Microsoft's Actions in Retiring Certifications

[Steve Linthicum]

Below is a link to an article I wrote earlier this week that relates specifically to the actions of Microsoft in retiring a series of somewhat dated certifications. It should be noted that retirement includes eliminating the MCSE branding, something that's been around since the '90s.

IT certifications and changes in the landscape - CertMag

The IT certification landscape is changing. Microsoft is one big signal of things to come.

certmag.com

As most of us know, in June 2019, Cisco made a decision to drastically modify its certification offerings, eliminating the CCENT foundational certification and changing its CCNA and CCNP certification tracks. The Cisco and Microsoft decisions, as near as I can tell, were made without asking for input from the instructor community. Thoughts?

 

[Rick Butler]

This is a very complex issue from my perspective. What's more important - specific technologies seem to be less important, more about the role, that you wrote in your article.

I kind of relate it to the concept of Service Management in ITIL, how it's not so much about the technology, but the fulfillment of a business requirement through application of technology. Thing there is that could involve different competing technologies.

Personally, I think the move adds more steam to Server+. Server+ always sort of struggled with competing with Microsoft Server and Linux Server - when it was more about Server Administration. Maybe I'm oversimplifying the issue, but I think the gradual drift towards heterogeneous technology warrants more role-based certs.

I was not very happy about CCENT ending - but maybe Cisco saw a drop in those getting CCNA, being satisfied with a CCENT. But much of the CCENT was encapsulated in the Network+.

In my experience, the big vendors like MS and Cisco don't poll the community for what they want to see, unless there is some political benefit by having polled them. And it really doesn't matter who complains - what are they going to do - boycott those certs and cut themselves off from different aspects to the job market?

No, the people in the industry will just adapt because it has to.

/r

 

[Alton Foster]

Steve as for the Cisco certifications they messed that up big time. The CCNA CyberOps is crap and not wanted by any employer that I can see. The CCNA Sec was about the ASAs and would have been best to keep around. Also the CCDA should have been kept as it nice for the network design aspect. I haven't looked at any Mircosoft certs so I can't really say how bad they are screwing up.