I’m changing jobs and moving to the Trustworthy Computing organization under
Adrienne Hall’s leadership. This was a difficult choice for me to make, but the
right one for my career development. I’ve really enjoyed working in the
Microsoft Certified Professional Community Space, and working with all the great
team players such as Lilia Taylor, Rolando Zarate, Ken Rosen, Trika Harms Zum
Spreckel, and many others who have helped make the MCP community more active and
vibrant over the last year.
We got to see MCP Benefits get launched in October, 2007. There was a lot of
work in involved and some challenges in making this happen for you guys, but it
was worth it. It’s a step in the right direction, and Microsoft Learning is
looking for ways to reward our MCP and MCTS
Training for being Microsoft Certified. We straightened out the MCP welcome
kit mess for now, but we need to keep our eye on it.
If you recall, many of you received vouchers for delays caused by us for not
getting the welcome kits shipped to you in a timely fashion for welcome kits you
placed an order for. You go to see downloadable versions of the certificates for
the new generation certifications such as MCITP, MCPD. We now have a revamped
process, along with plans to shorten the welcome kit shipment times thanks to
the collaborative efforts of many hands chipping in to make this a better
process. We’re looking to utilize the “pizza box” delivery package utilized by
the MCT program to ensure your welcome kits get there undamaged the first time.
We’ve seen our active participation increase almost 20 % last year from all the
MCP who logged in and accessed their benefits and resources from the MCP Secure
Site at https://mcp.microsoft.com/mcp. There’s more cool stuff coming for the
MCP program. You’ll find that being Microsoft Certified does mean something, and
will help you with your career.
Thanks to the assistance of Rajesh Mohan, Rahul Parikh, Donal Cavanagh, and
Venumadhava rao Yandapally, we’ve got better customer issue escalation in place
from the regional service centers to tier 1 to Tier 2 to handle MCP issues
coming in.
There’s still more work to do for us, but I’m confident it’s going to happen.
Quite a few good ideas have come up from the MCP Community on how to add value
to being certified. Microsoft Learning is listening and they are serious about
adding value to certification, and I’ve seen quite a few amazing folks step up
to make things happen in this space behind the scenes.
I’d like to thank Noury Bernard-Hasan, Wayne Anderson, Adam Jaffe, Howard
Dierking, Trika Harms Zum Spreckel, Lilia Taylor, Rolando Zarate, Rob Linsky,
Rick Grindley, Bill Wall, Steve Sheppard, Max Myrick, Helmer Zandenberg, and
many others for their assistance and feedback to help me get ramped up on the
MCP program. In my absence, Ken Rosen will be covering down until we can
identify the next MCP community lead. If you know of any good candidates (must
be Microsoft Certified) who are passionate about adding value to Microsoft
Certifications, and growing the MCP Community, please send them to Ken Rosen to
see if they’re a good fit.
Additional Resources and Prepration:
check testkingdom.com for the best in MCP, MCTS, MCITP-- and more they provide
you the best training 100% guarantee.
“Consider your-self Certified”
Warmest Regards,
Richel
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Vista exams; MCDST upgrade offer code
This is not just in, but worth repeating: Vista exams 70-620, 70-621 and 70-622
exams are all open for registration now at VUE and Prometric.
Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technicians (MCDST
Training): your upgrade code to save 40% on 621 is DCAUPG
For MCDSTs who find the above a bit terse for your taste*, a little more detail:
If you hold an MCDST (Desktop Support for XP), you can take exam 70-621 to earn
two credentials: MCTS: Vista and MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician--without
your MCDST this is a two-exam path (70-620 and 70-622). We promised that
XP-certified customers would have a period of time to take the upgrade at a 40%
discount. We will send this info directly to MCDSTs, but I know many of you are
waiting on the code, so here is the 411:
* Save 40% on exam 70-621 at both VUE and Prometric: register using promotion
code DCAUPG
* Good through September 30, 2007
* Can not be combined with other offers
* 70-621 only applies to MCDST-certified customers (i.e. if you don't have an
MCDST, 70-621 doesn't do anything for you)
* Objectives for 70-621: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-621.mspx
* Is there a 70-621 Training Kit? No, but 70-620 should help you quite a bit.
