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Artist certification

ARTist Certification Program

ARTist = Artist + ART (Azure Real-Time Voice Agent Framework)

A certification program for practitioners building production-ready real-time voice AI agents with the ART Voice Agent Accelerator.

Program Goals: - Validate technical expertise across deployment, architecture, and production operations - Recognize community contributions and knowledge sharing - Build a network of certified practitioners

Certification Levels

Level 1: Apprentice

ARTist Apprentice

Entry-level certification — Foundation in deployment and architecture.

View Requirements **Technical Checklist:** - [ ] Run the UI (frontend + backend) locally - [ ] Successfully demonstrate the framework to others - [ ] Understand the end-to-end call flow in the UI and backend - [ ] Explain the architecture: ACS (Call Automation + Media) → Speech (STT/TTS) → LLM - [ ] Describe the two orchestration approaches: Voice Live API vs Azure Speech + custom agents - [ ] Use the Agent Builder to run custom flows or multi-agent scenarios - [ ] Complete at least one end-to-end voice call demo **Documentation:** - [ ] Read architecture overview - [ ] Navigate API reference - [ ] Review agent configuration guide **Badge Code:** 
<img src="docs/community/badges/artistapprentice.png" alt="ARTist Apprentice" width="200"/>

Level 2: Creator

ARTist Creator

Practitioner certification — Build and extend custom voice agents.

View Requirements **Custom Agent Development:** - [ ] Create at least one custom agent using YAML configuration (`agents//agent.yaml`) - [ ] Define agent-specific prompts, greeting, and return_greeting - [ ] Configure agent handoff triggers for multi-agent orchestration - [ ] Customize voice settings (voice name, rate, pitch) for your use case - [ ] Test end-to-end with both speech input and tool integration **Tool Integration (choose one or more):** - [ ] Integrate external REST API (CRM, ticketing, payment system) - [ ] Connect to database (Cosmos DB, PostgreSQL, etc.) - [ ] Implement custom business logic tool - [ ] Add third-party service integration (Twilio, Stripe, etc.) **Community Contributions:** - [ ] File a bug report with reproduction steps - [ ] Submit documentation improvement PR - [ ] Answer questions in GitHub Discussions **Badge Code:** 
<img src="docs/community/badges/artistacreator.png" alt="ARTist Creator" width="200"/>

Level 3: Maestro

ARTist Maestro

Expert certification — Lead production systems and mentor the community.

View Requirements **Production Deployment:** - [ ] Deploy to Azure with infrastructure-as-code (Bicep or Terraform) - [ ] Configure Azure Communication Services for PSTN or SIP integration - [ ] Implement health checks and readiness probes - [ ] Document deployment architecture and runbooks **Observability & Performance:** - [ ] Instrument code with OpenTelemetry spans (see `apps/artagent/backend/src/utils/tracing.py`) - [ ] Set up distributed tracing with Application Insights or Jaeger - [ ] Monitor end-to-end latency: < 1s P95 for STT → LLM → TTS pipeline - [ ] Configure connection pooling (`WarmablePool` or `OnDemandPool`) - [ ] Implement resource limits and backpressure handling **Advanced Development (choose at least one):** - [ ] Extend ACS event handlers for custom call control logic - [ ] Build custom media processing (VAD tuning, audio preprocessing) - [ ] Implement advanced orchestration patterns (stateful handoffs, context transfer) - [ ] Contribute framework enhancement (new pool type, improved error handling, etc.) **Security & Compliance:** - [ ] Implement authentication flow (see `auth_agent` example) - [ ] Configure PII detection/redaction using Azure Content Safety or custom filters - [ ] Enable audit logging for compliance (HIPAA, GDPR, PCI-DSS) - [ ] Secure secrets management (Key Vault, Managed Identity) **Community Leadership:** - [ ] Review and merge community PRs - [ ] Lead a workshop or create video tutorial - [ ] Mentor 2+ developers through certification **Badge Code:** 
<img src="docs/community/badges/artistamaestro.png" alt="ARTist Maestro" width="200"/>

Hall of Fame

Certified practitioners recognized for expertise in real-time voice AI.

