SAN DIEGO, CA, Aug. 18, 2005 -- Baseline Consulting, one of the industry's premier IT services firms, is the first firm to achieve seven certifications with the Certified Business Intelligence Professional (CBIP) exam according to The Data Warehousing Institute (TDWI). CBIP was developed and is delivered by TDWI in partnership with The Institute for the Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP). TDWI is the premier provider of in-depth, high quality education and training in the business intelligence and data warehousing industry.

Finding qualified BI professionals is becoming increasingly difficult according to Dave Wells, CBIP, TDWI's Director of Education. "TDWI is pleased that Baseline Consulting recognizes the importance and value of certification and has taken action to certify their consultants. Clearly Baseline realizes the importance that their clients place on quality and confidence. CBIP will distinguish Baseline as a leader among BI service providers."

"For our consultants, CBIP is an industry acknowledgement of their many years of dedication and hard work in showing our clients how to protect and leverage their corporate data asset," says Evan Levy, Baseline Co-Founder and Partner. Sitting for the exam is not a firm mandate but many of the consultants see it as a badge of honor and are making arrangements with clients to excuse themselves to sit for the exam. "I was a little nervous at first, since I spend most of my time implementing systems and showing clients how to manage and use them," from a relieved Robert Stone, Senior Consultant at Baseline who earned master certifications. "For me it was a great opportunity to take off my manager's gloves and see how our daily real world challenges are validated in a classroom setting," according to Bryan Rockoff, Baseline Director.

For Jill Dyche, Baseline Co-Founder and Partner, the CBIP exam separates the BI professionals from the "tool hounds." Says Dyche, "It's an important distinction between BI professionals who show companies how to access information and how it impacts their business versus practitioners who set up canned queries and reports." "The certification will open new doors for the firm," according to Joyce Norris-Montanari, Baseline Director. "CBIP sheds light on the fact that data management practices at most companies are outdated or missing altogether. You can have great tools at your fingertips, but without a comprehensive approach for managing the corporate data asset, Business Intelligence is an oxymoron."

The CBIP exams are a true test-based certification program and are based on knowledge and experience within a particular BI specialty: Administration & Technology, Business Analytics, Data Analysis & Design, Data Integration, and Leadership & Management.

About Baseline Consulting

Founded in 1991, Baseline Consulting has grown to become one of the industry's premier IT services firms by working with clients to solve their business problems by managing their data as a corporate asset. Baseline provides the people, tools, methods, vision, and, above all, the experience necessary for companies to reach their strategic objectives through information technology. Baseline has built its reputation solving problems for companies that span geographies, industries and market segments such as American Express, Wells Fargo, The Limited, Verizon, and AARP. For more information on Baseline Consulting, visit www.baseline-consulting.com.

About TDWI

The Data Warehousing Institute(TM) (TDWI), a division of 101communications, is the premier provider of in-depth, high-quality education and research in the business intelligence and data warehousing industry. TDWI is dedicated to educating business and information technology professionals about the strategies, techniques, and tools required to successfully design, build, and maintain business intelligence and data warehousing solutions. TDWI Membership includes more than 4,000 Members who are business and information technology professionals from Fortune 1000 corporations, consulting organizations, and governments in 45 countries. For more information about TDWI, visit www.tdwi.org.

About ICCP

The CBIP credential has been developed and delivered in partnership with the Institute for Certification of Computing Professionals (ICCP), a non-profit organization established in 1973. ICCP has a broad network of resources and has strong relationships with DAMA, IEEE, CIPS, and many other IT professional organizations. For more information about ICCP, visit www.iccp.org.

Baseline Consulting Group, Inc. 
John Earle, 818-906-7638 
johnearle@baseline-consulting.com