Watch the Vista portion of this LIve Meeting recording for up-to-date details on
the credentials and available MCDST
training.
exams are all open for registration now at VUE and Prometric.
Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technicians (MCDST
Training): your upgrade code to save 40% on 621 is DCAUPG
For MCDSTs who find the above a bit terse for your taste*, a little more detail:
If you hold an MCDST (Desktop Support for XP), you can take exam 70-621 to earn
two credentials: MCTS: Vista and MCITP: Enterprise Support Technician--without
your MCDST this is a two-exam path (70-620 and 70-622). We promised that
XP-certified customers would have a period of time to take the upgrade at a 40%
discount. We will send this info directly to MCDSTs, but I know many of you are
waiting on the code, so here is the 411:
* Save 40% on exam 70-621 at both VUE and Prometric: register using promotion
code DCAUPG
* Good through September 30, 2007
* Can not be combined with other offers
* 70-621 only applies to MCDST-certified customers (i.e. if you don't have an
MCDST, 70-621 doesn't do anything for you)
* Objectives for 70-621: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/exams/70-621.mspx
* Is there a 70-621 Training Kit? No, but 70-620 should help you quite a bit.
Watch the Vista portion of this LIve Meeting recording for up-to-date details on
the credentials and available MCDST
training.
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Carving out the .NET Certification Path
I know it’s a bit early, but in North America we have an autumn holiday tenderly
called “Turkey Day.” This is a time where friends and family put aside
differences and distances to share a large feast together in the pretense of
harmony. The event usually revolves around the traditional meat of turkey, and
the carving ceremony in my family has always been a moment of great anticipation
and even greater contention.
So, sitting down at the .NET certification table, you might be wondering what
happened to the big MCSD/MCAD turkey. Back in the day, the MCSD/MCAD
certification represented a master developer, a jack-of-all-trades. So if you
wanted a developer certification beyond the MCP, you had to eat the whole MCSD/MCAD
turkey, even if you were just a Windows developer or only developed ASP Web
sites; you had to eat both dark and white meat, leg and drumstick - everything.
With the introduction of the .NET Framework, the situation became even more
complicated. Developing a Windows application became very similar to harnessing
Web power, but you had to know everything about both to get the MCSD. The MCAD
certification attempted to alleviate the pressure, but it was never as
successful a certification as the MCSD.
So for the last few years Microsoft Learning has been busy carving the
certification turkey, trying to spread the slices across a much wider spectrum
of Microsoft technologies. We’ve entered a new age of smaller, more
technology-specific certifications, so that there’s a little bit of
certification for everyone to share. Rather than the MCSD and MCAD designation,
there are now the TS (Technology Specialist) and PD (Professional Developer)
designations.
So how is the certification table currently laid out? Something like this (click
the image for a larger version):
NETCertification
The TS exams represent a basic proficiency in specific technology domains. Each
exam comes in at least two flavors: VB.NET or C#. Before you go too far over to
the dark meat, all candidates for Microsoft .NET certification must pass the
070-536 exam. If you use ASP.NET 2.0, you would also take the 070-528 exam (.NET
Framework 2.0 Web applications). If you use ASP.NET 3.5, you would also take the
070-562 exam (.NET Framework 3.5 ASP.NET Applications). There are also TS exams
for BizTalk, Windows SharePoint Services, and most other Microsoft products.
Once you clear the preliminaries, then you can put it all together by taking PD
exams. These certifications focus on applying the technologies to real-world
scenarios. You might know code, but do you understand the team environment and
the phases of software development? There are only three exams in this category:
Windows Developer, Web Developer, and Enterprise Application Developer, each for
.NET 2.0 and Visual Studio 2005.
The exams themselves contain a lot more code, more best practices from the
Microsoft Solution and Agile Frameworks, and have a lot less configuration and
property trivia. So, the exam you take will be honed in on the technology you
use with the language you know. Seems a lot more digestible, doesn’t it?
