Rackspace Announces First Ever On Demand E-learning and Multi-Course Curriculum for OpenStack Designed to Expand Worldwide Adoption of OpenStack Technology

Hybrid Cloud Leader to Increase OpenStack Skills Training to Meet Cloud Job Growth
London, UK – September 19, 2013 – Today, Rackspace® Hosting (NYSE: RAX), the open cloud company, launched the first ever on demand e-learning training course, added four new classroom-based courses and established a training partner program to expand its industry leading Rackspace Training for OpenStack program. The program is a multi-course curriculum designed to expand worldwide adoption of OpenStack technology.

“As the founder of OpenStack, Rackspace recognises the need for comprehensive educational courses and delivery models and is fundamentally revolutionising OpenStack training to include a Certified Training Partner Program and on demand e-learning course,” said Tony Campbell, director of training and certification for OpenStack. “We are thrilled with the momentum that the Rackspace Training for OpenStack program has had over the past year, and we are proud to expand the scope of the program and provide individuals with the necessary skills to secure OpenStack related jobs.”

On Demand E-learning, OpenStack Fundamentals Course
Customers will soon have the flexibility to learn how to use and deploy an OpenStack-powered cloud in a self-paced environment with the new on demand e-learning version of the Rackspace Training for OpenStack course, OpenStack Fundamentals.  This new offer is now open for pre-registration and will be generally available to the public in October.  Once generally available, the course can be accessed at any time online and offers students the convenience of taking OpenStack Fundamentals at their own pace.

Additional Classroom-based Courses
To enhance the industry’s most comprehensive OpenStack training curriculum, Rackspace is adding four new classroom-based training courses to its current training offering which includes the OpenStack certification program as well as the private and public training classes.  The new courses include:

•    OpenStack Networking - Neutron – Students learn how to use Neutron to provide a virtual Networking-as-a-Service between interface devices and allows the student to utilise an API to build and configure networking infrastructure
•    Building Cloudy Apps – Students learn how to build applications that are “cloud aware,” using Python to explore the concept of horizontal scaling, advantages of APIs and the skills needed to benefit a DevOps organisation
•    Security in the Cloud – Students learn how to develop and apply security safeguards to each virtual layer of an OpenStack environment
•    Hadoop on OpenStack - Introduces students to the big data processing platform, Apache Hadoop, its components and deployments in an OpenStack cloud

The expansion of the program is fueled by the rapid growth of OpenStack in the technology market. The BSA Global Cloud Scorecard 2013 predicts an estimated 14 million cloud jobs will be created by 2015. At its 3-year anniversary mark in July 2013, OpenStack had more than 10,000 contributors; greater than 1,000 code authors; more than one million lines of code and was utilised by more than 200 companies in 120 countries.

Training Partner Program
Rackspace established a training partner program using certified partners New Horizons Computer Learning Centers, Skyline Advanced Technology Services and Intelligent Cloud Technologies (ICT) to assist in meeting the increasing demand for its OpenStack Fundamentals training course. These new certified training partners include:
•    New Horizons - The world’s largest independent IT training company, with more than 300 locations in 70 countries.
•    Skyline Advanced Technology Services - A leading provider of training, professional services and hardware for all Cisco systems’ products.
•    Intelligent Cloud Technologies (ICT) – A cloud IT brand in China implementing the latest cloud-based technologies, performing various R&D and delivering IT technical training.

Please visit http://training.rackspace.com to find out more about the new training courses, including a course overview, class schedules, online registration and “meet the trainers” section.

Supporting Partner Quotes
“We are extremely excited to be a part of the widely used and growing learning market of OpenStack technologies,” said Jamie Fiely, Senior Vice President of New Horizons Computer Learning Centers. "We believe the solid partnership between Rackspace and New Horizons provides a quality learning experience to a rapidly expanding geographic reach of OpenStack customers.”

“Skyline Advanced Technology Services welcomes the opportunity to partner with Rackspace and leverage our rich history as leaders in networking, voice, and data center technologies, to provide the finest training experience available,” said Paul Ohrem, Managing Director, Professional Services, for Skyline.  “As a Certified Cisco Learning Partner and Collaboration Partner of the Year, we understand the tremendous benefits of working with strategic and progressive companies, and Rackspace is clearly a leader in open Cloud technologies.”

“We are very excited about our work  with Rackspace for several reasons,” said Dr. David Wang, CEO of ICT.  “We believe this relationship will drive OpenStack awareness, education, and adoption throughout the Chinese market, which happens to be one of the fastest growing markets globally.  Our online training capability expands our scope and scale from hundreds to thousands of trainees throughout China. We are looking forward to working together in the future.”

"LPI recognises the importance of OpenStack to the rapidly developing Cloud and Big Data technology sector. We are pleased to work with Rackspace to ensure that Linux and Open Source professionals can acquire the right skills to obtain employment in this challenging and growing IT environment," said Jim Lacey, president and CEO of Linux Professional Institute.