Tech Group University, the private venture that’s offering training on HP e3000 skills, says the time has come to make certification a standard within the MPE community. Jon Backus of Tech Group has created an MPE Certification Board including Bill Lancaster of Lancaster Consulting, Joe Geiser of CSI Business Solutions, Jeff Kell of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga, and Terry Floyd of the Support Group inc. “It is the charter of this board to determine the scope of the various certifications, to select the sub-committee members for each cert, and to approve of the testing and training material generated by each sub-committee,” Backus said. “I’ve managed engineers that are in the Comptia, Microsoft, Novell, Cisco, and Linux certification worlds, and there is a fairly distinctive pattern. There is a serious of tests that cover different aspects. The tests, to some degree, tend to build on each other, and there is an entry level test to get relatively new people started. Based on that, the certification track is broken down into three progressive steps.”

Tech Group’s beginning or entry level test will be a Certified Professional (MPE-CP); the advanced level is the Certified System Manager (MPE-CSM). The Masters level is made up of seven different certification tests to encompass specific areas of expertise, including Data Base Administration (MPE-CDBA), Security Administration (MPE-CSA), Performance Analyst (MPE-CPA), Developer (MPE-CD), Network Professional (MPE-CNP), Internet Professional (MPE-CIP), and Hardware Specialist (MPE-CHS). “Completing one of the Master tests achieves the First Degree Master (MPE-1dM) right on up through completing all seven tests for a 7th degree Master (MPE-7dM),” Backus said. HP began certification efforts for the 3000 last year with a test offered through the Sylvan learning system last year, but it came in for a good deal of criticism from those who took it. Details about Tech Group’s MPE Certification will unfold on the University Web site (www.TechGroupMD.com)