It is with great pleasure that Microsoft Learning announces the release of course 80307: Enterprise Portal Development in Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012.
About this Course:
This two-day course introduces the student to the uses of the Enterprise Portal in Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012. It begins with an overview of installing the Enterprise Portal. The student will then learn about the development environment of Enterprise Portal and will be able to build and customize the appearance of a functional web site using new and existing Enterprise Portal application objects. Students will also learn about Microsoft Dynamics AX User Control elements available in Visual Studio as well as how elements in the Application Object Tree (AOT) can be deployed across environments.
Note: This course is available now for download on PartnerSource and CustomerSource, and will be oderable on 28 June 2012.
Thanks, and I hope you enjoy the course.
Kind regards
Claire Bremer Nielsen,
Senior Content Project Manager || Microsoft Learning
The MSL Certification UX team is pleased to announce customer availability of our new exam interface! Starting with the exams listed below, candidates will experience some cool new features:
Updated look and feel: graphics, logos and colors have been updated to match our website and other program communications.
The end of forced scrolling between questions: you can scroll or not at your discretion, no more warnings about “you have not viewed all of the material”. Watch for a background story about this from Liberty.
Mouse wheel support: for scroll-inclined test takers, the mouse wheel will be functional at test centers where scroll-wheel mice are available.
Optimized intro screen: we took a fresh look at the intro screens and realized that we could provide the same information on a single page (and we won't make your scroll through it, either).
Keyboard shortcuts: we had few, and now even more shortcuts are enabled – you can navigate the entire exam using only a keyboard. Tip: for a complete list of keyboard shortcuts, open the “Help” window during the exam and click on the “Keyboard Shortcuts” tab.
A clear transition into the exam: A new Start Exam page appears between survey/intro screens and the exam, clarifying when your exam begins. It also displays helpful exam information - such as time available, number of questions and sections – so you can strategize before the test clock starts ticking.
Simpler review screen UI: The review screen that appears at the end of each exam section (or end of the exam, if a single section) has been reduced to essential categories: complete, incomplete, and marked for review or comment. You can click on numbered links in the table to jump directly to items or review sets of questions by clicking on category buttons at the bottom of the screen.
Updated user instructions, content has been rewritten to match the new implementation and make it easier to find the information you're looking for. A table of keyboard shortcuts has been added to the Help tab.
The rollout is limited to a few exams in English only (localized titles are coming soon) - you can experience the new UI in the following:
70-246 Monitoring and Operating a Private Cloud with System Center 2012
70-247 Configuring and Deploying a Private Cloud with System Center 2012
70-457 Transition Your MCTS on SQL Server 2008 to MCSA: SQL Server 2012, Part 1
70-458 Transition Your MCTS on SQL Server 2008 to MCSA: SQL Server 2012, Part 2
70-459 Transition Your MCITP: Database Administrator 2008 or MCITP: Database Developer 2008 to MCSE: Data Platform
70-460Transition Your MCITP: Business Intelligence Developer 2008 to MCSE: Business Intelligence
70-461 Querying Microsoft SQL Server 2012
70-462 Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases
70-463 Implementing a Data Warehouse with Microsoft SQL Server 2012
70-464 Developing Microsoft SQL Server 2012 Databases
70-465 Designing Database Solutions for Microsoft SQL Server 2012
70-466 Implementing Data Models and Reports with Microsoft SQL Server 2012
70-467 Designing Business Intelligence Solutions with Microsoft SQL Server 2012
Existing exams will remain in the "Classic" UI for a while longer, but most will be updated over the next few months. Watch for more exams in all supported languages with the new interface later this summer.
And thank you to you: Many of these updates were made in direct response to user comments from this blog and members of our SME community (be sure to sign up for our SME database if you haven’t already, link). Thank you for filling out exam comments, participating in our surveys and focus groups, and sharing your opinions with us.
There’s still plenty more to do (bending the system to our will...), but we hope you enjoy our first update in a while (>10 years?!). If you’ve seen the new UI this week, please let me know how your exam went and what you think!
