Novell unveils first qualification for directory services

Novell has announced its first certification scheme for Novelly up-to-date. Directory Services (NDS). The Certified Directory Engineer (CDE) qualification, announced earlier this month and due to go live in August, provides certification in the integration of NDS with other directories.

According to Robert Furnivall, Novell's UK channel sales manger, the qualification will include training on a variety of other vendors' kit, including Cisco, Bay, Oracle and Lucent. "If you're a corporate, the chances are you will have a multitude of different systems - so we have to reflect that in our certification," he said.

However, the networking giant is courting controversy over its decision to force IT professionals taking the exam to re-certify each year.

Novell said its views on annual re-certification are based on the need to keep up with the latest technology, such as Microsoft's Windows 2000 and Active Directory, rather than a ploy to rake in exams fees.

"Our intention is not to make a profit with certification, but to make sure that it is current. In a year's time, if you can prove to me that nothing has changed over the last year then you won't have to re-take the exam - but I am pretty confident that won't be the case," Furnivall said.

Novell also unveiled a training course designed to help MCSEs gain Certified Novell Engineer (CNE) status. Course 910, NDS for NT professionals, provides the building blocks for MCSEs to become NetWare 5 administrators.

The company said that it will also waive the exam for Course 565 Networking Technologies as a requirement for CNE status.

IT professionals who complete Course 910 and the associated exams will be more than halfway to becoming a CNE, Novell said.