Certification Article

Vendor Neutral Certifications

by ExamPractice Staff

Many information technology certification programs are managed by the vendors providing the systems and/or software involved. For instance the certification programs from Cisco, Microsoft, Novell and others are directly related to the products sold by those vendors. There are a few vendor neutral certification programs with CompTIA (Computing Technology Industry Association) being one of the most recognized. The Linux Professional Institute is another organization offering vendor neutral certification.

The CompTIA is over 20 years old and they note that they are “dedicated to advancing the growth of the information technology (IT) industry and those working within it.” CompTIA is a trade association with a worldwide presence. CompTIA members are not individuals however; their members are firms including manufacturers, distributors, resellers, solution providers, ISPs, ASPs, software developers, e-commerce and telecom companies. Multiple certifications are offered by CompTIA with excellent acceptance and respect within the IT industry. These certifications include:

A+ - Entry-Level Computer Service
CTT+ - Certified Trainer
Network+ - Network Support and Administration
CDIA+ - Document Imaging and Management
Server+ - Server Hardware Technology
i-Net+ - Internet and Online Technologies
Security+ - Computer and Information Security
Linux+ - Linux Operating Systems
HTI+ - Home Technology Integration
RFID+ - Integration Services of RFID Systems
e-Biz+ - e-Commerce
Project+ - Project Management

The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) is another organization that offers a vendor neutral certification. The LPI is a non-profit entity and explains their view on neutrality as “independent of vendors of Linux distributions, training, etc.” and “for LPI, certification is not a marketing tool to push product.” Another key to the LPI is their support for the industry and individuals as explained on their website the “LPI serves Linux professionals and the organizations that contract them.”

More information about CompTIA and their certifications can be found online at www.comptia.org. More information about the Linux Professional Institute can be found online at www.lpi.org.