Best,
Stephanie
Exam 70-246: Monitoring and Operating a Private Cloud with System Center 2012 is now available in Prometric testing centers. This exam is designed to test the candidate's knowledge and skills on monitoring and operating a private cloud with System Center 2012.Candidates for the 70-246 exam have Windows Server, System Center 2012, security, high-availability, fault tolerance, and networking experience in an enterprise environment, candidates should also have basic Microsoft SQL Server and Windows PowerShell knowledge, and application configuration experience. Candidates are also familiar with ITIL and MOF concepts. These candidates might be the Active Directory Administrator, Virtualization Administrator, Enterprise Administrator, or System Center Administrator for their organizations
Exam 70-247: Configuring and Deploying a Private Cloud with System Center 2012 is now available in Prometric testing centers. This exam is designed to test the candidate's knowledge and skills on configuring and deploying a private cloud with System Center 2012. Candidates for exam 70-247 use System Center 2012 products to install and configure a private cloud solution. They design, configure, and deploy the underlying infrastructure fabric of networking, storage, and compute resources. They standardize and automate configuration and deployment of applications. Candidates for this exam have Windows Server, Active Directory, System Center 2012, security, high availability, fault tolerance, and networking experience in an enterprise environment, basic Microsoft SQL Server and Windows PowerShell knowledge, and application configuration experience. Candidates are also familiar with ITIL and MOF concepts.
To schedule your exam, visit Prometric’s Web site.
Greetings from TechEd North America in Orlando, Florida. I’m very excited to announce two new Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) certifications based on Windows Server 2012. These certifications, and the training associated with them, provide IT professionals with new opportunities to grow and validate skills for modern IT and datacenter environments. The new certifications are the latest offerings in our reinvented Microsoft Certification Program.
As with all of our certifications, the MCSE can be the differentiator in hiring decisions and career momentum. Across the IT industry, it is becoming more important for IT professionals to have the necessary technology skills to address the increasingly blurred lines between work and life in their organizations and create dynamic, secure, available, and cost-effective infrastructure solutions. The MCSE certifications on Windows Server 2012 can help technology professionals to enable a modern workstyle and a cloud-optimized datacenter.
Here are the two new certifications:
Please keep checking back for more news about the Microsoft Certification Program. And as always, please let us know what you think.
This important Jump Start video series helps IT Pros learn how to enable employees to leverage their own PCs, slates, smartphones and social networking needs (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) on the job while providing the added protection of enterprise-grade security. It's clear that organizations should proactively address the "consumerization of IT" in a way that sparks creativity, encourages collaboration, and promotes innovation, but what approaches satisfy essential security, compliance and other requirements?
Since this is one of the most pervasive trends facing IT organizations today, Microsoft Learning partnered with Technical Evangelist David Tesar from Microsoft's worldwide Developer & Platform Evangelism (DPE) team to lead six demo-rich and engaging sessions. For each module, David is joined by one of Microsoft's leading authorities (and personalities) on the topic.
Embracing the Consumerization of IT Jump Start
What’s a “Jump Start” Course? Training specifically designed for experienced technologists whose jobs demand they know how to best leverage new, emerging Microsoft technologies. These advanced courses assume a certain level of expertise and domain knowledge, so they move quickly and cover topics in a fashion that enables teams to effectively map new skills to real-world situations.
Code in Microsoft Certification developer exams is about to get a whole lot easier to read. Beginning with the Visual Studio 11 portfolio, code samples in new developer exams will feature the default Visual Studio colors you see on MSDN. Beta announcements will be posted on this page in the coming weeks; when they're available, register for an exam and let us know what you think!
Microsoft Learning, MPN Capability Development, the Small Business Competency team and the Microsoft Office team bring you an exciting opportunity to learn to plan and deploy Office 365. As organizations recognize the benefits of providing users with anywhere-access to cloud-based email and scheduling, web conferencing, file sharing, collaboration and Office Web Apps at a low predictable monthly cost, demand for certified Office 365 expertise is climbing sharply in the enterprise and small business space.
Tailored for Microsoft Partners pursuing Office 365 CertificationLeveraging the popular “Jump Start” virtual classroom approach, two of Microsoft’s most gifted Office 365 experts will lead an accelerated, engaging and demo-rich learning experience designed to teach Microsoft Partners and IT Pros the concepts and technologies covered on Microsoft exam 70-321 Deploying Office 365 as well as the prerequisite exam 70-323 (Administering Office 365).
Office 365 Jump Start “2 for 1” Learning Event -- REGISTER NOW May 30 – June 1, 2012 from 9:00am – 4:00pm Pacific Time via live virtual classroom (online from wherever you are); no hands-on labs.