Maestros (Level 3) | Name | GitHub | Organization | |------|--------|--------------| | Pablo Salvador Lopez | [@pablosalvador10](https://github.com/pablosalvador10) | Microsoft | | Jin Lee | [@JinLee794](https://github.com/JinLee794) | Microsoft |
Creators (Level 2) | Name | GitHub | Organization | |------|--------|--------------| | *Be the first Creator!* | | |
Apprentices (Level 1) | Name | GitHub | Organization | |------|--------|--------------| | *Complete onboarding to join!* | | |

Certification Process

Self-Assessment Path **Steps:** 1. Complete the technical checklist for your target level 2. Prepare evidence portfolio (see requirements below) 3. Open a GitHub Discussion with title: `[ARTist Certification] - ` 4. Program maintainers review within 5 business days 5. Receive badge and Hall of Fame entry upon approval **Required Portfolio Evidence:** **For Level 1 (Apprentice):** - Screenshot of successful local deployment - Brief architecture explanation (5-10 sentences) - Recording or log of completed voice call **For Level 2 (Creator):** - Link to GitHub repo with custom agent YAML - Demo video or call recording (2-5 minutes) - Code snippet showing tool integration - Links to GitHub contributions (issues, PRs, discussions) **For Level 3 (Maestro):** - Production deployment URL or architecture diagram - Observability dashboard screenshot (traces, metrics, logs) - Performance report showing P95 latency < 1s - Security documentation (auth flow, PII handling, compliance) - Evidence of mentorship (PR reviews, workshop slides, tutorial)
Workshop Path Accelerate certification by attending an official workshop: | Level | Format | Duration | Outcome | |-------|--------|----------|---------| | Apprentice | Onboarding session | 2 hours | Deployment + architecture review | | Creator | Hands-on lab | Full day | Build custom agent with guidance | | Maestro | Architecture review + mentorship | Ongoing | Production readiness assessment | Workshop participants receive expedited certification review.

Badge Reference

Badge Images ### Level 1: Apprentice ARTist Apprentice 
<img src="docs/community/badges/artistapprentice.png" alt="ARTist Apprentice" width="200"/>
### Level 2: Creator ARTist Creator 
<img src="docs/community/badges/artistacreator.png" alt="ARTist Creator" width="200"/>
### Level 3: Maestro ARTist Maestro 
<img src="docs/community/badges/artistamaestro.png" alt="ARTist Maestro" width="200"/>
**Sizing Options:** 
<!-- Small (150px) -->
<img src="docs/community/badges/artistamaestro.png" alt="ARTist Maestro" width="150"/>

<!-- Medium (200px, default) -->
<img src="docs/community/badges/artistamaestro.png" alt="ARTist Maestro" width="200"/>

<!-- Large (300px) -->
<img src="docs/community/badges/artistamaestro.png" alt="ARTist Maestro" width="300"/>

Add to Your Profile

GitHub Profile Instructions 1. Create a repo: `/` (special GitHub profile repo) 2. Add your badge to `README.md`: 
### Certifications

<img src="https://raw.githubusercontent.com/Azure-Samples/art-voice-agent-accelerator/main/docs/community/badges/artistacreator.png" alt="ARTist Creator" width="200"/>

Certified ARTist — crafting real-time voice AI with the ART framework.

[About ARTist Certification →](https://github.com/Azure-Samples/art-voice-agent-accelerator/blob/main/docs/community/artist-certification.md)

Contact & Support

Certification Inquiries: - Open a GitHub Discussion with title format: [ARTist Certification] <Level> - <Your Name> - Tag @pablosalvador10 or @JinLee794 for review - Expected response time: 5 business days

Technical Questions: - GitHub Issues for bugs or feature requests - GitHub Discussions for architecture or implementation questions - Community calls: Schedule TBD

The ARTist certification program is maintained by the ART Voice Agent Accelerator community.