So, seriously, no MCSD anymore? Well… not by name, per se. The MCPD: Enterprise
Application Developer is now the jack-of-all-trades certification, much like the
old MCSD. To get this certification, you need to get through all the .NET 2.0 TS
certifications and then pass the 070-549 exams.
Of course, if you have your MCSD/MCAD certification, then you could take an
upgrade path, but that may be a longer meal than most can handle. And I think
the tryptophan is kicking in, so I may need to sleep before posting on that
topic anytime soon. (But if you want an appetizer, here’s an hors d’oeuvre from
the horse’s mouth.)
But before I doze off, remember this: The new .NET certification isn’t for
marathon competitive eaters anymore. Take your time and savor the certification
in each bite.
called “Turkey Day.” This is a time where friends and family put aside
differences and distances to share a large feast together in the pretense of
harmony. The event usually revolves around the traditional meat of turkey, and
the carving ceremony in my family has always been a moment of great anticipation
and even greater contention.
So, sitting down at the .NET certification table, you might be wondering what
happened to the big MCSD/MCAD turkey. Back in the day, the MCSD/MCAD
certification represented a master developer, a jack-of-all-trades. So if you
wanted a developer certification beyond the MCP, you had to eat the whole MCSD/MCAD
turkey, even if you were just a Windows developer or only developed ASP Web
sites; you had to eat both dark and white meat, leg and drumstick - everything.
With the introduction of the .NET Framework, the situation became even more
complicated. Developing a Windows application became very similar to harnessing
Web power, but you had to know everything about both to get the MCSD. The MCAD
certification attempted to alleviate the pressure, but it was never as
successful a certification as the MCSD.
So for the last few years Microsoft Learning has been busy carving the
certification turkey, trying to spread the slices across a much wider spectrum
of Microsoft technologies. We’ve entered a new age of smaller, more
technology-specific certifications, so that there’s a little bit of
certification for everyone to share. Rather than the MCSD and MCAD designation,
there are now the TS (Technology Specialist) and PD (Professional Developer)
designations.
So how is the certification table currently laid out? Something like this (click
the image for a larger version):
NETCertification
The TS exams represent a basic proficiency in specific technology domains. Each
exam comes in at least two flavors: VB.NET or C#. Before you go too far over to
the dark meat, all candidates for Microsoft .NET certification must pass the
070-536 exam. If you use ASP.NET 2.0, you would also take the 070-528 exam (.NET
Framework 2.0 Web applications). If you use ASP.NET 3.5, you would also take the
070-562 exam (.NET Framework 3.5 ASP.NET Applications). There are also TS exams
for BizTalk, Windows SharePoint Services, and most other Microsoft products.
Once you clear the preliminaries, then you can put it all together by taking PD
exams. These certifications focus on applying the technologies to real-world
scenarios. You might know code, but do you understand the team environment and
the phases of software development? There are only three exams in this category:
Windows Developer, Web Developer, and Enterprise Application Developer, each for
.NET 2.0 and Visual Studio 2005.
The exams themselves contain a lot more code, more best practices from the
Microsoft Solution and Agile Frameworks, and have a lot less configuration and
property trivia. So, the exam you take will be honed in on the technology you
use with the language you know. Seems a lot more digestible, doesn’t it?
So, seriously, no MCSD anymore? Well… not by name, per se. The MCPD: Enterprise
Application Developer is now the jack-of-all-trades certification, much like the
old MCSD. To get this certification, you need to get through all the .NET 2.0 TS
certifications and then pass the 070-549 exams.
Of course, if you have your MCSD/MCAD certification, then you could take an
upgrade path, but that may be a longer meal than most can handle. And I think
the tryptophan is kicking in, so I may need to sleep before posting on that
topic anytime soon. (But if you want an appetizer, here’s an hors d’oeuvre from
the horse’s mouth.)
But before I doze off, remember this: The new .NET certification isn’t for
marathon competitive eaters anymore. Take your time and savor the certification
in each bite.
click here for more info
mcitp training
click here for more info
mcst training
Microsoft Certification: The New MCTS Tracks And Exams
Microsoft is revamping its certification tracks, and will eventually retire the
familiar MCSE certificatons. The new certification setup is much like Cisco's,
where there are specialist certifications to go along with the more general CCNA,
then mid-level certifications such as the CCNP, and then a more-advanced
practical exam modeled somewhat after the coveted CCIE certification.
