With the impending release of Windows Server 2008 Microsoft has made some sweeping changes to their certification programme which should separate the men from the boys, but do they go far enough?

Well first of all they’ll be getting rid of the old certification tracks like the MCSA and MCSE. Even the humble MCP will be out on it’s ear in favour of what Microsoft believe is a more straight forward framework.

The new tracks will consist of the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist, Microsoft Certified IT Professional, and the daddy of them all - the Microsoft Certified Architect.

As well as the name changes Microsoft have also introduced the idea of job roles into the certification tracks. A change that will no doubt help all those confused and troubled human resource managers.

Probably the biggest change is that this new generation of certifications will have an expiry date, much like the current Cisco exams. This means that you’ll need to re-certify every 3 years in order to maintain your certification status.

Unfortunately the reality is that Microsoft has done little to improve the credibility of their certifications with the exception of the MCA. A track which very few people will be able to achieve given the whopping $25,000 price tag.

Personally I would have liked to have seen a move towards hands on testing labs for the MCITP. A step sure to weed out the braindumpers and restore some respect to the certifications.

For more information about the changes visit Microsoft Learning