Red Hat Expands Channel Strategy with Certified Service Provider Program

Company builds deeper relationship with key channel partners to service growing number of platform deployments.

RALEIGH, N.C -

Red Hat (NYSE: RHT), the world's leading provider of open source solutions, today announced the North American launch of its Red Hat Certified Service Provider Program. The Certified Service Provider (CSP) Program, which will launch globally in the future, is designed to encourage the growth of open source service practices through collaboration between Red Hat Global Professional Services and service-oriented channel partners with open source expertise and resources.

Through the CSP Program, partners will have the ability to learn and implement Red Hat methodologies for core service offerings including 1. core build, 2. health check and 3. satellite implementation services. The core build service standardizes the build and deployment process allowing clients to deploy and manage hundreds of thousands of systems effectively. Through the health check service, clients are enabled to fully optimize their IT infrastructure through an on-site check by experienced consultants at client facilities. For end users with twenty or more servers, the satellite implementation service involves designing, installing and configuring a Red Hat Network satellite allowing for premium system management.

"Red Hat's Certified Service Provider Program is an invitation-only program that will offer marked benefits for involved partners," said Mark Enzweiler, Vice President of North American Channel Sales at Red Hat. "This is an excellent opportunity for our partners to grow in their open source service practice and to collaborate with Red Hat to meet the demand for open source subscription opportunities and service engagements. We appreciate the help of all Red Hat Advanced Business Partners in the development of the CSP Program and are thrilled about the opportunities this program presents."

Partners involved in the CSP Program will be given the opportunity to participate in shadowing and be eligible for subcontracting engagements through Red Hat Global Professional Services. In addition there will be exposure to new clients, access to non-open source follow-on opportunities, potential for supplemental Red Hat training and discounted professional services, access to a Red Hat technical specialist and more.

InCentric is a Red Hat Partner who worked with Red Hat to develop the CSP Program. The company works with customers to implement solutions ranging from system infrastructure services, collaboration, e-servers, storage and networking to completely customized end-to-end solutions with consulting. InCentric services a variety of clients, including Fortune 500 companies. "Red Hat's CSP Program is yet another great opportunity for our company to sell, service and promote Red Hat Enterprise subscriptions," said Troy Webb, Chief Marketing Officer at InCentric. "This program will also help drive adoption of JBoss as part of a complete, integrated solution with our customers."

FusionStorm is a national provider of technology solutions for companies of all sizes. "FusionStorm is excited about being invited to join the Red Hat CSP Program and making our wide range of project-based and managed services available to more customers," said Vince Conroy, CTO at FusionStorm. "Ultimately, CSP will help customers by providing more choices when it comes to finding qualified and certified companies with designing and deploying Linux-based solutions in the data center."

Agilysys, Inc. is a leading provider of enterprise computer technology solutions for businesses across all industries with an emphasis on mission-critical server and storage hardware, software and services. "We are excited about the many comprehensive solution possibilities that the Red Hat CSP Program will provide to our customers," said John Pratt, Senior Vice President, Agilysys Professional Services. "This program gives us an opportunity to work closely with Red Hat to further enable our customers to achieve the value and high-performance associated with open source technology."

For more information on Red Hat, please visit http://www.redhat.com.

About Red Hat, Inc.

Red Hat, the world's leading open source solutions provider, is headquartered in Raleigh, NC with satellite offices spanning the globe. CIOs rank Red Hat the most valuable software vendor 3 years running in the CIO Insight Magazine Vendor Value study. Red Hat is leading Linux and open source solutions into the mainstream by making high-quality, low-cost technology accessible. Red Hat provides an operating system platform, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, along with applications, management, and middleware solutions, including JBoss Enterprise Middleware Suite. Red Hat is accelerating the shift to service-oriented architectures and enabling the next generation of web-enabled applications running on a low-cost, secure open source platform. 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 a focus on security and ease of management. Learn more: http://www.redhat.com

Forward-Looking Statements

Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: risks related to the integration of acquisitions; the ability of the Company to effectively compete; the inability to adequately protect Company intellectual property and the potential for infringement or breach of license claims of or relating to third party intellectual property; risks related to data and information security vulnerabilities; ineffective management of, and control over, the Company's growth and international operations; adverse results in litigation; the dependence on key personnel as well as other factors contained in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (copies of which may be accessed through the Securities and Exchange Commission's website at http://www.sec.gov), including those found therein under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management's Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". In addition, the forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company's views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company's views as of any date subsequent to the date of the press release.

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  • 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.



  • Forward-Looking Statements
  • Certain statements contained in this press release may constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Forward-looking statements provide current expectations of future events based on certain assumptions and include any statement that does not directly relate to any historical or current fact. Actual results may differ materially from those indicated by such forward-looking statements as a result of various important factors, including: risks related to delays or reductions in information technology spending; the effects of industry consolidation; the ability of the Company to compete effectively; the integration of acquisitions and the ability to market successfully acquired technologies and products; uncertainty and adverse results in litigation and related settlements; the inability to adequately protect Company intellectual property and the potential for infringement or breach of license claims of or relating to third party intellectual property; the ability to deliver and stimulate demand for new products and technological innovations on a timely basis; risks related to data and information security vulnerabilities; ineffective management of, and control over, the Company’s growth and international operations; fluctuations in exchange rates; and changes in and a dependence on key personnel, as well as other factors contained in our most recent Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q (copies of which may be accessed through the Securities and Exchange Commission’s website at http://www.sec.gov), including those found therein under the captions "Risk Factors" and "Management’s Discussion and Analysis of Financial Condition and Results of Operations". In addition to these factors, actual future performance, outcomes, and results may differ materially because of more general factors including (without limitation) general industry and market conditions and growth rates, economic and political conditions, governmental and public policy changes and the impact of natural disasters such as earthquakes and floods. The forward-looking statements included in this press release represent the Company’s views as of the date of this press release and these views could change. However, while the Company may elect to update these forward-looking statements at some point in the future, the Company specifically disclaims any obligation to do so. These forward-looking statements should not be relied upon as representing the Company’s views as of any date subsequent to the date of this press release.