Singapore – 18 December 2012 – Red Hat, Inc. (NYSE: RHT), the world’s leading provider of open source solutions, today announced that Elgin Lee Wei Sheng, from Singapore’s Nanyang Polytechnic, was crowned winner of the Asia Pacific’s Second Regional Red Hat Challenge, which took place Dec. 15, 2012, in Beijing.
The Second Regional Red Hat Challenge is a knowledge-based technology competition aimed at students from China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, and Taiwan. The competition began in Nov. 2012 and two finalists from each region were selected to represent their schools in the final round. This is the second year that Nanyang Polytechnic has represented Singapore in the regional competition.
“We were very happy to receive more than 1,500 participants this year for the Challenge – almost double from last year. Red Hat believes in reaching out to students and providing them with a platform to exchange ideas and test their abilities with open source technologies,” said Sachin Shirdhar, director, Services, Red Hat Asia Pacific. “With the strong support of our academic partners, I hope we can bring the Challenge to even more students next year.”
Students were short-listed through two rounds of testing on various topics including, Red Hat Enterprise Linux system administration, network administration, security administration and virtualization tasks. The challenge questions were made available through Red Hat’s free, auto-scaling Platform-as-a-Service – OpenShift. Keeping in line with this year’s theme, “For the students, by the students,” the challenge was built by Singapore Polytechnic student, Lim Guo Wei.
Elgin Lee received a Samsung S3 mobile phone, a Raspberry Pi, trophy, certificate and an opportunity to receive Red Hat training or an internship at either Red Hat’s Beijing or Singapore offices for a month. Red Hat Challenge finalists also received a Raspberry Pi and a certificate for their participation.
“I’m very happy to be part of the Red Hat regional challenge, and thanks to Red Hat, we (the students) were able to come together from various regions and have this opportunity to interact and exchange knowledge on open source technology,” said Elgin Lee. “Compared to similar industry competitions, Red Hat Challenge is the leading platform, which not only focuses on written knowledge, but also the practical know-hows required of an IT professional. I believe that this experience will provide a strong foundation for my future endeavours in the IT industry.”
The 1st runner-up is also a Singaporean student – Chia Yong Xiang, of Nanyang Polytechnic, and the 2nd runner-up is Taiwanese student, Liu Chao Zhong, of Chien Hsin University of Science and Technology. All three winners of this year’s challenge have undergone the Red Hat Certification Program, extended to them via Red Hat Academy – an academic program offered by Red Hat to tertiary schools, including universities and polytechnics.
Red Hat® Academy is a customized academic Linux curriculum designed for hands-on instruction and performance-based testing, which aims to prepare students undertaking related IT courses with a strong foundation for a career in the ICT industry. Red Hat supports schools with 100% web-deployed and web-managed program, and outfits them with the technology and technical expertise to start and sustain a Linux curriculum.
In a recently announced International Data Corporation 2013 predictions report, analysts note that a talent shortage will emerge as a major differentiator for innovation and constraint to enterprise technology adoption. [1] Red Hat is working with local academic institutions to provide relevant and customized training programs to help prepare their students – the future generation of IT professionals – with the relevant knowledge and skill set to address the widening market gap and push for innovation within the ICT industry and beyond.
Supporting Quotes
Chia Yong Xiang, Student, Nanyang Polytechnic, 1st runner-up for Red Hat Challenge 2012
“The school’s curriculum has helped me build a solid foundation in Linux and open source technology. This has been a wonderful experience, giving me greater exposure. I was motivated to participate as this was an opportunity for me to learn more as well as benchmark myself against my peers.”
[1] IDC’s top 10 key ICT predictions for 2013, Nov 28, 2012, Networks Asia http://www.networksasia.net/content/idcs-top-10-key-ict-predictions-2013
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About Red Hat, Inc.
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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- 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.