Obsidian Systems has been ranked as the top Red Hat training provider in the EMEA region, scooping up Red Hat`s 2004 global certificate of excellence in training award at the Linux vendor`s worldwide training conference which took place in Italy.
Obsidian took this accolade amid tough competition, jostling with players from 18 other regions in EMEA for this prestigious award.
"We are ecstatic about this award. We have trained and certified over 120 Red Hat Certified Engineers (RHCEs) and 19 Red Hat Certified Technicians (RHCTs) in the EMEA region," says Muggie van Staden, managing director of Obsidian. "We knew that we were one of the most active training partners, but for Red Hat to recognise us as excellent means a lot to us."
In terms of what this means for the South African market, Van Staden says it places Obsidian Systems and other local training vendors on the global stage, showcasing the fact that the market is definitely on the right track in terms of the level of local training taking place.
"We`ve known for some time that South African skills are extremely sought-after internationally, illustrated by the massive brain drain the market had to negotiate in the past five years. We think this loss of local skills to the international market, combined with Obsidian winning this accolade on a global stage, is testimony to the high skill levels local training vendors are providing to the market."
Red Hat`s RHCE certification was ranked in the top three hottest IT certifications for 2005 by CertCities, far above any other Linux certification. "Red Hat takes their products and training certifications very seriously. The training and the examinations are of the highest level and Obsidian is only interested in providing the best skills to the market," comments Van Staden.
Looking to the year ahead, Van Staden says Obsidian is going to continue growing its excellence in the field of training. "With open source software and Linux truly beginning to take the limelight in the local market, we believe the demand for these skills will continue to climb. We are ready to embrace this trend and look forward to a bumper year on the training front," he concludes.
Share
Editorial contacts