Job board search results (in alphabetical order, by certification)*

*Search results for the generic phrase “VCE data center engineer”

Regardless of which job board you use, you’ll find many employers looking for qualified people to join their data center teams. SimplyHired lists 114,000-plus data center jobs in the U.S., with more than 172,000 on Indeed, 50,000 on LinkedIn Jobs and 20,000 on LinkUp. With the right credential(s) in hand, one of these jobs is sure to be yours.

Data center job roles start at the network technician level and advance through senior architect. Most of the certifications covered would fit well with an associate- or professional-level network engineer position. According to SimplyHired, the average salary for network engineer jobs is about $79,000, and $111,000 for senior network engineers. Glassdoor reports a U.S. national average salary of about $73,000 for network engineers, and their average for senior network engineers climbs to $94,000.

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Data Center

Cisco certifications continue to be some of the most recognizable and respected credentials in the industry. The CCNA Data Center certification is a great introductory certification for networking professionals who want to specialize in data center operations and support and have 1-3 years of experience.

Candidates for the CCNA Data Center certification need to understand basic data center networking concepts. These include addressing schemes, troubleshooting and configuring switches with VLANs and routers using Nexus OS, network and server virtualization, storage, and common network services such as load balancing, device management and network access controls.

The CCNA Data Center is valid for three years, after which credential holders must recertify. Recertification requires passing a current version of one of the following exams:

• Associate-level exam (except for ICND1 exam)
• 642-XXX professional-level or 300-XXX professional-level exam
• 642-XXX Cisco Specialist exam (does not include Sales Specialist exams or MeetingPlace Specialist exams, Implementing Cisco TelePresence Installations (ITI) exams, Cisco Leading Virtual Classroom Instruction exams, or any 650 online exams)
• Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) written exam
• Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) written exam or current CCDE practical exam

Candidates can also sit through the Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview and the CCAr board review to achieve recertification for CCNA Data Center.

CCNA Data Center facts and figures

Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Data Center

Networking professionals looking to validate their data center skills and achieve a competitive edge in the workplace can’t go wrong with the Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP) Data Center credential.

Geared toward technology architects, along with design and implementation engineers and solutions experts, the CCNP Data Center identifies individuals who can implement Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) rack-mount servers; install, configure and manage Cisco Nexus switches; and implement and deploy automation of Cisco Application Centric Infrastructure (ACI). The CCNP Data Center is designed for candidates with 3-5 years of experience working with Cisco technologies.

When pursuing the CCNP Data Center, Cisco lets you choose either a design or troubleshooting track. Related data center certifications include the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA Data Center), for those with 1-3 years of experience, and the Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Data Center, aimed at professionals with seven or more years of experience.

The CCNP Data Center is valid for three years, after which credential holders must recertify. The recertification process requires candidates to pass a single exam to maintain the credential, or to sit for the Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview and the CCAr board review. Credential holders should check the Cisco website for the current list of qualifying exams before attempting to recertify.

CCNP Data Center facts and figures

JNCIP-DC: Juniper Networks Certified Professional Data Center

Juniper Networks, based in California and incorporated in 1997, develops and sells network infrastructure equipment and software aimed at corporations, network service providers, government agencies and educational institutions. The company has a large certification and training program designed to support its solutions, which includes Data Center, Junos Security, Enterprise Routing and Switching, and Service Provider Routing and Switching tracks.

The Data Center track recognizes networking professionals who deploy, manage and troubleshoot Juniper Networks Junos software and data center equipment. The single exam (JN0-680) covers data center deployment and management, including implementation and maintenance of multi-chassis link aggregation group (LAG), virtual chassis and Internet Protocol (IP) fabric, virtual extensible LANs (VXLANs), and data center interconnections.

The JNCIP-DC certification is good for three years. To renew the certification, candidates must pass the current JNCIP-DC exam.

JNCIP-DC facts and figures

VCE-CIAE: VCE Converged Infrastructure Administration Engineer

VCE, short for Virtual Computing Environment, was part of EMC Corporation, which Dell acquired in 2016. The VCE line of converged infrastructure appliances are still being manufactured and widely sold, and the company has a handful of VCE certifications geared toward designing, maintaining and supporting those solutions.

VCE certifications are now part of the larger Dell EMC Proven Professional certification program but have retained some independence. The program currently offers the VCE Certified Converged Infrastructure Associate (VCE-CIA), VCE Converged Infrastructure Administration Engineer (VCE-CIAE) and VCE Converged Infrastructure Master Administration Engineer (VCE-CIMAE) credentials. We focus on the VCE Administration Engineer in this article because it’s available to the public as well as Dell employees and partners, and it ranks well in job board searches.

The VCE-CIAE is a professional-level credential that recognizes professionals who manage and support Vblock Systems. The single exam includes subjects such as system concepts, administration, security, resource management, maintenance and troubleshooting.

