The Linux Professional Institute, the premier Linux certification organization, announced a Corporate Membership Program for partner organizations interested in promoting growth opportunities in Linux and Open Source Software. The program enables partner organizations to directly develop and recruit Linux and Open Source talent through targeted multi-media, product promotions and other educational resources provided to LPI alumni and other Open Source professionals.

Organizations such as Cloudera, Dice, Medialinx IT-Academy, oDesk, Open Source Software Institute, Rackspace, and uCertify have recently joined this new initiative.

"LPI is the market leader in Linux Certification having delivered over 350,000 exams worldwide with 125,000+ LPI certified professionals. We maintain a global framework of offices to support Open Source adoption through 25 Master Affiliates and 350 global training partners. As such, LPI is in an ideal position to promote like-minded businesses and organizations who share our commitment to the further advancement of Linux and Open Source Software. This technology is driving growth in IT careers and innovation and we welcome all partners who embrace the ideals of co-operation and mutual effort in continuing this momentum," said Jim Lacey, president and CEO of LPI.

The Corporate Membership program has a number of features including product promotions, services to recruit IT professionals, executive webinars and panels, access to global marketing channels, and networking opportunities with leaders and experts in Open Source technology. Please note that at present, the Corporate Membership Program is only available in the North American Region (US and Canada), but other global regions will be added as interest and participation grows.

For more information:

http://www.lpi.org/partnerships/corporate-membership

Recent members of LPI's Corporate Membership program had the following to say about the new program and their work with LPI:

Cloudera:

"At Cloudera, we're focused on building a data platform around open standards and 100% open-source technology. Linux really paved the way for Hadoop in proving the value of open standards and open source. Similarly, LPI has been at the forefront of the certification space, proving out the value of certification to the open-source community and driving demand in the market for IT professionals certified on these technologies. Partnering with LPI gives Cloudera the opportunity to communicate its message and value proposition to a well-established, global, and receptive audience," said Brad Johnson, Certification Manager, Cloudera.

Medialinx IT Academy:

"The LPIC preparation courses form the core of our online training portfolio. We are delighted to become an LPI Corporate Member and to take the opportunity to develop the Linux training market further in cooperation with LPI and all the other partners," said Hans-Jörg Ehren, Manager, Events & Learning, Medialinx IT-Academy

oDesk:

"oDesk is excited to partner with LPI in order to continue driving growth in the Open Source community," said Matt Gniadek, oDesk Head of Business Development. "Our partnership helps businesses make better hiring decisions by connecting them with certified professionals on oDesk. For these professionals, their certifications help them stand out when applying to the thousands of Open Source jobs available on our platform."

Open Source Software Institute:

"One of the greatest benefits of open source software is the user's right to access and manage the code base," said Carl Livesay, Chief Operating Officer of the Open Source Software Institute. "Without a competent, well trained workforce, this value is not only lost but can become a liability for those implementing or managing technology systems."

"The Open Source Software Institute focuses on promoting the use of open source software within Federal government and Defense systems. Solid training and certification of administrative staff, such as LPI offers, is critical within this market," Livesay said. "This is one of the reasons why we are partnered with the Linux Professional Institute."

Rackspace:

"Rackspace is looking forward to collaborating with LPI to enrich the Open Source community, which is helping to set the pace of innovation within the cloud computing market. As the founder of OpenStack, Rackspace has a shared emphasis on open source technology and we see an opportunity to initiate talent growth in this area by aligning efforts with LPI's thriving and expanding community," said said Tony Campbell, Director of Training and Certification, Rackspace.

uCertify:

"We at uCertify are very excited about this partnership. uCertify's course and test delivery platform fits very well with LPI's mission. We are looking forward to working with LPI, its master affiliates and global training partners," said Manish Gupta, CEO, uCertify.

The Linux Professional Institute is globally supported by the IT industry, enterprise customers, community professionals, government entities and the educational community. LPI's certification program is supported by an affiliate network spanning five continents and is distributed worldwide in multiple languages at more than 5,000 testing locations. Since 1999, LPI has delivered over 350,000+ exams and 125,000+ LPIC certifications around the world.