Linux and Open Source software, both community developed and supported, demonstrate the value of open, public, standards. The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) offers Linux certification that is both vendor-independent and distribution-neutral, and approves available training materials that have proved to have been developed to assure successful certification in all versions of Linux, through the LPI certification process.

As Linux gains momentum, the demand for training grows too users and corporations often ask for vendor-neutral certifications and this is the need we are addressing through the Mandrakesoft/LPI partnership, said François Bancilhon, CEO, Mandrakesoft.

LPIs Approved Training Materials (LATM) program is a quality assurance process designed to identify training materials that accurately support LPI certifications. Products designated as LATM have passed stringent quality assurance testing to assure all LPI test objectives are covered within the content.

LPI's most recently certified LATM is LynuxTraining. With offices in Geneva, Lausanne, Bienne, Lyon and Paris, LynuxTraining provides the first French-language LPI approved training materials, which Mandrakesoft uses extensively in their training programmes.

Mandrakesoft utilizes LPI approved training materials (LATM) as the basis for most of its Linux training and certification programmes, both off-site for corporations and within its own certified training centers. These training materials are available as learning kits, both on-line at http://mandrivastore.com and through their network of training centers.

We are pleased to be working along with Mandrakesoft in the promotion of distribution-neutral Linux training and certification. LPI has always pushed the adoption of standards-based certification, free of any individual vendor's influence, and has consistently emphasized the value of community-driven standards for professionalism in the Linux community. We look forward to a long and effective partnership with Mandrakesoft, said Evan Leibovitch, President, LPI.

Globally, LPIs certification program has delivered over 70,000 certification exams since the programs inception in 2000.

LPI supports affiliate networks on five continents, worldwide, including Brazil, Bulgaria, Jamaica, United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, Australia, China, France, the United Kingdom and South Africa.

To learn more, contact Linux Professional Institute at http://www.lpi.org or Mandrakesoft at https://mandriva.com.

About Linux Professional Institute:

The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) develops professional certification for the Linux operating system, independent of software vendors or training providers. Established as an international non-profit organization in 1999 by the Linux community, LPI develops accessible, internationally-recognized certification programs which have earned the respect of vendors, employers and administrators. LPI's activities involve hundreds of volunteers and professionals throughout the world in many different capacities, and the group encourages active public involvement through mailing lists and its website at www.lpi.org. LPI's multi-level program of exams is administered globally through Pearson VUE and Prometric testing centers. LPI's major financial sponsors are Platinum Sponsors IBM (NYSE:IBM), Linuxcare, Linux Magazine, Maxspeed, Novell (Nasdaq: NOVL), SGI (NYSE:SGI), and TurboLinux as well as Gold Sponsors, Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HWP) and Wave Technologies.

About Mandrakesoft

Mandrakesoft is the publisher of the popular Mandrakelinux operating system, one of the most full-featured and easy to use Linux systems available. The company offers its enterprise, government and educational customers a complete range of GNU/Linux and Open Source software and related services. Mandrakesoft products are available in more than 120 countries through dedicated channels and also from www.mandrivastore.com, the company's on-line store. Number 1 in several countries, Mandrakesoft has won many awards for quality and technical innovation. "Born on the Internet" in late 1998, Mandrakesoft has offices in the United States and France. Mandrakesoft is traded on Paris Euronext Marché Libre (ISIN Code: FR0004159382/MLMAN; Reuters code: MAKE.PA) and the US OTC market (stock symbol MDKFF). https://mandriva.com
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