Candidates must recertify every two years to maintain a VCE certification. To renew, credential holders must pass the current VCE-CIA exam (this is the prerequisite for the VCE-CIAE certification), as well as pass the current VCE-CIAE exam or earn a higher-level credential.

VCE-CIAE facts and figures

VCP6-DCV: VMware Certified Professional 6 – Data Center Virtualization

The VCP6-DCV is one of those credentials that sits firmly on the line between traditional data center networking and cloud management. As such, it appeals to a wide networking audience. In fact, the VMware website states that more than 100,000 professionals have earned VMware VCP6-DCV certification, making it one of the company’s most popular certifications.

VMware offers an extensive certification program with a rigorous Data Center virtualization track, which includes the VCP6-DCV. Candidates must thoroughly understand Domain Name System (DNS), routing and database connectivity techniques, and how to deploy, configure, manage and scale VMware vSphere environments and storage. VMware recommends that candidates have a minimum of six months of experience with VMware vSphere 6 before attempting the VCP6-DCV certification.

New candidates must take a VMware training course and pass two exams. Training courses start at $4,125; pricing is based on the specific course, delivery format and learning partner.

VMware requires credential holders to recertify every two years. Recertification is achieved by taking whatever exam is most current for the certification, earning a new VCP certification in a different solution track or advancing to the next-level VMware certification.

Note: VMware certifications are geared toward the VMware vSphere product, the latest incarnation of which is Version 6.5. As of April 2019, VMware is still rolling out various Version 6.5 exams. Currently, Version 6.5 exams are offered for the Professional and Advanced Professional (Design only) levels. We anticipate that Version 6.5 exams and credentials at the Associate, Advanced Professional Deploy and Expert levels will follow soon.

VCP6-DCV facts and figures

Beyond the top 5: More data center certifications

While not featured in the top five this year, the BICSI Data Center Design Consultant (DCDC) is a terrific certification, designed for IT professionals with at least two years of experience in designing, planning and implementing data centers. This vendor-neutral certification is ideal for data center engineers, architects, designers and consultants. Another good vendor-neutral certification is Schneider Electric’s Data Center Certified Associate (DCCA), an entry-level credential for individuals who design, build and manage data centers as part of a data center-centric IT team.

CNet’s Certified Data Centre Management Professional (CDCMP) and Certified Data Centre Technician Professional (CDCTP) are also worthy of honorable mention. Based in the U.K., these certifications don’t appear in a lot of U.S. job board postings but still deliver solid results from a general Google search.

IT professionals who are serious about advancing their data center careers would do well to check out complementary certifications from our featured vendors. For example, Cisco also offers a number of certifications in data center design and support, including application services, networking infrastructure, storage networking and unified computing. VMware also offers additional data center virtualization certifications worth exploring, including the VMware Certified Advanced Professional 6.5 – Data Center Virtualization Design (VCAP6.5-DCV Design) and the VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX6-DCV). Also, the Dell EMC Proven Professional certification program offers a bevy of data center-focused certifications, including the Dell EMC Implementation Engineer (EMCIE) and the Dell EMC Certified Cloud Architect (EMCCA).

Because of the proliferation of data center virtualization and cloud computing, you can expect the data center networking job market to continue to remain strong soon. Achieving a certification can be a real feather in your cap, opening the door to new and better work opportunities.

When it comes to IT certifications, a certain set remains at the forefront. If you look at various IT certification salary surveys or reports on the most sought-after IT certifications, you’ll see specific names or acronyms pop up again and again. To spell those out explicitly, here’s an updated list of the best evergreen IT certifications for 2019.

This guide presents some top IT certifications for 2019, based on accurate pay surveys in IT, reports from IT professionals about certifications they want or pursue the most, and those that appear most frequently in online job postings. For the record, “evergreen” is a publishing industry term for a title that keeps on selling year after year. We consider the certifications in this collection to be evergreen, as all show noteworthy longevity in terms of desirability and popularity, and often in associated remuneration.

Our top IT evergreen certifications for 2019 include the CCIE, CCNA, CISSP, PMP, ITIL and MCSE. Below, we’ll also review other evergreen IT certifications, including the VMware Certified Professional (VCP) certifications and the CompTIA “Holy Trinity,” namely the A+, Network+ and Security+ certifications.

Note: All these certifications are quite different, and range from entry to senior level in terms of the knowledge, skills and experience required to earn them. We present them here in no particular order.

Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)

The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) remains one of the most coveted networking certifications available. Internationally recognized, the CCIE is an expert-level credential achievable by only the most skilled, technically proficient and experienced IT networking professionals. All roads in the Cisco certification path lead to the CCIE, making it a career pinnacle and the culmination of years of hard work, training and experience. CCIE credential holders are recognized by peers and employers as experts in their respective networking fields. Such skilled professionals possess superior network engineering skills and can manage and operate large, complex networks, as well as develop creative solutions to complex networking problems across a broad range of circumstances and technologies.

