1/28/2004 -- CertCities.com has learned that SuSE, the Linux provider recently acquired by Novell, will be launching its own SuSE-focused certification around the same time as Novell's hands-on Certified Linux Engineer (CLE) credential is set to debut.

The SuSE Certified Linux Professional exam is scheduled to go live worldwide in late March. Novell's CLE, now in beta, is expected to debut sometime this quarter.

Novell Spokesperson Bruce Lowry said that Novell views the titles as "complimentary"because each focuses on separate areas: the CLE covers Novel's Enterprise Linux Services bundle, while SuSE's title focuses on features specific to that distribution. Both were developed independently before the merger.

Lowry explained that the titles may eventually become more integrated, but for now SuSE's program will retain its SuSE branding and will not become a requirement for any Novell title, or vice-versa.

When launched, the certifications will have something else in common: the Linux Professional Institute's Level 1 credential (LPIC 1), a vendor-independent title focusing on core Linux skills. LPIC 1 is a recommended prerequisite for Novell's CLE, and it will be a requirement for SuSE's title. An additional SuSE-specific exam is needed to become a SuSE Certified Linux Professional.

LPI, a not-for-profit organization that uses a community approach to develop its titles, began working with SuSE on the credential last year through UnitedLinux, which at the time was planning to release its own certification program. Although those plans fell through, SuSE decided to continue to pursue SuSE-specific designation, explained Evan Leibovitch, president of LPI.

Leibovitch said building SuSE's certification on top of LPI's vendor-independent exams makes sense. "Rather than reinvent the wheel and recreate a core Linux certification, [SuSE] decided it was better to use the LPI exams and do a [SuSE-specific] exam on top of that," he commented. "The model of working with the LPI core and creating supplement exams to do a vendor-specific certification just fits in with what we've always wanted to do with Linux certification."

LPI recently offered the SuSE exam in paper format at LinuxWorld New York. According to LPI, another free paper delivery will be given at CeBIT 2004 in Hannover, Germany this March. The exam is expected to go live worldwide via computer delivery soon after.

At launch the SuSE exam will be available in English and German. Information on which testing providers (Prometric, Pearson Vue or both) would offer the exam and the what the exam's price would be were not immediately available. Objectives can be found here.

According to Lowry, Novell will make an official announcement regarding the two titles within the next two weeks. -Becky Nagel