(1) “Administering Office 365 Accelerated Jump Start” (FREE & recommended pre-requisite)
(2) “Planning & Deploying Office 365 Jump Start” (FREE)
REGISTER NOW
Next up in the Microsoft Jump Start Series:Windows Server 2012: Preparing for the Datacenter Evolution! Don't miss this! Register now: http://aka.ms/WS2012-Jump
You’ve heard of slacktivism, but have you heard of geektivism? You’ll get to see it in action at TechEd!
If you’re headed to TechEd this June, think about volunteering. Thanks to a partnership with GeekGive (which was born at TechEd 2009) there will be a number of opportunities to give back to the community while you’re soaking up the conference…and the sun.
Here are the details:
Saturday, June 9, you can:
· Work with Habitat for Humanity to build a house in the Orlando area.
· Work with the Coalition for the Homeless to serve meals to those in need.
Join fellow TechEd attendee’s in giving back while getting geeky!
Microsoft Learning and the Windows Server Product Marketing team are excited to bring you a new two-day Jump Start covering Windows Server 2012! Of course, the entire IT industry is excited about this new release and we believe this Jump Start will show you why. On June 21-22, from 9:00am – 4:00pm PDT, join Microsoft Senior Technical Evangelist Rick Claus and Microsoft Partner Corey Hynes as they walk you through their personal favorite feature sets and answer why and how each can improve your day-to-day IT environment.
Cloud-Optimize your IT with Windows Server 2012!
COURSE OUTLINE (details)
Day One Morning | Beyond Virtualization• Game changers in the next release of the Hyper-V role on Windows Server 2012• Massive scale increases, networking improvements, replication and disaster recovery is all in the boxAfternoon | Manageability• Learn how you can manage a few systems up to a hundred – all from one console• Server Core installs scaring you off? Learn about all your installation and management options• Windows PowerShell automation and management at scale – all with built in tools• Clustering—Cluster-aware updating• Networking, Network Teaming, network configuration, SMB MultiChannel and RDMA
Day TwoMorning | Storage• Learn how Continuous Availability of File Services improves workload reliability and performance• Storage groups, disk provisioning, iSCSI and SAN integrationAfternoon | Remote Users • Remote connectivity options for your workforce (DA)• VDI and Remote Desktop Services deployment and changes
I am truly energized after having just attended the 3rd International Congress on Technology and Vocational Education and Training in Shanghai (TVET) - what a remarkable assembly of leading educators, administrators, political decision makers, subject matter experts, NGOs, industry representatives and journalists from around the world.
The event has attracted more than 800 representatives from 117 member states of the United Nations Education Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
After attending the sessions, it's clear that the the concept of "TVET" is widely accepted and seemingly well understood globally. But for me, it feels like the perfect time to update our traditional understanding of TVET, especially the Technical part of it. A lot has happened since the first two TVET conferences in Berlin (1987) and Seoul (1999). Technology has accelerated beyond our wildest expectations, shaping and driving how we work, live and learn in unprecedented ways. Two decades ago we did not anticipate the pervasive availability of broadband connectivity and the explosion of cell phones, let alone the general acceptance of smart and mobile devices of all kinds. The digitization and streaming of content had barely started in those days, and we used to buy printed books and get our music and videos on discs. Personal productivity tools were limited to personal computers, rather than services available anywhere and anytime. Social computing was in its infancy, Facebook was years away, and no one would have ever considered using “cloud” and “computing” in the same sentence.
Hence for me, “Transforming TVET”, the motto of this year's TVET conference, is really appropriate in more than one way. It’s not just how TVET itself evolves, but rather how technology is transforming occupations and workforce development as a whole. What’s happening is revolutionary: technical and vocational skills are moving quickly from being a less appreciated branch of a country’s training and workforce development to center-stage, changing the education and workforce system as a whole.
This transformational change has been confirmed by researchers. IDC, for example, predicts that the percentage of all jobs requiring some technology skills will grow from 50% today to 77% in the next decade. In fact, they estimate that 60% of the jobs that will exist in 10 years do not even exist today. Imagine what that means for our education and training systems – preparing young people for occupations yet to be invented! And yet, the signs of things to come are clearly visible now, we just have to pay more attention to them and analyze them appropriately under the skills and employability lens.
