Ubuntu certification announced

Linux Professional Institute and Canonical Announce Ubuntu Professional Certification

The Linux Professional Institute (LPI), the world’s premier Linux certification organization, and Canonical Ltd., sponsor of the award-winning Ubuntu operating system, jointly announced the development of a certification exam for the Ubuntu distribution. This certification exam will enable qualified candidates to demonstrate specific expertise in the professional use of Ubuntu. The certification exam will be launched at Johannesburg, South Africa, May 16 – 19, 2006.

“We have long considered LPIC-1 to be the entry-level professional certification for all Linux distributions. This collaborative initiative with Ubuntu clearly demonstrates how Linux software developers can leverage our existing distribution-neutral program to create professional certification programs for their own software packages,” said Jim Lacey, President and CEO of the Linux Professional Institute. Mr. Lacey added that they were open to similar approaches from other distributions.

Jane Silber, a spokesperson for Canonical Ltd., the company which is the overall sponsor of Ubuntu, said that the certification was in response to extensive demand from both individuals and enterprises. She also recognized that LPI was a natural partner in the development of Ubuntu’s certification program: “Ubuntu use in the enterprise is increasing, leading to an increasing demand from engineers and managers for a certification which proves an individual’s Ubuntu skills. LPI’s entry-level LPIC-1 program is the right basis for our own professional certification, and their global delivery structure will ensure the availability of our program to candidates around the world.”

The Ubuntu certification will consist of a single exam on top of LPI’s existing 101 and 102 exams. This will give candidates the advantage of an existing global standard, LPIC-1, plus the “Ubuntu Certified Professional” status. The exam is being developed by LPI’s product development team and Ubuntu community members from around the globe. The exam is expected to be completed in early May with the first paper exams being available in mid-May to qualified LPIC-1 candidates who are attending LinuxWorld Johannesburg. The computer-based testing version will be made available later in June through Thomson Prometric and Pearson VUE testing centres around the world. Initial exam price has been set at $100 US.

About Linux Professional Institute

The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) develops professional certification for the Linux operating system, independent of software vendors or training providers. Established as an international non-profit organization in 1999 by the Linux community, LPI develops accessible, internationally-recognized certification programs which have earned the respect of vendors, employers and administrators. LPI’s activities involve hundreds of volunteers and professionals throughout the world in many different capacities, and the group encourages active public involvement through mailing lists and its website at www.lpi.org. LPI’s multi-level program of exams is administered globally through Pearson VUE and Prometric testing centers. LPI’s major financial sponsors are Platinum Sponsors IBM, Linux Journal, Linux Magazine, Novell, SGI, and TurboLinux as well as Gold Sponsors, Hewlett-Packard and IDG.

About Canonical Limited

Canonical Ltd is committed to the development, distribution and promotion of open source software, and to the provision of commercial tools and support services on a global basis. Canonical’s award-winning Ubuntu operating environment has been adopted as the preferred desktop solution in governments, schools and businesses around the world. The company employs developers and support engineers across 15 countries and is headquartered in the Isle of Man. For more information, please check www.ubuntu.com and www.canonical.com.