Obsidian Systems first to get Red Hat Certified Salesperson qualification

Riaan van Niekerk, systems architect for Obsidian Systems, has become the first individual outside of the United States to obtain the Red Hat Certified Salesperson qualification, a certification that recognises proven competency and familiarity with the full Red Hat product set and a deeper insight into the company's value to customers.

With this certification, Obsidian has reaffirmed its position as South Africa's Red Hat, Linux and open source experts.

"The Red Hat Certified Salesperson course is designed to provide and test for a deep knowledge of all Red Hat's products. Individuals with this certification thoroughly understand the company's products and how to successfully deploy and integrate them," said Pete Hnath, Director - Sales Training at Red Hat. "Companies with staff that have earned this qualification can boast expertise with Red Hat solutions."

Van Niekerk completed the course at Red Hat Sales College where various modules were required for course completion. "The sales simulations were very challenging," he says. "It really does require a comprehensive knowledge of the various Red Hat products for completion and, unlike straight multiple-choice examinations, this course tests for insight into implementation of the solutions and how they tick."

Red Hat, the world's leading provider of open source solutions, is known primarily for its Linux operating system, Red Hat Enterprise Linux, and its subscription services. Red Hat also provides a large number of other products for clustering, storage, directory services, Linux systems management and other areas.

"Previously only available to internal Red Hat staff, the opportunity to earn this qualification was recently extended to company partners worldwide," said Hnath. "We are proud to have Obsidian's Riaan as the first international Red Hat Certified Salesperson."

Obsidian Systems has proven experience in Linux and open source implementation, maintenance and training. For more information, visit www.obsidian.co.za or call 0860 4 LINUX.