Microsoft Certification

MCITP Windows 7 Enterprise Desktop Support Tech Cert Takes Shape

Last week, Erwin Chan posted about this emerging Windows 7 certification to the Born to Learn blog. While the complete and final requirements have yet to be determined he does say that “Candidates wishing to pursue this certification can safely proceed to prepare for 680: Win7, Configuring and 685: Win7 EDST” (where EDST is eponymous with the certification’s own name).

Here’s what this utterance tells me:

• Exam 70-680 TS: Windows 7, Configuring will either be a pre-req or an outright requirement for this cert.
• Exam 70-685 PRO: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician (beta period ended on 10/16/2009, but the final version isn’t out yet–here’s the beta blurb) will be an outright requirement for this cert.
• It’s possible Microsoft might pull some kind of additional rabbit (another exam) or might also offer value/platform added versions as they did with HP exams for the Vista iteration of this exam.

My best guess, however, is that when the 70-685 goes into final form, the two preceding exams will constitute the requirements for the MCITP Win7 EDST certification and people will also be able to earn same. I think what Mr. Chan meant by his blog post was “Hey! We’re almost finished. You can take 70-680 right now and then 70-685 when it’s available to earn your MCITP Win7 EDST cert ASAP.”

Those who are interested can — and perhaps should — do exactly that!

Help Desk Institute and MS Team Up for Win7 Cert

Microsoft and the Help Desk Institute (HDI) have teamed up to define a new IT professional credential on Windows 7. It’s called the MCITP: Enterprise Desktop Support Technician 7 aka MCITP: EDST7 and adds a requirement to pass one of two HDI hardware exams to the base level MCITP .

The base level MS requirements are:

• 70-680 TS: Windows 7, Configuring
• 70-685 Pro: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician

The HDI exams are:

• HDI Support Center Analyst (HDI-SCA)
• HSI Desktop Support Technician (HDI-DST)

Although other credentials (such as MCSA and MCSA) have permitted CompTIA certifications to be applied for credit in lieu of other MCP exams, this is the first time that Microsoft has required a third-party certification as part and parcel of earning an MS credential. It should be interesting to see how this turns out. For more information about applying the HDI exam for credit toward the MCITP: EDST7 credential, check out this Microsoft Certification page on the HDI site.

MCP Voucher Winner Interview: Thomas L, Essen, Germany

Thomas L, Essen, Germany

1. What do you currently do for a living?

I’m living in Germany, in Ruhr Metropolis Essen, which has been selected as the European Capital of Culture for 2010. I’ve been working in the IT Business for more than 12 years. Since May 2005 I’ve been working as a Consultant for Avanade Deutschland GmbH, a Microsoft and Accenture joint venture, on large national and international projects.
2. Please describe your educational background.

I’m a Graduate Engineer for Vehicle Engineering. From 1990 - 1997 I studied Vehicle Engineering at the University of Applied Sciences in Cologne, Germany.

3. What kinds of certifications do you currently hold, if any?

MCITP – Enterprise Administrator, Charter Member
MCITP – Server Administrator, Charter Member
MCTS – Microsoft Windows 7, Configuration, Charter Member
MCTS – System Center Configuration Manager 2007, Configuration
MCTS – ISA Server 2006
MCTS – Desktop Optimization Pack, Charter Member
MCTS – System Center Virtualization Manager 2008, Charter Member
MCTS – Essential Business Server, Charter Member
MCTS – Hyper V, Charter Member
MCTS – Microsoft Windows Vista, Configuration
MCTS – Business Desktop Deployment with the BDD
MCTS – Windows Server 2008 Active Directory Configuration
MCTS – Windows Server 2008 Application Platform Configuration
MCTS – Windows Server 2008 Network Infrastructure Configuration
MCSE – Windows Server 2003, Windows Server 2000, and Windows NT 4.0
MCSA – Windows Server 2003, and Windows Server 2000
MCP – several MCP exams for MCSE / MCSA

4. How has earning a certification helped to advance your career?

Certification has always been very important for the companies I was and I am working for. When I changed employers in former positions, I was always up-to-date certified. That was my advantage - the new employer did not have to spend money for me to take courses or certifications. It’s always better to say I have than I will.

My current employer is requesting all his employees to keep their certifications up to date. The earlier you archive a current certification the better it is for your career. Beside other factors certification is currently necessary for a promotion to step forward to the next career level.

For my employer, the best skilled and certified employees are a business advantage compared to other companies that don’t have such people. Our customers set a high value on such consultants and when in doubt they will always choose a certified one. Such people are easier to sell, and that is an advantage for both parties, employer and employee.

5. What exam do you plan to use the MCP voucher to take?

70-635: TS Microsoft Deployment Toolkit 2008, Desktop Deployment

6. What kind of advice do you have for your peers and colleagues about earning a certification?

Try to be the first one certified on new technologies like Windows Server 2008 or Windows 7. Use the Microsoft Website, the Technet Forums, the different Blogs and some latest books  to get the theoretical knowledge about the product. Take some time and set up a (virtual) environment and play around with the particular product. Learn by doing, install, configure and maintain the product according to the skills being measured. If you have a problem, you can walk through the Microsoft communities to find if others have similar issues - mostly they have and you are not alone. If you can’t find a solution for your problems, feel free to ask the community and you will see, there will be a hint or even an answer. Learn how the product looks and feels, and then the questions in the exams will be familiar for you.

6.a. about finding a job?

Use the Internet or your local newspapers and computer magazines for suitable jobs. You will see that a lot of employers require up-to-date certificates. If you haven’t completed your certification road yet, don’t hesitate to contact the company anyway. Mostly there will be enough time to complete your certifications until the new job begins. Show the new potential employer that you have a deep knowledge of the product you are interested in. Don’t give him the feeling that you need four options from which one will be correct.

