March 2008 - The Teradata Certified Professional Program (TCPP), launched at the Teradata PARTNERS Conference in the fall of 1999, continues record growth. Recognized and valued by companies all over the world, close to 32,000 Teradata certifications have been awarded. More than 1,575 individuals have earned the elite Teradata Certified Master level. Teradata authorized training and proctored certification exams, available worldwide to customers, partners and associates, are instrumental in establishing an industry standard measure of technical competence for IT professionals using Teradata technology.

Plans are under way to develop a new certification track that includes exams based on the next major release of Teradata Data Warehouse technology. The new Teradata certification track launch date is planned for mid-year 2009. An overlap time period after the new Teradata track is released will provide ample time for candidates to complete their chosen certification levels in the V2R5 track. The Teradata V2R5 certification exams are projected to phase into retirement by end-of-year 2009. Notice of the V2R5 exam retirement date will be widely communicated long before the exams are removed from Prometric testing sites.

All certification levels achieved in the current V2R5 track will remain valid and will not expire. However, V2R5 exams and certifications cannot be combined with exams in a different track. To achieve certification levels in the V2R5 track, a candidate must pass the required exams in the V2R5 track. The same will be true for the new Teradata certification track. A candidate must pass new Teradata exams to achieve each certification level.

Those who achieve Teradata Certified Master V2R5 will be eligible for a new Teradata Masters Update exam when it becomes available. There will be no update exam for the V2R5 certification levels below the Master V2R5 level. For example, a Certified SQL Specialist V2R5 will need to pass all required exams in the new Teradata certification track to earn the newer SQL certification.

To be eligible for the future Master Update exam in the new Teradata track, Certified Masters in the V2R3 track who have not updated to Certified Master V2R5 must pass the current Teradata Masters Update V2R5 exam. Certified Masters V2R3 will not be allowed to "skip" the Master V2R5 certification level. Those Masters in the older V2R3 track who do not update to Master V2R5 will be required to take all exams in the new certification track to earn the new Teradata Master certification.

Additional information about the new Teradata Certification launch will be communicated as development progresses. Check the TCPP web site: www.Teradata.com/Certification

Have a question? Send an email to TCPP: certification.teradata@teradata.com