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NetworkingATE
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 Are Nortel certifications obsolete now that the company is bankrupt?
Avaya, Avaya-Nortel acquisition, IT certification, Networking, Networking certifications, Nortel, Nortel certifications, Vendors
Now that Nortel is bankrupt and being bought out by Avaya, does this mean my Nortel certifications are obsolete? Or is the situation too inconclusive to tell right now? If it's too soon to tell, what will the acquisition depend on to make my certifications matter? I'm also wondering whether Prometric will even keep offering Nortel Certified Design Specialist (NCDS), Nortel Certified Support Specialist (NCSS) or Nortel Certified Technology Specialist (NCTS) exams. Will Nortel's fall mean I can't certify for any other Nortel certifications, and wouldn't they be useless anyways?

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ASKED: July 27, 2009  4:07 PM
UPDATED: July 29, 2009  1:19 PM
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I'd say it's too early to tell. You should contact Prometric directly and ask about their programs and, of course, stay tuned to the company's web site to see what they post about it. Even if they certs become a thing of the past, the equipment is not...at least for a while. If you already have the certs I wouldn't worry about it to much. If you don't, well, you may consider pursuing another vendor's certs or, ideally, some more generic and technology-specific certs such as what CompTIA offers. Best of luck!
Last Wiki Answer Submitted:  July 27, 2009  8:35 pm  by  Kevin Beaver   11,040 pts.
All Answer Wiki Contributors:  Kevin Beaver   11,040 pts.
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Dear Sir or Madam:

It’s hard to improve on Kevin’s excellent but still uncertain answer to your question. He’s right to observe that Nortel certs will remain valid and valuable until there’s no more equipment in use that bears the name “Nortel” somewhere on the enclosure. And likewise, if you already have those certs they’re still worth something, but if your part-way toward earning them, it’s probably best to break off and switch to Avaya or some other still-active vendor’s cert program instead. Depending on how Avaya handles the acquisition, they may very well roll the Nortel certs into their own cert program and might even create an upgrade path for Nortel cert holders to earn equivalent level Avaya credentials on a special fast track.

But as Kevin points out, only time will tell. In the meantime, keep an eye on what Avaya is doing and take your best shot when you know where to aim.

HTH,
—Ed—

Ed Tittel
 1,175 pts.