3/30/2001 -- On April 2, the Computer Technology Industry Association (CompTIA) will relaunch two certifications it bought from the Gartner Group in February.

According to Fran Linhart, director of certification for CompTIA and a former Gartner certification manager, the name of the certifications have been changed -- "Project Management" is now "IT Project+," and "e-Business Fundamentals" is now "e-Biz+" -- however, the objectives remain the same.

IT Project+ is "designed for IT professionals with 12 months of experience in leading, managing and directing small IT projects. IT Project+ examines the business, interpersonal and technical skills required to successfully manage IT projects, as defined by experts in the industry," according to the CompTIA Web site.

e-Biz+ is "designed for technical and non-technical individuals who work in an e-Business environment. The exam measures a baseline of knowledge around the basic concepts, key issues and critical technologies of e-Business, supplying IT and business professionals with a foundation for contributing to e-Business solutions."

Linhart said that these two titles compliment CompTIA's current crop of certifications well. She explained that for those who first get the organization's A+, Network+ and/or other certifications, these new offerings are a logical next step. "Odds are, as you [move up in IT], you will do more and more project management. You need to be held accountable for the business side and the people knowledge that surround [such projects]."

Those already certified in the now-defunct Gartner versions will automatically be grandfathered into the new titles. To request a new certificate and a CompTIA I.D. card, call (630) 268-1818.

Like CompTIA's other certifications, IT Project+ and e-Biz+ are obtained by passing one multiple-choice exam, available through Vue and Prometric. Following is the basic outline for each:

Further details on the certifications can be found on the CompTIA Web site. For e-Biz+, click here. For IT Project+, click here. -B.N.