Let me share a couple of experiences with you that I have personally encountered recently, showing that these occupational changes are all around us. A few months ago, I had to have the headlights on my car repaired. My car is really nothing fancy, but it is a last generation model. Knowing how easy it was to change a light bulb in my previous cars, I first tried to do it myself, and soon realized that I needed a trained professional. When I showed up at my local repair shop for assistance, the car mechanic took a quick look and immediately told me that he was not able to help me. He explained that my car has “smart lights” that anticipate the flow of the road ahead of me and he did not have the software necessary to calibrate the car’s headlights. When I asked him about his approach to hiring and training, he confirmed that knowledge of computers and software are absolutely a must-have for his employees today.
About one year ago, I broke one of my dental crowns (a lot of breaking going on in my life, now that I think about it). Accustomed to the procedures of manufacturing and fitting crowns, I got ready for a ten-day ordeal with at least two visits to the dentist. Imagine my surprise when I was all set and done in one session lasting not even 60 minutes! What happened? Well, my dentist was using the latest replacement technology which combined the holistic photographic mapping of my broken tooth with a kind of 3-D “printing” of the replacement crown immediately in his practice. I find this absolutely amazing and wonderfully effective for the patient. And, needless to say, both he and his medical technical assistants had to go through additional technology training to master this new computer-based medical procedure.
When I visited one of the vocational schools in Washington State in the USA, for plumbers and pipefitters, the trainers described how being good at welding and other manual skills associated with their trade is not sufficient to ensure employment any longer. With most of the planning done nowadays on computers, using CAD and other advanced software is a must for their apprentices. And with environmental protection, energy conservation, and broader green technology requirements becoming commonplace, the technology skills expectations for plumbers and pipefitters have increased dramatically. It did not surprise me when a local air conditioning producer described himself to me as being “in the software development business”. The hardware is becoming a commodity and their competitive strengths lie in the value they create by embedding innovative software into their air conditioning appliances.
These are not isolated cases of occupational and vocational changes. Almost all successful products today are an inseparable blend of hardware, technology and embedded software applications. Even most service oriented occupations are undergoing a similar transformation driven by technology advancements. Providing effective customer services in the hospitality, travel or retail industry is virtually impossible today without the use of cutting-edge technology. The sophisticated application of information and communications technology (ICT) allows companies to have a much deeper understanding of their customers’ needs and the ability to sell to them in more efficient ways. Effective customer relationship management requires technology. Even small businesses need staff who understands how to create and maintain web pages, use social computing for marketing, and other productivity tools for planning, purchasing and selling.
Last year the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) very appropriately stated that “skills are the key to the prosperity of nations and to better lives for individuals in the 21st century”. In their view, providing the appropriate skills to their citizens will “contribute to economic growth both directly, through increased productivity, and indirectly, by creating greater capacity to adopt new technologies and ways of working and to spur innovation” (www.oecd.org/dataoecd/58/27/47769000.pdf, OECD 2011). I could not agree more. It’s all about getting people, especially young people, the appropriate skills they need to be successful in today’s and tomorrow’s workplace. Our world will be even faster paced, globally connected and competing, shaped and driven by technology and innovation. That’s why technical and vocational education and training is truly a global concern. That’s why TVET is vital for ensuring a productive workforce, advancing sustainable development and economic growth. That’s why pressing social challenges, like the unacceptable level of youth unemployment worldwide, cannot be resolved without evolving and transforming technical and vocational education.
To help address these global challenges and turn them into opportunities, Microsoft is partnering with international organizations like United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO), UNESCO and the development banks, to help bring cutting-edge technology to education and training, helping to make it more effective and scalable, more widely available, less costly, more student-centric and engaging. Through our own programs such as Partners in Learning, IT Academy and DreamSpark, Microsoft supports the seamless integration of technology into learning inside and outside the classroom, equipping teachers to deliver immersive education experiences. With the help of programs such as Imagine Cup, Student-To-Business and BizSpark, Microsoft makes it easier for students to move from learning to earning, and completing a Microsoft Certification prepares students for attractive, higher earning positions in the quickly changing labor market by effectively improving their employability today and tomorrow. Not surprisingly, we’ve seen already over seven million students and professionals worldwide take one of the industry recognized certifications from Microsoft.
