determine course availability, please contact us at 877-258-8987, or via email to info@otg-nc.com.

Our prices are (very) competitive, the quality of instruction is top-notch (did you check out our testimonials?), and our classes are limited to a maximum of 12 students. As a result, we encourage you enroll as soon as you decide to take a class (don't wait!).

I noticed that a class is in your online catalog, but isn't currently on your calendar - when will it be scheduled?
Many of our courses are scheduled based on demand, as a result, the best way to get a class on the calendar is to ask for it. If demand is sufficient (or if we feel like a change of pace), we'll put it on the calendar.

Another way to get a class is using our on-site option - if you've got 4 people that are interested in a class, we can bring the class to you (and it'll be cheaper than you coming to us). Call us at 877-258-8987 for more information.

Do I need to rent a car if I enroll using a package course?
No. The hotel partners that we work with all provide free shuttle services to/from the airport, as well as to/from our offices. There are also numerous restaraunts nearby (within walking, or free shuttle distance) so you don't need to rent a car. Some students like to explore, visit nearby parks, or go to the movies in the evenings - in these cases we would recommend a rental car (chances are someone in your class will be renting a car - and you might be able to tag along with them!)

Which of your courses are "Guaranteed to Run"?
Most of our package courses are guaranteed to run, your enrollment specialist will explain more. If a course is guaranteed to run, we pledge to not cancel the course due to low enrollment.

For our courses that are not guaranteed to run, we pledge to cover the cost of hotel and airfare to allow you to travel to one of our courses that is running (if one is scheduled elsewhere). In these cases, you'll have the option of receiving credit, a full refund, or travelling (on our dime) to another course.

Can you customize your courses for on-site delivery?
Yes. Since we own all of our courseware it is easy for us to cusotmize a solution to meet your needs - usually at no extra cost! Simply let us know which "pieces" of which courses that you want and we will compile the course that meets your specific needs.

If we don't have the course material that meets your needs pre-built, we can also build it for you!

Do you resell your courseware?
No. At present our courseware is only available for delivery by one of our instructors. When a third party delivers our courseware, it is difficult for us to ensure the quality of instruction (since we don't know the instructor and his/her qualifications), and it reflects badly on us.

However, we are more than happy to provide you with an instructor and the courseware to deliver a course

What does the hotel provide, and do I need to share a room?
All rooms are single-occupancy (one person per room - no room sharing). The hotel provides free wireless Internet access, free domestic long distance calling, a free shuttle to/from the airport and to/from our offices, and a free continental breakfast.

I want to stay a bit longer to check out all that North Carolina has to offer, can I still do that with your all inclusive packages?
Definitely! Make sure that you let your enrollment specialist know that you want to stay a bit longer, and make sure that you note your arrival/departure preferences on your enrollment form. Please note that we only provide hotel accommodation for the duration of the course, and if you stay longer you'll be responsible for your own accommodation after or before class.

How are you affiliated with the PostgreSQL Global Development Group (PostgreSQL project)?
While we do not contribute code to PostgreSQL, OTG is an active corporate member of the PostgreSQL community in every other way: we donate a portion of the proceeds of our training programs to the PostgreSQL community; and we donate our staff to help man PostgreSQL booths at PostgreSQL advocacy events (such as conferences such as Linux World).

What PostgreSQL certifications exist, and which are worth pursuing?
At present the Japanese company SRA OSS maintains the PearsonVUE PostgreSQL Silver and Gold certifications. These are presently the only certifications that are recognized. Several PostgreSQL companies have created their own independent certifications that we don't recommend or endorse. These certifications are "paper" certifications, and are not recognized by employers. Additionally, we're more than happy to provide you with these certifications free of charge when you attend one of our PostgreSQL courses.

Who supplies your PostgreSQL curriculum?
Our curriculum is a mix of materials. The courseware, guides, and other documentation used in class is developed by our in-house PostgreSQL instructors - and as we don't presently license it, is only available through us. We maintain the largest set of PostgreSQL training material in the world, and it continues to grow as we add new PostgreSQL courses based on our customer needs.

What exactly is AJAX?
Ajax, shorthand for Asynchronous JavaScript and XML, is a web development technique for creating interactive web applications. The intent is to make web pages feel more responsive by exchanging small amounts of data with the server behind the scenes, so that the entire web page does not have to be reloaded each time the user requests a change. This is meant to increase the web page's interactivity, speed, and usability. (from Wikipedia)

A great example of an AJAX application is our enrollment form, which performs server-side data validation while you are completing the enrollment process. If you enter invalid data, the server will update the web page and display the appropriate error message. Notice that the page is updated when you move from field to field - as opposed to when you hit the "submit" button. AJAX can be used to "smooth out" the user experience, and make web applications function more like desktop applications.

How can I ask questions during a virtual course?
The software we use for our virtual courses has a few different methods that you can use to ask questions:

• You can ask questions via telephone, using a dial-in number provided to you at the start of class.
• You can type your questions via a chat window
• If you have a microphone attached to your computer, you can ask questions using that microphone

What are the software/hardware requirements for a virtual course?
In order to attend one of our virtual courses, you must have the following:

• A broadband internet connection (for the audio/video portions of the class, as well as to access our desktop systems remotely)
• A computer running Windows, Linux, or Mac OSX (other operating systems may work, but are not officially supported).
• A microphone is desirable, but is not required (we provide dial-in options for asking questions, as well as chat options.)
• The most recent version of Adobe Flash

If I select the all-inclusive package, what hotel will I stay at?
Our hotel partner is Wingate by Wyndham, a nearby hotel that offers numerous amenities and spacious rooms. Amenities include:

• Wireless internet access (free)
• Hot breakfast in the morning, managers reception in the evening
• Free shuttle services to/from the RDU airport, our facility, local entertainment, and local restaurants.
• Close proximity to numerous restaurants, and across the street from Starbucks