Intermediate Level Certification

IBM is pleased to announce the addition of the following job-role certification and applicable test to the Professional Certification Program from IBM (www.ibm.com/certify). Available today, November 28, 2008, this certification is for IBM employees only. By achieving this certification, IBM Application Integration Middleware Level 1 support professionals have validated their knowledge and skills, and can demonstrate their technical competence to others.

IBM Certified Support Professional - Application Integration Middleware, Level 1 Support, Tools and Processes

Test 526, IBM Application Integration Middleware, Level 1 Support, Tools and Processes

This intermediate level certification is intended for IBM Application Integration Middleware Level 1 support professionals who are responsible for addressing a variety of inquiries, such as requests for service from customers, IBM personnel or Business Partners, and utilize a "One Team" approach to resolve customer problems.

These L1 support professionals will be expected to perform these tasks with limited assistance from peers or support resources.

To attain the certification credential, candidates must pass Test 526. Test 526 is designed to measure skills in the areas of:

Order	Area	Percentage
1.	Working with the Customer	25%
2.	Problem Management Record (PMR) Handling, Ownership and management	28%
3.	Create Knowledgebase and Problem Determination (PD) Tool Search	21%
4.	PMR Management Tools (e.g., utilizing RETAIN and CallCenter	17%
5.	Measurements and Metrics	9%

Practical experience and in-depth product knowledge are required to ensure success on the test.

To recap, Test 526 is only available to IBM employees and, will only be delivered through the internal IBM SWG Prime Test Centers. Test 526 is a 1.5 hour (90 minute) test. In 2008, the test fee is $30 USD worldwide. In 2009, the test fee will be $150 USD in major market countries, and $75 USD in growth market countries, representing a 25% discount off the regular 2009 test fee, which is set to the economy of a country.

Note: Effective March 16, 2009, the 2009 test fee is also $30.

To prepare for the test, test candidates should refer to the following certification information:

• job role description/target audience to which the test is built
• test objectives or detailed skills measured on the test
• test preparation / training resources used to prepare based on the test objectives
• assessment test to gauge ones readiness for the actual test

This information can be found on IBM's intranet via the following internal link:

IBM Certified Support Professional - Application Integration Middleware, Level 1 Support, Tools and Processes

For any inquiries regarding this announcement, please send a note to certify@us.ibm.com.