As I said, it is truly inspiring and energizing to be part of an event like the UNESCO TVET Congress. The aspiration of this event was to identify better ways of “building skills for work and life”. The relationship between technology and skills development has never been more dynamic and vibrant than today. Speaker after speaker has given testament to the power of technology in transforming lives and helping to change the world, one local community and economy at a time.
Lutz Ziob, General Manager, Microsoft Learning
This week, I have the honor of participating in the UNESCO Third International Congress on TVET (Shanghai, 13-16 May 2012). Technical and vocational education and training (TVET) is critical to the developing and addressing economic and social challenges like youth unemployment. The Congress will provide a global platform for knowledge sharing, reflection and debate on the changing landscape and the advancement of skill-development programs. As a technology industry partner, Microsoft will participate in discussions about Learning and Technology for 21st Century Work.
This is a very important topic to me personally. I believe that technology can change the world and improve people's lives. Advances such as cloud computing are enabling people to make a real impact for a better tomorrow, and will create opportunities for our future -- such as new industries and jobs -- which will build a foundation for future innovation and economic growth. Today's young people will become tomorrow's leaders, entrepreneurs, innovators and decision makers. They will be responsible for the world's future economic prosperity and social wellbeing.
With the continuing acceleration of technology and innovation, keeping up in today’s world requires the right skills, training and experiences in order to be prepared for the new jobs and opportunities. Empowering young people means providing access to skills training and Microsoft Certifications that help students differentiate themselves in today’s competitive job market. The IT industry is one of the few industries where there is growth not only in technology but also in jobs. There is a dire need for a technically skilled workforce and Microsoft Certifications provide the validation of skills that can help students get a job in IT.
By helping youth capture opportunities for education and employment, we are helping them create their futures….we are helping them create real impact for a better tomorrow. Programs such as Microsoft IT Academy are helping to enable employability, digital literacy and 21st-century workforce development through IT training and certification. Today, there are more than 10,000 Microsoft IT Academies helping 7.5 million students and 750,000 educators around the world. That’s impact!
When the economy and jobs are top of mind in the world I am proud to be part of a company whose products and programs help local communities and economies by preparing students for job skills and employability that will equip them for a successful future.
- Lutz Ziob, General Manager of Microsoft Learning
About this Hands on Lab:
This new format only includes the steps to complete tasks and requires that the student to have access to Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012 with demo data, that is available on PartnerSource.
Audience
This Hands on Lab is appropriate for a partner that is familiar with the financials and supply chain modules of Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.
Note: This course is only available for download on PartnerSource and CustomerSource.
We are proud to announce that short answer code questions will soon be available in an exam near you. Short answer code questions test your ability to write code that will solve the problem described in the question.
To answer, you will type the necessary code into a free text entry field. Your answer is scored by comparing it to a list of possible correct answers. (And yes, many SMEs were involved in developing and reviewing the list of correct answers.)
Here are some key features about this question type:
This new question type will come as no surprise to some of you. We talked about it at Microsoft Certified Career Conference in March and blogged about it last October. For those of you who completed the survey associated with that blog post, we sincerely appreciate your participation, because it helped us refine and improve our prototype for this question type. In addition, the subject matter experts who wrote the questions you’ll see on your exam provided additional feedback on how to make short answer code questions more real-world and relevant.
We believe that short answer code questions will help distinguish those who are truly fluent at writing code. Candidates who attempt exams without these skills will have a hard time with these questions. Candidates who are qualified will find that these questions are a more real-world and rigorous evaluation of their skills.
Curious about what these questions will look like? Check out this screen shot. We’ll provide a demo for you to learn more at a later date. Stay tuned!
Have you been enjoying the "Ask a Certification Expert" videos? I've been having a great time working with my team to film them! And, I love, love, love it when it's my turn to be on camera! By now, you have probably caught on to our cadence for releasing videos (every Friday!). Today's video touches on one of the four ways we gather feedback about our exams from our candidates--the comment process...not to give too much away, but we do actually read your comments. Check out the video to learn more!
