FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

New website helps Cisco certification candidates prepare for exams.

September 20, 1999 – Schenectady, NY – Finally, networking professionals
and students can more effectively assess their readiness to pass those
expensive and difficult Cisco certification exams by taking inexpensive but
equally tough simulated exams, on-line. These practice exams are just one
part of a website full of Cisco Certification study tools on-line visitors
will find at CertificationZone.com (URL http://www.CertificationZone.com)

The new site features two separate study areas which focus on the Cisco
Certified Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Internetworking
Expert (CCIE) certification exams. Each study area features free access to
a monthly White Paper, serving as a tutorial covering major certification
objectives. Subscribers receive additional access to sample test questions
modeled after those on the actual exams, complete with explanations showing
why a particular answer is the best choice. Lab Scenarios are also included
to prepare candidates for the practical certification requirements.

What sets the site apart from similar services is that each month’s content
focuses on a particular topic. Subscribers get a thorough understanding by
reading the White Paper, answering sample test questions based on it, and
then practicing the Lab Scenario. The CCNA Study Area’s premiere issue
focuses on the OSI Reference. The next few issues will cover Addressing,
Router Operation, and WAN Protocols. The premiere CCIE White Paper
addresses IP Addressing for CCNA’s. The next few topics will cover Interior
Redistribution and Routing Principles.

A unique feature of the site are simulations mimicking the CCNA and CCIE
written exams. Similar to the real exams, test-takers answer multiple
choice questions online. Within a few minutes of test completion, the
website sends back results, showing which questions were missed and
provides an explanation of how the correct answer was ascertained. An
exclusive test analyzer also shows by exam objective how many questions
were answered correctly, a great tool in identifying which areas need
improvement. For a small investment ($25 to $35), the simulator shows
candidates if they’re ready for the exam before spending hundreds of
dollars on the real thing. Website subscribers can take the simulated exam
once each month at no additional fee as part of their subscription.

Content for the website is being written by a diversified editorial board
recognized for their expertise in Cisco certification circles. This team is
headed by Technical Director Howard C. Berkowitz, a network architect and
Chief Technology Officer for Gett Communications. A Cisco Systems Certified
Instructor (CCSI), he is also a member of the North American Network
Operator’s Group (NANOG) and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). He
has published two books, dozens of articles, and has served as a guest
speaker and lecturer at gatherings of networking professionals around the
world.

Joining him is noted author Priscilla Oppenheimer. A Certified Network
Expert (CNX), she has an extensive background as a software developer,
technical instructor, and writer of training curriculums. She has taught
more than 2,000 network engineers from most of the Fortune 500 companies
and has worked for Apple Computer and Cisco Systems. Her most recent book,
Top-Down Network Design, has earned wide acclaim as an outstanding
reference.

Other contributors to the site include Pamela Forsyth, a CCIE and CCSI, who
developed many of the questions used on the site’s simulated exams. Future
submissions will also come from Ron Trunk, president of Transatlantic
Network Consultants, Inc., a Washington, DC network design consulting firm.
With over 20 years of network design and system integration experience, Ron
has passed his written CCIE R/S exam and is currently preparing for the
CCIE practical exam. Also joining the team are Chris Ackerman and David
Wolsefer, both Senior Internetworking Engineers at Dimension Enterprises,
Inc. in Herndon, Virginia. Ackerman is a CCDA, CCIE, and Cisco Support Pro,
while Wolsefer has earned his CCNA, MCSE certifications, and is scheduled
for the CCIE lab exam in November. Additional authors and topics will be
announced shortly.

In making the announcement, Michael Cinquanti, president of Genium
Publishing Corporation (the site’s publisher), praised the editorial board.
“Instead of depending upon 2 or 3 people to provide technical content, the
CertificationZone has sought out qualified networking professionals to
address each of the 18 major objectives addressed by the CCNA and CCIE
exams. By partnering with experts who thoroughly know their assigned
topics, we’ll be delivering the in-depth background that exam candidates
need to better understand each exam objective.”

For more information, visit the website at
http://www.CertificationZone.com, or contact Genium Publishing Corporation;
Room 295, One Genium Plaza; Schenectady, NY 12304-4690; toll free (877)
CCIE-NOW (877-224-3669); phone (518) 377-8854; fax (518) 377-1891; or
sales@CertificationZone.com.