6.b. about improving your career prospects or outlook?

Try to be the first to be up-to-date certified and find a certification roadmap that meets your needs. You will find exams for developers, administrators, and engineers. And you will find add on certificates for those who keep a basic certification like MCSE or MCITP Enterprise Administrator. Stay on your road and don’t get upset by new exams. First of all finish your exam series like MCSE, if you have already most of the required exams. And then choose update exam to get up-to-date. And don’t be afraid to ask your employer paying the exams and the training courses, books, and equipment. Most of them will support you during your certification roadmap because it’s good for them to have certified employees.

Thanks very much for entering, Thomas, and for providing such good and helpful advice. Again: congratulations on your win.

Win 7 Beta Exam Item (Almost) Escapes My Notice

Thanks to Emmett Dulaney at CertCities.com, I read this morning that MS has exam 71-680: Configuring Windows 7 in beta from May 5 until May 18 (this coming Monday). Though the period is almost over and seats are probably no longer available–if you’re hot to trot, it’s still not too late to try–I find all kins of interesting implications in this ongoing but low-key event. Here’s what I think this indicates about the next Windows version and release:

• As the recently-released RC version also indicates, Windows 7 is now feature complete. Though items may get removed from what shows up in late October (if the rumors are true about the planned release date, that’s actually October 23), nothing new will be added.
• MS feels pretty confident that this platform is going to attract lots of interest and participation. This is the earliest I can ever recall seeing a basic OS exam go into beta. Even given a late October release, this is six months in advance. I’m tempted to speculate that Win7 may ship even earlier than the rumors currently date the release, just because this is so darn early. For an interesting description of this exam, see Lukas Beeler’s blog on this subject.
• Some focus on new technologies includes Branch Cache, DirectAccess, VPN support, UFD-based installation, user state migration tool and Windows EasyTransfer, plus OS imaging, deployment strategies, and virtual Hard Disks (VHDs). MS is trying to make sure those responsible for Windows 7 users and platforms really know how to make the most of its capabilities.

I take heart from this phenomenon, and also from my own recent extensive experiences with this OS. After the Vista debacle, it really does look like Microsoft is once again trying to deliver a decent, usable OS. Let’s hope they succeed in meeting these relatively modest aims! I’m also guessing this exam will become available within 30 days of whenever Windows 7 goes live, so it’s probably not too early to start prepping and learning right now.

Windows 7 Exams Are Coming!

The “Born to Learn” blog from Microsoft Learning is proving to be an effective and useful source of advance information from MS. Call it a “source of planned leaks” and you wouldn’t be at all out of line. Fortunately, MS Learning has been forthcoming and straightforward enough for this to be a source of genuine and useful info rather than another outlet for official PR information. The blog in question is entitled “Sneak Peek at Windows 7 exam development” and it offers the following tidbits of information:

• Three exams are currently under development (see next bulleted list below for as much information as I can provide on same at this time)
• MS is building one of these exams for a hitherto unserved job role: Desktop Administrator. Here’s how MS describes this job role:

…Desktop Administrators (DAs) are IT Professionals who are responsible for provisioning desktop PCs and deploying service packs and updates to these PCs. They are also responsible for setting the strategic direction for the desktop operating system and applications. DAs work with other lines of businesses in their company and are responsible for addressing high-end desktop infrastructure needs. DAs are Tier 3 level support and mostly handle escalations related to system and large site issues.

• The lone Windows 7 TS exam scheduled in this batch will provide one more additional option to meet desktop exam requirements for the MCITP Enterprise Administrator cert, rather than replacing the Vista TS exam of the same ilk outright.

That said, here are the three exam identifiers mentioned in this blog:

1. 70-680 TS: Windows 7, Configuring: all that MS Learning says at this point is that this exam is “under development.” I take this to mean that 70-680 will be cast in the same mold as exam 70-620 except with Windows 7 as its focus, rather than Windows Vista. I don’t expect to see any more change in coverage or skills measured than the changes from Vista to Windows 7 require.
2. 70-685 MCITP: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician: ditto 70-680, except this time the analogous Vista exam is 70-622 “Supporting and Troubleshooting Applications on a Vista Client for Enterprise Support Technicians.”
3. 70-686, MCITP: Windows 7, Desktop Administrator: development on this exam is scheduled to start this week. MS is also looking for experienced desktop administrators to get some help and feedback in developing this exam. If you read this blog, you may want to check the other blog to get Krista Wall’s e-mail address and drop her a line indicating interest. It will be interesting to see how much of the cool technology that enterprise Windows Desktop admins have available to them (WAIK, Deployment Toolkits, Business Desktop Deployment, MDOP, and so forth) appears in this exam. I’ve perceived a “burning need” to make order out of the many options (not to say chaos) that make up today’s offerings, and am hopeful that this exam and related training materials could provide some much-needed guidance and clarity.

I’ve called the MS Learning PR person and have requested a follow-up conversation on these topics, and about when related online and classroom training materials should become available. Stay tuned over the next couple of weeks if this discussion interests you: I’ll be sure to revisit it as soon as I get a chance to talk further on these exams, and this general subject matter, with the people in charge of this effort.

Now that we know some of what’s coming Windows 7’s way, the next obvious question is “When?” Of course, answering that would mean disclosing the real planned release date for the OS, and Microsoft has remained resolutely mum on that subject of late. Don’t expect me to drop any news (or bombs) in that direction in my follow-up and you are much less likely to come away disappointed. Those kinds of scoops I leave to my infinitely better connected peers and colleagues at TechARP.