Of course, I'm having so much fun with this that many more videos are planned, and your questions will be answered over the next few months. But, if you have a question that you want answered now, no need to wait. Here's another opportunity for you to get those burning questions answered. I will be hosting a Tweetchat on May 16 at 7am - 8 am PT and May 17 at 7pm - 8pm PT. This is my first time tweeting (seriously...my phone doesn't even get text messages...yes, I'm totally serious), so I'm hoping you'll join me to help make my initiation into the world of tweeting a successful one. I will answer questions related to our certification exams--how we develop them, how you can get involved, different question types you might see on an exam, how we're making them more rigorous, how the changes to our certification program are impacting our exam content, and so on. Maybe I'll even share a picture of Zenith, my wonder dog! If there's something you want to know about our exams, I'm the person to ask!
To participate, follow @MSLearning and hastag #20yrs20ways. You've been following our videos...now's your chance to ask me questions live. I hope to tweet with you soon!
And don't forget that you can always submit a question for an ACE video by commenting to this blog or sending an email to [email protected]. I have a long list of questions for us to film, but I would love to add yours to that list!
It is with great pleasure that Microsoft Learning announces the release of course 80427A: Warehouse Management in Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012.
This two-day instructor-led course provides students with the necessary tools and resources to perform basic tasks in the warehouse management flow in Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.
Course Syllabus: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/Course.aspx?ID=80427A&Locale=en-us
Note: This course is available now for download on PartnerSource and CustomerSource, and will be oderable on 8 June 2012.
eLearning will be available on PartnerSource and CustomerSource by 23 may 2012.
It is with great pleasure that Microsoft Learning announces the release of course 80415A: Public Sector Procurement and Payables in Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012.
This three day course provides insight and guidance to procurement and sourcing features along with Accounts Payable features in Microsoft Dynamics AX that are often used by public sector organizations as they request, order and pay for products and services. It also provides information on using the workflow functionality and the Vendor Portal and Procurement Order Site.
Course Syllabus: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/Course.aspx?ID=80415A&Locale=en-us
Note: This course is available now for download on PartnerSource and CustomerSource, and will be available on the MCT Download Center 17 May 2012.
eLearning will be available on PartnerSource and CustomerSource later this month.
It is with great pleasure that Microsoft Learning announces the release of course 80416A: Application Integration Framework and Services in Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012.
This three day course discusses and provides information and insight on using Application Integration Framework and services to provide a programming model, tools and infrastructure support for integration of application functionality and data with Microsoft Dynamics AX.
Course Syllabus: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/Course.aspx?ID=80416A&Locale=en-us
Note: This course is available now for download on PartnerSource and CustomerSource, and will be orderable 8 June 2012.
The window to submit an application for the Be the Next Reality Show closed yesterday. Now the fun begins!
From a large pool of applicants, 6 will be chosen to battle it out for a shot to work at Microsoft. Contestants will compete in some traditional (and non-traditional) challenges to test their mettle (and their knowledge of SQL Server).
We’re still in the planning phases of the show, so if you have a suggestion for a challenge, leave a comment. We’d love to hear from you!
Mark your calendar—the show premiers on July 24, 2012.
Microsoft Learning partnered with the Microsoft Lync group and Wadeware to deliver TWO accelerated certification prep Jump Starts aimed at helping partners. The first course, "Deploying, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft Lync Server 2010," targets IT and telecommunications professionals while the second course, "Planning and Designing a Microsoft Lync Server 2010 Solution" is more advanced and tailored to IT and telecommunications architects.
Check out these incredible results:
Deploying Lync 2010
Designing Lync 2010
Instructor Team
Aaron Steele, Microsoft MCSBrian Ricks, MVP
Rui Maximo, Microsoft WriterBrian Ricks, MVP
Overall NSAT
175
183
Instructor’s Knowledge
8.85 (9-point scale)
8.82 (9-point scale)
Instructor’s Overall Performance
8.75 (9-point scale)
Accelerated Certification Prep:
for Exam 70-664*
for Exam 70-665*
Recordings on TechNet Edge
http://aka.ms/DeployLync
Coming Soon!
* Remember, these courses are accelerated certification prep that do not provide any hands-on experience. If you're relatively new to Lync Server 2010, we strongly recommend taking an instructor-led class with hands-on labs from a Microsoft Learning Partner. Find a suitable class here: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/training/lync-server.aspx.
Read what just a few students shared with us:
Looking for more Jump Starts?Join us on May 15-16, 2010 for the "Embracing the Consumerization of IT" Jump Start! Microsoft Technical Evangelist David Tesar will host this fun event aimed at helping IT learn how to enable people to leverage their own devices while maintaining security, streamlining management, and cutting costs!
