Red Hat announces first Advanced Partner in Ireland

Red Hat, Inc. (Nasdaq:RHAT), the world's leading provider of open source solutions to the enterprise, today announced that Xpert Technology has signed up as the first Advanced Partner in Ireland. Fully complementary with Xpert's existing products and services, the partnership will enable Xpert to re-sell Red Hat's entire product range and services for the Linux platform directly to its customers.

Basil Bailey CEO of Xpert commented: "Xpert was ideally profiled to incorporate Red Hat solutions, and was chosen as a Red Hat Advanced Partner for its proven commitment to Linux through its investment in technical support infrastructure and the training of Red Hat Certified Engineers."

Launched in July, Red Hat's Advanced Partner Programme allows European resellers, VARs and system integrators to offer their customers a complete open-source solution. To qualify as a Red Hat Advanced Partner a company must be a proven market leader that has demonstrated a strong commitment to helping build Red Hat's business. In return, the partner receives a much more strategic relationship with Red Hat including support from Red Hat staff, both in pre-sales and in distribution, as well as exclusive access to information and evaluation versions.

To become a Red Hat Advanced Partner, partners must show that they have the necessary Linux expertise, by employing at least two Red Hat Certified Engineers (RHCEs). Advanced Partners are given access to exclusive information and materials via a separate area of the company website. Benefits of the Advanced Partner Programme include the opportunity to sell a complete open source solution, comprising the entire infrastructure of the Red Hat Network (proxy and satellite servers and provisioning) Red Hat Training, Consulting and Support.

"With their market reach and depth of experience in selling enterprise solutions we felt Xpert was the right partner for us," said Hitesh Patel Business Partner Manager UK And Ireland Red Hat. "We look forward to working with Xpert and to bringing the benefits of open source technology to more enterprises in Ireland."

About Xpert Technology
Xpert Technology is Ireland's leading Enterprise IT Solutions Architects.

Xpert is a specialist in the area of design, consultancy, implementation and project management services for high availability and business critical servers and complex Enterprise storage solutions.

As one of HP's foremost business and service partners Xpert offers its blue chip customer base an unrivalled pre- and post-sales services and consulting in the design, construction and support of the most complex IT environments.

About Red Hat, Inc.
Red Hat, the world's leading open source and Linux provider, is headquartered in Raleigh, NC with satellite offices spanning the globe. Red Hat is leading Linux and open source solutions into the mainstream by making high quality, low cost technology accessible. Red Hat provides operating system software along with middleware, applications and management solutions. Red Hat also offers support, training and consulting services to its customers worldwide and through top-tier partnerships. Red Hat's Open Source strategy offers customers a long term plan for building infrastructures that are based on and leverage open source technologies with focus on security and ease of management. Learn more: http://www.redhat.com