Microsoft's new specialist exams are the Microsoft Certified Technology
Specialist (MCTS) exams. As of March 2006, there were five separate MCTS Tracks.
Three of them deal with .NET Framework 2.0; these are the Web Application,
Windows Applications, and Distributed Applications certifications. Each of these
separate certifications requires the candidate to pass two exams. There is also
a one-exam SQL Server 2005 certification, as well as a BizTalk Server 2006
single-exam certification.
The initial question is "Why is Microsoft doing this?" According to their
website, MS feels that IT hiring managers today have a tough time deciding which
computer certifications best identify job candidates who best meet their needs.
I know it's easy to take verbal shots at Microsoft (it'll be an Olympic sport
one day), but this new series of certs does have appeal for hiring managers,
which can only help qualified candidates. Instead of the more-general MCSE,
which does still suffer from the overcertification of NT 4.0 MCSEs back in the
day, these more-specific certifications will make it easier for the job
candidate to prove that they can do the job - and easier for the hiring manager
to make an informed decision.
Microsoft hasn't announced the track that will eventually replace the MCSE, but
this track will be revealed with the next client-server Windows release. It's up
to you to stay informed of these changes, so I recommend you visit Microsoft's
certification website often. "I didn't know" isn't much help once a
certification expires!
Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of over
100 free certification exam tutorials, including Cisco CCNA certification test
prep articles. His exclusive Cisco CCNA study guide and Cisco CCNA training is
also available!
Visit his blog and sign up for Cisco Certification Central, a daily newsletter
packed with CCNA, Network+, Security+, A+, and CCNP certification exam practice
questions! A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available, and
you can attend an in-person or online CCNA, MCITP training log on to
testkingdom.com!
familiar MCSE certificatons. The new certification setup is much like Cisco's,
where there are specialist certifications to go along with the more general CCNA,
then mid-level certifications such as the CCNP, and then a more-advanced
practical exam modeled somewhat after the coveted CCIE certification.
Microsoft's new specialist exams are the Microsoft Certified Technology
Specialist (MCTS) exams. As of March 2006, there were five separate MCTS Tracks.
Three of them deal with .NET Framework 2.0; these are the Web Application,
Windows Applications, and Distributed Applications certifications. Each of these
separate certifications requires the candidate to pass two exams. There is also
a one-exam SQL Server 2005 certification, as well as a BizTalk Server 2006
single-exam certification.
The initial question is "Why is Microsoft doing this?" According to their
website, MS feels that IT hiring managers today have a tough time deciding which
computer certifications best identify job candidates who best meet their needs.
I know it's easy to take verbal shots at Microsoft (it'll be an Olympic sport
one day), but this new series of certs does have appeal for hiring managers,
which can only help qualified candidates. Instead of the more-general MCSE,
which does still suffer from the overcertification of NT 4.0 MCSEs back in the
day, these more-specific certifications will make it easier for the job
candidate to prove that they can do the job - and easier for the hiring manager
to make an informed decision.
Microsoft hasn't announced the track that will eventually replace the MCSE, but
this track will be revealed with the next client-server Windows release. It's up
to you to stay informed of these changes, so I recommend you visit Microsoft's
certification website often. "I didn't know" isn't much help once a
certification expires!
Chris Bryant, CCIE #12933, is the owner of The Bryant Advantage, home of over
100 free certification exam tutorials, including Cisco CCNA certification test
prep articles. His exclusive Cisco CCNA study guide and Cisco CCNA training is
also available!
Visit his blog and sign up for Cisco Certification Central, a daily newsletter
packed with CCNA, Network+, Security+, A+, and CCNP certification exam practice
questions! A free 7-part course, "How To Pass The CCNA", is also available, and
you can attend an in-person or online CCNA, MCITP training log on to
testkingdom.com!
click here for more info mcitp training
click here for more info mcst training
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