PALO ALTO, Calif. — HP today announced the first Big Data Solutions training and certification program for the HP Vertica Analytics Platform.

Available through HP ExpertOne, the program helps organizations optimize Big Data by empowering IT executives to leverage structured, semistructured and unstructured data.

The growing volume, variety and velocity of information present challenges and opportunities for organizations. According to a recent Gartner report, by 2015, Big Data demand will reach 4.4 million jobs globally but only one-third of those jobs will be filled.(1) IT professionals must acquire the skills needed to connect, analyze and manage any type of information, in any location, using any interface, to help organizations fully realize the potential of Big Data.

This new training and certification program validates the skills and proficiency of HP Vertica system administrators, database analysts and application developers responsible for managing Big Data analytics. Gaining certification enables IT professionals to demonstrate their ability to optimize and monetize Big Data analytics for organizational growth, while accelerating career development.

'Our partners and customers are eager to complete a formal certification process that establishes their qualifications as Big Data experts,' said Byron Berk, manager, Services and Training, HP Vertica. 'By offering the new HP Vertica Big Data Solutions certification, we are empowering organizations to combine the power of the industry-leading HP Vertica Analytics platform with the advanced analytics skills of their IT professionals.'

Hundreds of customers and a growing partner ecosystem rely on the HP Vertica Analytics Platform to monetize Big Data at hyperspeed and massive scale. Customers and partners can become Big Data certified and benchmark a user's knowledge of the HP Vertica Analytics Platform with credentials offered through the HP ExpertOne program.

To ensure the highest standard of Big Data education, certification requires extensive training through coursework and real-world, on-the-job experience with the HP Vertica Analytics Platform prior to taking the exam.

'Our clients realize the potential of Big Data, but lack the necessary expertise to optimize their massive volumes of information,' said Behfar Jahanshahi, president and chief executive officer, Interworks, an IT services and business solutions provider. 'By partnering with HP to provide certification for the HP Vertica Analytics Platform—the premier data analytics platform—we enable our clients to capitalize on the enormous market potential of Big Data.'

The HP ExpertOne program offers certifications and training to more than 500,000 IT professionals in Big Data, cloud, converged infrastructure, networking, operating systems, security servers, software, solutions and storage. The HP ExpertOne community is a network of qualified HP channel partners, customers and employees who have passed certification exams that validate skills and competencies for credentials offered through the program.

Pricing and availability

HP Vertica Big Data Solutions certification is now available to all worldwide partners and customers. Exam registration is available at www.hp.com/go/ExpertOne.

HP Vertica channel partner program

Additional information for resellers and professional services organizations about the partner program and Vertica is available at www.vertica.com.

(1) 'Predicts 2013: Big Data and Information Infrastructure,' Gartner, Inc., November 2012.

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