Who we are

Oxford Computer Training is the specialist identity training company of Oxford Computer Group, a global family of companies.

Oxford Computer Training team
Jane, Andi, Susanna, Paul, Kathryn, Mark, Julie, Steve, James, Hugh, Moth

We offer industry-leading courses on Identity and Security technologies from the Microsoft identity stack including MIM and Microsoft Entra ID (formerly Azure AD).

Established in 2003, we have trained more than 7,500 IT professionals in six continents in the last decade. We pride ourselves on the high quality of our courses and instructors, and the consistently excellent feedback we get from students.

We are based in Oxford, UK, and have a global reach. Wherever you are in the world we can train your IT professionals.

  • Join our live, instructor-led training from anywhere via Teams or Zoom. Typically it takes place in Central European time and North American Eastern time.
  • Prefer to study online in your own time? Our MIM Foundation and MIM Advanced courses are available as self-paced courses.
  • Our courses and trainers can be exclusively yours! We will run a live, instructor-led private course for your IT team in any time zone.

History

Oxford Computer Group began as a training company in 1983 in Oxford, England. It soon grew to teaching IT professionals a whole range of technologies. And we’ve been doing it ever since.

Since 2002 we have focused predominantly on Microsoft identity and access products.

DCIM100GOPROGOPR0291.Hugh Simpson-Wells, founder and chief executive of OCG, pictured right, says:

“Personal computers were virtually unknown in those days. Businesses were only just waking up to the potential and power of IT within their organizations. To us it was very clear that IT would change entirely how business works and how we communicate with one another.

“We began by teaching some basic coding to kids. Now we teach some of the most complex technologies, giving people the power to link disparate systems across global enterprises and do business better and smarter, and communicate more effectively.”

Reputation

If you’re looking for the world’s finest training in Microsoft identity and access technologies, then you’ve just found it.

Oxford Computer Training’s reputation is based on exceptionally positive feedback from our customers, who include Microsoft themselves and our competitors. We were commissioned by Microsoft to write the Forefront Identity Manager (FIM) training courses and have since written the definitive MIM courses.

Part of a winning team

Oxford Computer Training is part of Oxford Computer Group, winners of the Microsoft Partner of the Year in 1991, 1993, 2000, 2008, 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2018, and finalists in 2007, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012,  and 2016.

Excellent customer reviews

Our people

Hugh Simpson Wells, CEO of Oxford Computer Training
Hugh Simpson-Wells - Founder, Consultant and Trainer

Hugh Simpson-Wells - Founder, Consultant and Trainer

Hugh has lived and breathed IT for more than 40 years in technical, management and board level roles. Hugh has been described as “a guy that everyone just wants to be around.” The loyalty of his staff and colleagues over four decades bears this out. Hugh still loves to teach and can regularly be found in the classroom. He has led Oxford Computer Training for nearly a decade after it was born as the specialist training company of Oxford Computer Group.

Hugh bakes some of the world’s most delicious chocolate cakes, enjoys making and fixing things, sailing his boat and likes listening to progressive rock.

Connect with Hugh on LinkedIn

Paul Captainino, instructor
Paul Captainino - Trainer and Consultant

Paul Captainino - Trainer and Consultant

Paul often works on consulting projects alone and enjoys using his skills to get stuck in to solving a whole variety of customers’ problems. When he’s teaching, he shares all this detailed knowledge and experience with his students, who – almost without exception – rave about his presentation skills in conveying some very tricky technical concepts.

Paul loves cycling and when he’s teaching in far-flung corners of the world, he usually takes his bike with him. Paul is fuelled by tea and chocolate biscuits (cookies).

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn!

James Cowling, OCT's CTO
James Cowling - Director

James Cowling - Director

James is a co-founder of Oxford Computer Group, and co-wrote the training courses for MIIS, ILM, FIM and MIM. He has been the primary architect of many complex customer solutions involving the integration of these and other products.

In 2018, he co-wrote our new Azure AD Connect Masterclass and has since taught it in the UK and Germany. He lives in Germany with his wife, three sons, and an office full of hardware that he can’t bring himself to part with.

 

Andi Sheeka of Oxford Computer Training
Andi Sheeka - Managing Director

Andi Sheeka - Managing Director

As our technical architect, Andi ensures our corporate infrastructure is working smoothly, efficiently and securely. She has long experience as a trainer, course writer, and as a consultant. She knows about enterprise architecture, system deployment, identity management, AD, MIM/FIM, cloud, Azure, and how everything connects.

In her so-called spare time, Andi’s currently building herself a new house.

Steve Mitchell of Oxford Computer Training
Steve Mitchell - Technical Consultant

Steve Mitchell - Technical Consultant

Steve has worked in IT since his early teens in the 1970s when he helped University of Oxford professors develop biology tracking applications. For the last 45 years he has worked with a wide range of technology; developing encryption and network devices, getting patents for clients, and more recently developing most of the tools used by Oxford Computer Group, and providing identity consulting. Steve is one of the founders of Oxford Computer Group.

Mark Forbes Oxford Computer Training's Sales Manager
Mark Forbes - Business Development Manager

Mark Forbes - Business Development Manager

Mark is one of the friendliest people you’ll ever meet – which we think is a vital characteristic for a commercial manager.

Mark is a Coventry City Football Club supporter. (For US readers, that’s soccer). To overcome this source of perpetual disappointment, Mark delights in his family which is growing again with the arrival of numerous beautiful grandchildren and the acquisition of a cute but bonkers dog called Dylan.

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn

Moth Clark of Oxford Computer Training
Moth Clark - Course and Communications Administrator

Moth Clark - Course and Communications Administrator

Moth is our ‘Man Friday’ tackling a range of tasks from marketing and communications, to proofing, editing and testing course materials, and whatever else needs attention. He stands up our students’ virtual machines, supports online students and ensures all our students have everything they need to successfully complete their courses. He spent 27 years as a civil servant, including many years on the front line of customer service – so nothing can test his patience. He is, he says, a ‘professional pedant’ – valuable skills, we think.

When not chained to his desk, Moth escapes to the woods (or the fields, mountains, hills, moors or beaches) to seek out and photograph the natural world, especially birds. His exceptional photos can be seen on Twitter.  His name, by the way, is short for Timothy.

kathryn Bailey of Oxford Computer Training
Kathryn Bailey - Finance Manager

Kathryn Bailey - Finance Manager

Kathryn looks after our accounts and all our financial matters. She has been doing this for longer than she would care to admit.

Mary Thomas - Oxford Computer Training
Mary Thomas - Marketing Manager

Mary Thomas - Marketing Manager

Mary manages the marketing activity for Oxford Computer Training. She writes blogs and emails, manages the social media channels, and is our webmaster – so any typos or errors you spot here are entirely her responsibility.

When not doing marketing stuff, Mary enjoys cooking, reading, and travelling the world.

Connect with Mary on LinkedIn.

Wherever you are in the world we can help you get the specialist Microsoft identity training you need.
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