9/10/2002 -- Juniper just announced that it will be revamping aspects of its M-series router certification program.

The Cisco competitor has decided to add an entry-level title, the Juniper Networks Certified Internet Associate (JNCIA). The JNCIA exam, designed for "experience networking professionals with beginner to intermediate knowledge of Juniper" routers, will launch in beta format on Sept. 16.

On Oct. 14, the company will update its Juniper Networks Certified Internet Expert (JNCIE) lab exam to Junos software version 5.3. The lab currently runs on version 4.3.

Since the program's launch last year, it has awarded 84 JNCIE certifications; 347 candidates have passed the company's lab qualification exam, the JNCIS.

More information about Juniper's certification program can be found here. - B.N.