Questions about Jump Starts? Contact Sharon Harris (sharonl) or Frank Gartland (v-frgart).
Hi Everyone!
As hopefully you all have seen, about two and a half weeks ago we announced our new cloud-enabled certifications – Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate (MCSA) and Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)! We have had lots of great questions come through about all the changes we have made and we wanted to make sure you all have the answers to these questions in one place.
I have the MCITP: EA and/or MCITP: SA. What do the changes mean to me?
It seems there is confusion and concern regarding the existing MCITP: Enterprise Administrator and MCITP: Server Administrator certifications and what they mean moving forward in this new program. The MCITP: EA and MCITP: SA are still the certifications to strive for on Windows Server 2008 technology. The MCSA: Windows Server 2008 was created solely as a pre-requisite for the new MCSE: Private Cloud certification.
Those of you that already earned the MCITP: EA were granted the MCSA: Windows Server 2008 certification as a way for us to acknowledge the expertise you already have. They are not considered equivalent certifications.
I have the MCITP: VA. What do the changes mean to me?
For those of you that have achieved the MCITP: Virtualization Administrator certification, this still remains a very valuable certification. For those of you on the path to achieving the MCITP: VA, keep on moving. Many organizations are looking for individuals with virtualization skills. As for moving into our new program, if you passed exam 659, you have passed one of the 5 exams required for the MCSE: Private Cloud certification. If you haven't already passed your Windows Server exams, we recommend you pursue the MCSA: Windows Server 2008. We have a promotion running now through June to help, if you are interested - buy your MCSA.
You announced MCSA: WS 2008, but why isn’t there an MCSE for Windows Server?
I think there is some confusion about that we announced the MCSA: Windows Server 2008 certification, but yet there are no MCSE certifications announced for Windows Server. The MCSA and MCSE certifications based on Windows Server 2012 technology will be announced in the near future. When we announce the MCSA and MCSE certifications based on Windows Server 2012, we will be providing upgrade paths for all of you that have earned the MCITP: SA and/or MCITP: EA certifications, making it easier to transition in to the new program. Eventually (within about a year or so), you will see that the pre-requisite for the MCSE: Private Cloud certification will then require the MCSA on Windows Server 2012 technology. Additionally, for those of you that have passed exam 659: TS: Windows Server 2008 R2, Server Virtualization and now have the MCSA: Windows Server 2008 certification, you only have one exam left to earn the new MCSE: Private Cloud certification (exam 246).
What is MCSA: SQL Server 2008 about, and how does it lead to the new MCSE: DP or MCSE: BI?
Similar to the MCSA: Windows Server 2008 certification, we have awarded the new MCSA: SQL Server 2008 certification. Those individuals who have passed exam 432: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Implementation and Maintenance and exam 448: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance have now been granted the MCSA: SQL Server 2008 certification. You are now one step closer to achieve the MCSE: Data Platform and/or the MCSE: Business Intelligence certification.
I’m excited about the new certifications and titles! But what was going on with the new logos?
For those of you that already saw your new certification and tried to access your new logos, you may have seen the logos were incorrect. Thank you to all of you who let us know this issue was happening. The issue is now fixed and we apologize for any inconvenience.
We hope this information is helpful and if you have questions let us know.
Have a great day!
Erika
We’ve posted a lot about how to be a Subject Matter Expert for Microsoft Learning, but have you ever actually seen a SME? Ever wondered what one looks like? Or even secretly wondered if they really exist? To put those and other pressing questions of our day to rest, in the latest episode of Cert Talk I interview two veteran SMEs: Marcin Policht and Kyle Rosenthal. Plus you get to see our fancy new video screen behind us! And don’t miss another great installment from Joe Schmuckatelli who isn’t exactly representative of our SME pool. Though he is darn good at dramatic swivels. You have to give him that.
You can find the latest Cert Talk episode here.
