IBM TO DELIVER RED HAT TRAINING AND CERTIFICATION PROGRAMMES WORLDWIDE

The World's Largest Information Technology and Training Provider Will Offer Red Hat Certified Engineer Programme at IBM Training Centres Worldwide

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Red Hat, the leading provider of open source solutions for Internet infrastructure, today announced an agreement with IBM to deliver Red Hat's leading Linux training and certification programme. Under the agreement, IBM, the world's largest global IT training provider, will offer the hands-on, real-world Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) programme at IBM training centres around the world.


The agreement, which follows a deal to pre-load Red Hat Linux 6.2 on IBM's Netfinity Servers, broadens the availability of the popular RHCE programme worldwide to meet the growing demand for expertise in Linux, the fastest-growing server operating system. The partnership pairs Red Hat's comprehensive Linux training and certification programme with the largest information technology company in the world to meet worldwide users' growing demand for open source expertise in today's enterprises. IBM Global Services plans a rapid rollout of RHCE training and certification in all major markets and languages. This effort will be supported through Red Hat's capabilities for RHCE instructor training at Red Hat facilities worldwide.


``We are pleased to have IBM roll-out the RHCE programme and become a Red Hat Certified Training Partner worldwide,'' said Peter Childers, director of training at Red Hat. ``With its global reach, strong record for quality IT training, and its growing Internetworking and e-commerce business, IBM can bring Red Hat's innovative training and certification programmes to enterprise customers and IT professionals when and where they need it.''


``This agreement delivers IT professionals Red Hat's highly-acclaimed certification programme right to their backyard and in some of the most advanced training centres in the world,'' said Carolyn Sparano, business unit manager, Services, Red Hat, ``Time-pressed IT professionals who want to learn Linux-based systems, further develop their Internetworking skills and achieve credible certification now have real-world training conveniently available to help them accelerate the adoption of open source solutions within their organisations.''


According to IDC, IBM Global Services is the world's largest training provider. The first courses, including the RHCE exam, will be available at IBM Training Centres starting in the second quarter of 2000. Information on RHCE courses is posted at http://www.redhat.com/explore/training.html and

http://www.ibm.com/services/learning/spotlight/linux.html
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``IBM is very pleased to offer Red Hat's performance-based certification programme for e-commerce, systems and network engineers deploying Linux for enterprise systems,'' said Michael Littlejohn, Americas general manager, Learning Services, IBM Global Services. ``The Red Hat certification programme adds to our portfolio of high-quality, hands-on, real-world training something that IBM's worldwide customers have come to expect.''


About the Red Hat Certified Engineer Programme


Taught by RHCE's with considerable Internetworking experience, Red Hat's certification programme offers more than traditional, multiple-choice written exams and ``paper certifications.'' RHCE Certification requires success on performance-based practical exams, in which users actually demonstrate the ability to: install and configure Red Hat Linux, set up common network (IP) services, and perform essential administration, diagnostic tests and troubleshooting, among other Internetworking and systems administration tasks. Red Hat courses are available for the entire RHCE Certification track, at levels appropriate for both beginners and networking professionals looking to migrate to open source solutions and build or expand their experience with Linux-based operating systems.


Open Source Momentum


International Data Corp. (IDC) research states that Linux paid shipments grew faster than any other server operating system over the past two years. IDC preliminary figures for 1999 show Linux shipments represent
24.6 percent of the shipments for the server operating system market, up from 15.8 in 1998.


Research firm Netcraft, Inc. (www.netcraft.com), states that as of April
2000, 33 percent of all public Web sites run on Linux-based operating systems, making Linux the most popular choice for deploying public Web sites. Finally, IDC predicts that by 2002, there will be more than 55 million handheld and notebook-style information appliance devices and that by 2005, shipments of these appliances will exceed shipments of PCs.

Red Hat's numerous alliances with industry leaders and the demand for
Linux-based applications has created open source support from many of the industry's leading software and hardware manufacturers, including
Compaq, Computer Associates, Dell, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, Intel, Netscape, Novell, Oracle and SAP.


About Red Hat, Inc.


Founded in 1994, Red Hat is the leading provider of open source, Internet infrastructure solutions, delivering on the promise of open source from small embedded devices to the most prodigious enterprise. Red Hat applies its technological leadership to create open source solutions for Internet infrastructure and post-PC environments, offers services backed by the best understanding of open source and the most comprehensive resources, delivers the brand of a widely trusted open source leader and corporate partner, and persists in an indelible commitment to the virtues of open source to lead a revolution in the computing industry.


Red Hat is based in Research Triangle Park, N.C. and has offices worldwide. To learn about Red Hat's perennially renowned products and services or its unfailing commitment to the GNU General Public License (GPL) and other public licenses, visit Red Hat on the Web at www.redhat.com. For investor inquiries, contact Lippert/Heilshorn at
(212) 838-3777.


Red Hat Europe was established in July 1999 with its European headquarters based in Surrey, United Kingdom and offices throughout Europe. Red Hat Linux is sold and supported through a number of major distribution and industry partners throughout Europen and from Red Hat's online store, www.europe.redhat.com/shop.


Red Hat Linux was named InfoWorld's Product of the Year for four years in a row, was given a productivity accolade in Software Development's Jolt Awards, was named an environment/desktop finalist in the Ziff-Davis European Excellence Awards, won the editor's choice awards from the Linux Journal and Australian Personal Computing magazines, and won the `Just Plain Cool' award from Australian Personal Computing magazine.


At March's LinuxWorld Expo, more than 8,000 members of the Linux community voted Red Hat a `LinuxWorld Favorite'. Red Hat Linux recently won a Product Excellence award from Software Development Magazine.


LINUX is a trademark of Linus Torvalds. RED HAT is a registered trademark of Red Hat, Inc. UNIX is a registered trademark of The Open Group. All other names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.


  • About Red Hat
  • Red Hat is the world’s leading provider of open source software solutions, using a community-powered approach to reliable and high-performing cloud, Linux, middleware, storage and virtualization technologies. Red Hat also offers award-winning support, training, and consulting services. As the connective hub in a global network of enterprises, partners, and open source communities, Red Hat helps create relevant, innovative technologies that liberate resources for growth and prepare customers for the future of IT. Learn more at http://www.redhat.com.



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