VMware Certified Professional Gains Cloud Credentials

Folks interested in VMware certification who haven’t visited its related Web pages lately might want to return for a quick visit. That’s because there have been some big changes to its programs and offerings, as acurrent (as of 10/31/2012) list of certifications will attest. First I show you their new certification roadmap, then I regale you with HTML lifted from the VMware site (slightly edited for validation and minimum whitespace):

Click the thumbnail to see the VMware cert roadmap in all its detailed glory.

• VMware Certified Professional – Cloud (VCP-Cloud) NEW
• VMware Certified Advanced Professional – Cloud Infrastructure Design (VCAP-CID) NEW
• VMware Certified Design Expert – Cloud (VCDX-Cloud) Coming Soon

• vSphere 4
  • VMware Certified Professional 4 – Datacenter Virtualization (VCP4-DV)
  • VMware Certified Advanced Professional 4 – Datacenter Administration (VCAP4-DCA)
  • VMware Certified Advanced Professional 4 – Datacenter Design (VCAP4-DCD)
  • VMware Certified Design Expert 4 – Datacenter Virtualiziation (VCDX4-DV)

• vSphere 5
  • VMware Certified Professional 5 – Datacenter Virtualization (VCP5-DV)
  • VMware Certified Advanced Professional 5 – Datacenter Administration (VCAP5-DCA)
  • VMware Certified Advanced Professional 5 – Datacenter Design (VCAP5-DCD)
  • VMware Certified Design Expert 5 – Datacenter Virtualization (VCDX5-DV) NEW

• VMware Certified Associate 4 – Desktop (VCA4-DT)
• VMware Certified Professional 4 – Desktop (VCP4-DT)
• VMware Certified Professional 5 – Desktop (VCP5-DT)
• VMware Certified Advanced Professional – Desktop Design (VCAP-DTD) NEW
• VMware Certified Design Expert – Desktop (VCDX-DT) Coming Soon

• Certified Spring Professional
• Certified Spring Web Application Developer
• Certified Spring Enterprise Integration Specialist

Earning the new cloud-related credential — namely the VCP-Cloud that appears in the first list heading above — requires candidates either to hold a VCP5-DV credential (what’s been known simply as VCP5 until now) and to take an IaaS exam (covered by an optional VMware vCloud: Deploy and Manage the VMware Cloud [V1.5] course), or for those starting from scratch, to take that same course (mandatory) and pass the VCP-Cloud exam (which isn’t available just yet).

What’s most interesting about the overall line-up is the categories into which VMware is dividing its credentials — namely Cloud, Datacenter, End User Computing, and Cloud Application Platform — and the presence of Advanced and Design Expert credentials that are making their way into the first three of those four categories. VMware appears to be mounting a concerted effort to develop a well-defined cert ladder across the majority of its program silos.