I try to keep up on all the cert info that's fit to print, but here's one that slipped my radar: Second Shot has been continued, but only for those taking the academic versions of the tests.
Info on the
Prometric site shows a new deadline for taking exams (yes, only the academic versions with a 072 prefix) is Sept. 30 of this year. Good luck on the first try, and if that doesn't work, there's always that second attempt for free.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/20/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Milo is disturbing, or maybe what bugs me is that it looks like just the evolution of Microsoft Bob. That is, he may be trying to be helpful, but he's not always helping. Let's just hope Milo doesn't become the centerpiece of the next Microsoft Office help system.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/20/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
It feels a bit alarmist for
one researcher to claim that we're doomed now that Windows XP SP2 support is ending this week. But if numbers don't lie, then Softchoice in their estimation believes nearly half of the computers they analyzed for their report are still running that older, less secure version.
Whoa! What's stopping these folks from upgrading? Ideas, anyone? And haven't they heard of XP SP3 by now? Send your thoughts to me here.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/08/2010 at 11:59 AM8 comments
Gerry O'Brien at Microsoft has a
big update on several SharePoint 2010 exams going live next Monday. (We told you about those exams
here, when they were fresh into being beta tested.) Gerry's got some info on Silverlight 4 exams being developed as well, same post.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/08/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Now that's a headline that might get attention on the front of The National Enquirer. But we're talking lowercase j in the subtext, so the assumption right away is that it means job cuts at Microsoft. Even that might seem like big news, if the
rumors at TechFlash (which we spied via
Foley at All About Microsoft) are true. But not all is as it seems, as the cuts might be just continuing on from the company's
announced cuts of the last year.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/08/2010 at 11:59 AM2 comments
Microsoft Learning, through its Born2Learn blog, alerts us to two new developer exams that went live yesterday:
Exam 70-513 TS: Windows Communication Foundation Development with .NET Framework 4 and
70-515 TS:
Web Applications Development with .NET Framework 4. Both exams count toward the MCPD: Web Developer 4 cert, while 70-513 also can be applied to the MCPD: Windows Developer 4.
Noteworthy: Interested in Bing certification? You heard right. A Bing certification. It's live now. See Emmett Dulaney's blog at CertCities for the details.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/01/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
What skills can you lay claim to: Windows 7, Office 2010? How about touting your deployment skills for both via this new exam coming up from Microsoft Learning Group.
Exam 70-681 TS: Windows 7 and Office 2010, Deploying, heads into beta next Tuesday, according to
this blog post. Registration is already open (be sure to ask for 71-681, which is the designation it has in its beta form), and we believe this one will prove to be popular. If you don't get a seat at this exam, apologies from us for not informing you in a tmely manner (well, we did tell you about it
earlier this month, no?).
Those who pass Exam 70-681 TS in its beta form will automatically get MCTS status; as well, they can apply the exam toward the MCITP: Enterprise Administrator title.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 07/01/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Microsoft Learning is always quietly busy in the background, developing or beta testing exams while we grind away on other things. Developers, take note: the group has just released a batch of Web and Windows developer-related exams, four to be exact:
- 70-511 TS: Windows AppDev with .NET Framework 4
- 70-516 TS: Accessing Data with .NET Framework 4
- 70-518 Pro: Design, Develop Windows Apps with .NET 4
- 70-519 Pro: Design, Develop Web Apps with .NET 4
The last two fulfill requirements in the Windows and Web-based Microsoft Certified Professional-level certification programs. Who said they weren't busy right now? Studying for these exams is one good way to make time move faster.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 06/29/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Jeffrey Schwartz on the RCPmag.com site
writes about some of the changes coming to the Microsoft Partner Network, some good, some bad. Where there's understandably overwhelming attention is a minor controversy in the certification of higher level partner membership levels. It particularly puts small businesses into a bind.
As I understand it, Microsoft will no longer allow the person who's certified in messaging to use his or her credential to fulfill other competencies. "No more double dipping," writes my colleague. To fulfill the requirement for other levels, companies must already have others on staff or add staffers who can use their certifications to fulfill other added competencies based on those revamped MPN rules.
What Microsoft might be saying is, small businesses be damned or fall in with the rules. But Microsoft believes the rules are fair and that small businesses can play up the lone competency advantage. Yes, SMBs can compete against the big boys with dozens of competencies by touting the scale and cost savings that small businesses have. Oh yeah, it sounds cockeyed to me, too. Share your thoughts on Schwartz's story here.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 06/29/2010 at 11:59 AM4 comments
The old adage to be careful what you wish for applies here:
Jet packs are now being offered through Martin Aircraft. No joke. I do remember a time when I've wanted one (probaby when my age was still single digits), and the idea comes up often when I'm trapped on Orange County's congested freeways in the afternoon.
And you're right; this is absolutely and utterly unrelated to careers or MCPs or salaries, but in a figurative sense, it can be -- get a jet pack and you might not have an IT career, MCP or salary for too long.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 06/22/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments
Nick Eaton at
Seattle Post-Intelligencer blogs about a nifty salary site, Glassdoor.com, that claims to get inside information on Microsoft employee compensation. I won't steal the thunder from Nick, so check out the link to his blog. What does Ballmer make? That's
here, courtesy of research from The Seattle Times.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 06/22/2010 at 11:59 AM1 comments
Good news first: IDC is predicting
PC sales to trend upward in numbers that we haven't seen since 2008. Now, the bad news: Later on this year, those might not be Windows-based PCs. Ouch.
Posted by Michael Domingo on 06/22/2010 at 11:59 AM0 comments