Brazil, Bulgaria, Caribbean and Middle-East become latest Linux Professional Institute affiliates

BRAZIL, BULGARIA, CARIBBEAN AND MIDDLE-EAST BECOME LATEST LINUX PROFESSIONAL
INSTITUTE AFFILIATES

~ International Diversity Showcased at World Summit on the Information
Society ~

GENEVA, December 9, 2003 – The Linux Professional Institute (LPI)
(www.lpi.org), the premier not-for-profit, professional certification
program for the Linux community worldwide, has affiliated with Open Source
communities in Brazil, Bulgaria, the Caribbean and Middle-East to increase
professionalism, exposure and participation of Linux by corporate,
government and academic environments in each country.

“Having these communities join our program showcases our international
diversity,” says LPI president Evan Leibovitch.  “Becoming affiliated with
existing grassroots Open Source organizations that are already defining and
achieving goals compatible with LPI’s, clearly demonstrates our community
involvement and quality we bring to the international IT marketplace.”

With the addition of Brazil, Bulgaria, the Caribbean and Middle-East, LPI
now supports affiliate networks on all five continents worldwide including
the United States, Japan, Canada, Germany, Australia and China, with an
additional affiliate now being developed in Nigeria.

“Our mission is to promote the development and implementation of Linux
professionalism and other Open Source technologies within our region” says
LPI-Caribbean president Donavan Campbell. “As LPI’s Caribbean affiliate, we
look forward to building on the foundation of educational quality and
professionalism among Linux administrators that LPI has established through
its worldwide certification program.”

In addition to LPI’s international diversity, local Geneva-area user groups
will also be participating at WSIS.  In an effort to demonstrate its
commitment to the community, LPI will be organizing an exam lab in
co-operation with the Geneva Linux User Group offering LPIC certification
exams 101 and 201. The exams will be held on Saturday, December 13/03, 10:00
a.m. to 12:00 noon, Room # 13, Hall 4 of the Geneva Palexpo at the ICT-4D
platform. ICT-4D participants and WSIS delegates can take an exam free of
charge, but must obtain a LPI identification number as well as an exam
voucher from the LPI Booth #502. Seating is limited.

“This initiative is an example of the popular method through which we
deliver our exams at low cost at FOSS conferences and in developing
countries,” says Leibovitch. “This year alone LPI has offered exam labs in
Brazil, Jamaica, China, Vietnam, Uruguay, Germany, the United Kingdom and
Australia. Similar initiatives in Poland, South Africa and Bulgaria are
under development.”

LPI, an accredited organization to WSIS, is also participating at an
official parallel event to the summit: ICT-4D. The ICT-4D Platform is
organized by the Swiss Agency for Development (SDC) and the Global Knowledge
Partnership (GKP).

The Linux Professional Institute (LPI) is an internationally recognized,
vendor-independent organization advocating and assisting in the professional
use of Linux, Open Source and free software.

Established as a non-profit organization in 1999, it is recognized as the
premier professional certification program for the Linux community.

LPI’s certification program is delivered worldwide, in multiple languages
with the support of employers, vendors and trainers.  It has delivered more
than 35,000 Level One and Level Two certification exams globally since the
program’s inception.

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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,
Maxspeed, SGI (NYSE:SGI), SuSE Linux AG and TurboLinux as well as Gold
Sponsors Novell, Inc. (Nasdaq: NOVL), Hewlett-Packard (NYSE:HWP) and Wave
Technologies.

Contacts:
WSIS Onsite:
ICT-4D Platform – Booth #502
Evan Leibovitch evan@lpi.org (416) 418.0574
Duffy Fron (914) 374.3750

Sheldon Rose
Sacke & Associates Inc.
sheldonr@sackepr.com
416.493.5723, ext. 202