You can also download it in one of our pleasing video formats: WMV | MP4 | WMV (ZIP) | PSP
What's that? You wish you had just an audio file to listen to in your car or at the gym? You're in luck! Use one of these handy files: WMA | MP3
Microsoft Learning and Microsoft's worldwide Developer & Platform Evangelism (DPE) team are partnering again to help IT organizations understand how to address one of the most pervasive trends in the industry--the "consumerization" of IT. How can IT effectively maintain control and security when users bring their own PCs, slates, and smartphones to work? What about enabling users to leverage social networking (e.g., Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn) and cloud-based collaboration technologies?
This important Jump Start will help IT learn how to provide the excitement and engagement of consumer technology with the added protection of enterprise-grade security. Organizations should address the consumerization of IT in a way that sparks creativity, encourages collaboration, and promotes innovation—all within the secure walls of an IT ecosystem that safeguards enterprise resources.enable people to leverage their own devices while maintaining security, streamlining management, and cutting costs.
Like all Jump Starts, this course will leverage an engaging, team-teaching approach and will be led by Microsoft Technical Evangelist, David Tesar. David will be joined by several sought-after personalities from Microsoft product teams, including Adam Carter (Bomb), Andy O'Donald and Josh Heller.
PLEASE HELP US SPREAD THE WORD ON FACEBOOK AND/OR TWITTER! Here are a few possible tweets:New #MSJumpStart May 15-16! Maintain control & security w/ user-owned PCs & phones. Register NOW: http://aka.ms/ConsumerIT @MSLearningHow can orgs deal w/ "consumerization" of IT--Fb, Twitter, at work? REGISTER NOW for free #MSJumpStart May 15-16: http://aka.ms/ConsumerIT
It is with great pleasure that Microsoft Learning announces the release of course 80421A: Sales and Marketing in Microsoft Dynamics® AX 2012.
This two-day instructor-led training (ILT) course provides students with the knowledge and skills to set up and use the CRM functionality in the Sales and Marketing module for Microsoft Dynamics AX 2012.
The topics covered in the course include basic setup of sales management, leads, prospects, opportunities, and campaigns. Additionally, it introduces process definitions and synchronization of data in other areas associated with the sales order chain.
Course Syllabus: http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en/us/Course.aspx?ID=80421A&Locale=en-us
Electronic waste is the fastest growing form of municipal waste. Every year Americans throw away three to four hundred million electronic items and with new laptops or tablet models coming out each month, those numbers will continue to grow.
Ironically, millions of people in the U.S. and around the world don't have access to computers. They aren't able to gain computer skills, access the Internet, or communicate by email. If only a small percentage of the computers we're throwing away were refurbished and reused, people in need would have the computers they need to create the futures they want.
If you're ready to donate your old computer, here are some important guidelines:
Donate to a Nonprofit: As a donor, you can write off the current retail value of your computer. BUT only nonprofit organizations can give donors a receipt for tax purposes.
Donate to an organization that does reuse: Recycling is good, but reuse is better. When a computer is recycled it is broken down into its component materials (copper, steel, etc.) and used to build something new. When a computer is reused, it is used for its original purpose and there is no loss of resources.
Use a Certified Recycler: There are two electronics recycling certifications that ensure recyclers properly handle all electronic waste and don't export it to countries that can't legally accept it. These certifications are Responsible Recycling (R2) and Estewards. Only donate equipment to organizations that hold one of these certifications.
Make sure your data is safe: Not all organizations that accept donated computers have the technology to safely destroy data on hard drives or the coverage to protect donors from liability. Ask the recipient organization about their data destruction policies and procedures before you donate.
I am proud to work at Interconnection, the leading charitable computer reuse organization in the U.S.. Microsoft is helping us encourage people to donate their surplus laptops as part of Microsoft Learning's 20 Years|20 Ways celebration. InterConnection is a Seattle based nonprofit that has shipped tens of thousands of computers to schools, nonprofits and community organizations in the U.S. and in forty countries. We are the first nonprofit in the U.S. to be R2 and ISO14001 certified and have strict data destruction policies.
Whether you donate through InterConnection or another certified recycler, thank you for taking the time to donate your old computer! If you don't have an old laptop but still want to support responsible computer reuse and recycling, I invite you learn more about other ways you can get involved.
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About the author: Charles Brennick is the founder and director of InterConnection.org, a nonprofit that refurbishes and ships computers to underserved schools and communities around the world.
Before starting InterConnection, he worked as a natural resource planner, an ecotourism planner in Costa Rica, and an environmental educator in the Peace Corps in Paraguay.