Red Hat will again be honoring the hard work, expertise and ingenuity of some of the world’s premier IT professionals through its annual Red Hat Certified Engineer of the Year recognition. In the eleven years since the introduction of Red Hat’s first certification, the ranks of Red Hat certified professionals have grown to nearly 75,000 across the globe. The RHCE credential is one of the most highly regarded certifications in the IT industry.

We believe that Red Hat’s certifications have gained a high reputation across the industry because the performance-based testing requires more than just memorization. Individuals sitting for a Red Hat certification must demonstrate their ability to perform tasks required in actual IT environments. This keeps Red Hat certifications in demand by employers and IT professionals and has garnered recognition across the industry including top rankings by IDC.

To be considered for the 2010 RHCE of the Year contest, RHCEs simply complete the online form available here, including 500 words detailing how you used your Red Hat Certified skills to maximize system performance and deliver results for your organization. Check out some of our past RHCE success stories and be sure to submit before the April 23, 2010 deadline.

Red Hat will select five global winners for the 2010 RHCE of the Year contest. The award includes a trip to the 2010 Red Hat Summit and JBoss World, co-located in Boston, June 22-25, 2010. Winners will be honored at a special Red Hat Certified Professional reception and at the 2010 Innovation Awards presentation during the Red Hat Summit and JBoss World.

Attending Red Hat Summit and JBoss World 2010? If you’re a Red Hat certified professional please be sure to stop by the reception on Wednesday, June 24. We’ll be welcoming all Red Hat certified professionals, including those holding our newest Red Hat certified credentials – the Red Hat Certified Virtualization Administrator (RHCVA) and the JBoss Certified Application Administrator (JBCAA) – launched in 2009. Like our other acclaimed certifications, both the the RHCVA and the JBCAA require candidates to pass a performance-based exam.

If you’re not a Red Hat Certified Professional but would like to learn more, please visit here.