"Our goal is to ensure that Altova-certified engineers have the expertise to integrate their technical knowledge with real-world development skills," said David Kershaw, Manager of Professional and Educational Services for Altova, as his company yesterday launched a new certification program and exam.

The Altova XMLSPY Certification Exam is an expert-level, 50 question exam that tests both an individual's knowledge of important XML-related specifications as well as proficiency with Altova's XMLSPY 2004 market-leading XML development environment.

"Successful participants will become Altova Certified XMLSPY Engineers (ACXE)," Kershaw explained. The idea, he continued, is that every ACXE "will possess a level of knowledge and practical expertise that will inspire confidence and can serve as a key differentiator for IT professionals."

"Altova customers will benefit greatly by including an ACXE on their deployment team," Kershaw added.

The Altova XMLSPY Certification Exam is delivered in a proctored environment and is available at hundreds of United States and Canadian testing facilities managed by Thomson Prometric, the global leader in technology-enabled knowledge testing and assessment services.

For more information on the certification exam, including testing coverage, and example questions, visit Altova's Web site.