3000 veterans want to reopen certifications

OpenMPE treasurer Paul Edwards — who's maintaining HP 3000 education options, along with his partner Frank Alden Smith — wants to ensure that certifications in 3000 skills don't disappear like HP's MPE/iX classes. It seems HP has cut the funding to support the operating system's certification process, even though HP's MPE/iX support doesn't run out for another 15 months.

HP has cut off the 3000 certified professionals so completely they can't log access much of the certification Web site at HP with their 3000 IDs. Since it looks like HP's certification efforts for 3000 skills are over, Edwards wants to take on the 3000 certification program, if HP will permit it. The vendor recently signed an agreement to turn over the class materials for its 3000 classes to Edwards' Paul Edwards & Associates and Smith's Alden Research.

Edwards reports that HP will investigate starting up the certification funding and the future of the process. He gave us his first report after a weekend of writing it up, and also passed on the details to the 3000 newsgroup and the OpenMPE mailing list. He's inviting any MPE/iX certified professionals to send him comments, which he'll pass on to HP.

Edwards said in his report:

In my e-mail inbox recently was the following message from the HP Certification Program Manager:

We show that you currently hold the following certification: MPE/iX System Administration. This credential has been expired, which means it is no longer recognized by the HP Certified Professional Program and will no longer be maintained.

ACTION ITEM: If this is the only credential you hold in the HP Certified Professional Program, you will no longer hold the title of HP Certified Professional. We highly recommend that you pursue one of the active credentials currently supported by our Program. A list of active certifications and the requirements for each can be found on our Web site at www.hp.com/go/certification/americas.

Once you fulfill the requirements of the credential, you will be sent a new certificate with your new title. If you have any questions, please visit our web site at www.hp.com/go/certification/americas or select the "contact us" link on that page to email or call us.

Rich Gossman
Manager, Americas HP Certified Professional Program

I logged into the certification site as noted in their message to verify the status of my certifications. The only access I was allowed was the ability to update my profile. All access to other parts of the site was denied.

I contacted Rich Gossman for an explanation, since MPE/iX is still a supported operating system and I felt my certifications were still valid. He told me that the division had declined to continue to fund the certification program for over 50 MPE/iX professionals who hold the System Administration certification. He also discussed with me the major changes, additions, and consolidations that were made to the whole certification program after the merger with Compaq. The lack of continuing the HP Star certifications is understandable since the date of the end of sales of the HP 3000 has passed.

I contacted Mike Paivinen of HPÕs [virtual 3000 division] to gain his assistance to resolve the issues. I pointed out to him that this was like college graduates being notified by their university that their degree is no longer valid. Additionally, any MPE/iX certification holders who want to certify for additional HP certifications in other areas will be discouraged to do so, because they canÕt access most of the HP site. The internal cost to continue the program for the MPE/iX certified community  by vCSY has got to be minimal.

Because Alden Research, Inc. and Paul Edwards & Associates have just signed an agreement with HP to assume the responsibility for MPE training, Mike was asked about the possibility of [our companies] acquiring the HP certification testing materials, procedures, and their responsibility for MPE certifications to be added as part of that agreement. MPE/iX professionals deserve to have their certifications continue in force for as long as they are actively involved with the HP3000 platform.

There is no reason to end certification qualification, even though HP made the decision to discontinue the testing process. Besides, HP has had no new releases of the operating system that would require re-certification. Mike agreed to investigate the funding issue, the reinstatement of the MPE/iX certifications, the certification testing issue, and the future of the MPE/iX certification process.

I will update the HP Certified Professionals community as soon as I receive any information from HP. Any feedback sent to me by MPE/iX certified professionals will be passed on to HP.

This story first appeared Sept. 28 at the NewsWire's daily blog, 3000newswire.com/blog