Certification Watch Volume 6 #18

Certification News regarding test piracy, Lotus certification, Dell certification, Security+, IBM WebSphere, and Legato.

Published October 1, 2003
By Anne Martinez

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New Company Will Fight Test Cheating and Piracy

Cheating and piracy has been the bane of the computer certification marketplace for several years, devaluing certification for the people who earn it and causing test vendors potentially extensive economic damage. A new company, Caveon Security Consultants, opened its doors today to do battle with those who would commit test fraud and piracy.

Caveon was founded by test industry veterans David Foster, Ph.D. and Jerry Christensen, who bring a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the subject. That, combined with the legal and technological skills of a host of industry experts should soon have test cheaters and thieves quivering at their keyboards.

Read the Caveon launch press release for more details.

New Lotus Titles Rolled Out, New Logos Available

IBM has formally rolled out the new titles for its Lotus certification program, which take advantage of IBM name recognition and branding. The paths to Lotus certification are unchanged, so certification candidates can continue on the same requirement paths as before. The old and new titles map to each other as follows:

Certified Lotus Specialist (CLS) : IBM Certified Associate System Administrator (or Application Developer)
Certified Lotus Professional (CLP) : IBM Certified System Administrator (or Application Developer)
Principal CLP : IBM Certfied Advanced System Administrator (or Application Developer)

New certification marks have been created to reflect the name changes, and individuals currently certified under the Lotus program should begin to use them now. The previously available marks, CLP, CLS and PCLP have been replaced by the new mark, which can be retrieved from the Lotus Software certification private site.

For complete details on the changes, see the Lotus certification home page.

Dell Certification Program Restructured

Three new certifications from Dell have taken the place of the Dell Certified Enterprise Engineer (DCEE) program. Dell Certified Server Professional (DCSP), Dell Certified Storage Networking Professional (DCSNP), and Dell Certified Networking Professional (DCNP) each require passing a single, 60 question exam delivered through a Prometric test center.

The Server Professional title certifies expertise in implementing, configuring, managing, and monitoring Dell server solutions, specifically PowerEdge Servers. The Storage Networking Professional designation is for individuals who manage a Dell Storage implementation on a daily basis. It covers configuration and management. The third certification, Dell Certified Networking Professional, is intended for network administrators who are responsible for the design, planning, installation, configuration, and management of Dell switched network infrastructures. CompTIA's Network+ certification is a suggested prerequisite for the DCNP.

Corresponding training is available, though not required, for each track. Exam vouchers must be purchased from Dell before you can register to take the exam through Prometric. Exams cost $125 each.

If you've already earned the DCEE title, it's valid for a year. After that you should move on to one of the new professional level exams in the new server, storage, or networking tracks.

For the full details on the current Dell Certification Program and these changes, see the Dell Web site.

Security+ Added to IBM Advanced Security Management Certification

As of September 16th CompTIA's Security+ designation is now a requirement for those who wish to achieve the IBM Certified Advanced Deployment Professional -- Tivoli Security Management Solutions title. This is the latest affiliation on the growing list of vendors that recognize and accept the Security+ credential in their own programs.

In addition to the new IBM link, Security+ can also be counted as an elective toward Microsoft MCSA or MCSE certification and Symantec Certified Technology Architect certification. It can also be used as the equivialent of one year of on the job experience in IT Security by candidates applying for ISACA's CISM designation, or the ISFA Certified Information Forensics Investigator™ (CIFI™) title. Both the Security Certified Program and Planet3Wireless recommend Security+ as a prerequisite. Security+ is shaping up to be a versatile security certification entry point.

New IBM WebSphere Exam Available October 6th

IBM WebSphere Commerce Business Edition V5.5 implementation exam will become available worldwide October 6th. The version 5.4 certification and test (#211) will be retired on November 30th, 2003. The complete IBM certification roadmap for WebSphere 5.0 can be found on IBM's Web site.

In other IBM certification news, a batch of new IBM e.server iSeries titles were launched in September. The four new titles are at the Certified Systems Expert level, and cover Domino 6 Technical Solutions, Linux Technical Solutions, Windows Integration Technical Solutions, and WebSphere Technical Solutions, on the iSeries platform.

LEGATO Launches New Certification for Messaging Administrators

LEGATO Systems, Inc, has added a new level 1 certification for individuals who install, configure, and support LEGATO EmailXtender and EmailXaminer products. The new title, LEGATO® Certified EmailXtender® and EmailXaminer™ Administrator (LCEXA), requires passing one exam covering these products. The LCEXA exam covers both Microsoft Exchange and Lotus Domino platforms. There are no prerequisites.

That's all for this edition of Certification Watch. Please keep your certification news and tips coming to news@gocertify.com.