There are six CCIE certification specializations available, each corresponding to a Cisco certification path:

In addition to a rigorous written exam, credential seekers must pass a strenuous lab exam. Labs are timed and designed to test technical skills such as problem determination and the ability to find solutions under stressful conditions. The CCIE lab exams have a well-deserved reputation of being difficult and demanding; many candidates must try two or more times to pass them. At $1,600 plus travel costs for each try, that’s an expensive proposition.

In 2015, Cisco updated all its expert-level, written exams to include a new domain focused on new and emerging technologies. This new domain, aptly named Evolving Technologies, remains focused on three areas: Cloud, Internet of Things (IoT) and Network Programmability. (Focus areas may change as additional technologies are introduced and adopted.) The Evolving Technologies domain constitutes 10 percent of the total CCIE exam and targets conceptual comprehension. Earning a CCIE is time-intensive and requires real effort and commitment. IT professionals who like a marathon will find the rewards at the end of the journey — recognition, prestige and earning potential, to name a few — make the CCIE credential well worth the work involved in earning one. A CCIE is a long-term career goal worth considering for IT professionals serious about their networking careers.

Exam costs: Written exams are $450. Lab exams are $1,600 per attempt (available only at specific Cisco sites worldwide). Pearson VUE is Cisco’s authorized test delivery partner. exam prices may vary by geographies due to local taxes and exchanges rates.

Self-paced training: The Cisco Learning Network Store offers a variety of self-study, self-paced courses and labs. Additional resources, including reference and design guides, training opportunities, and self-study resources materials are available on individual exam pages.

Other learning opportunities: Study documents, recommended reading, test examples, training opportunities, online communities and study groups are available at the Cisco website.

Recertification: Certification is valid for 24 months. Credential holders may recertify by passing one of the following:

• Any CCIE written or lab exam
• Any CCDE written or practical exam
• Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview and board review

Candidates may also earn 100 credits through the Cisco Continuing Education Program to meet the recertification requirement.

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

For those pursuing a career working with Cisco routed and switched networks, the Cisco Certified Network Associate, or CCNA, is a must-have credential. The CCNA serves professionals with the technical skills to ensure that routers and network systems operate at the highest levels of quality and efficiency.

CCNA credential holders are leaders in performing essential tasks such as installation, configuration, operation, troubleshooting and problem analysis, connection verification to remote sites, security risk mitigation, and performance enhancement, just to name a few. Credential holders are familiar with technologies such as access control lists (ACLs), VLANS and various routing protocols.

IT professionals seeking to specialize in a particular area of midsize routed and switched networks will find the CCNA Routing and Switching certification particularly suited to their needs. Eight other CCNA concentrations are available (three of which require a valid CCENT or CCNA Routing and Switching as a prerequisite; see prerequisites table below for more details):

• CCNA Cloud – Technical skills include provisioning and management of cloud environments with cloud administration and reporting. Candidates should possess a basic understanding of cloud infrastructure and the skills necessary to manage infrastructure as a service (IaaS) deployments.
• CCNA Collaboration – Focus is on collaboration and video skills, including integration with mobile applications and data, video and voice.
• CCNA Cyber Ops – Focus is on detecting cybersecurity breaches and responding effectively to cybersecurity incidents (typically in the context of a security operations center).
• CCNA Data Center – Credential holders are ready to work in data centers to support, maintain and manage data center networks and services.
• CCNA Industrial – Credential targets professionals in the industrial roles (process control or manufacturing) where IT and industrial networks converge.
• CCNA Security – Technical skills include the ability to develop security infrastructures, identify and mitigate security risks, and maintain integrity and availability of the network and network devices.
• CCNA Service Provider – CCNA SP holders act as Tier 1 support engineers in a troubleshooting role within carrier-class NGN core network infrastructures, including incident handling, plus fault, configuration, change and performance management procedures, in an environment where network management systems (NMS) and ticketing tools are in everyday use.
• CCNA Wireless – Credential holders support and manage WLAN systems.

Required courses: None; however, some CCNA specializations have prerequisites, as listed below.

 Required exams: Each CCNA specialization has a different exam requirement, as listed below.

Exam costs: All CCNA exams listed above are $300 except for 200-125, which is $325, and the ICND1 and ICND2 exams at $165 each. Pearson VUE is the authorized Cisco test delivery partner.

CCNA books:

• CCNA Routing and Switching Complete Study Guide: Exams 100-105, 200-105, and 200-125, 2nd edition, by Todd Lammle (Sept. 26, 2016). Sybex. ISBN-10: 1119288282; ISBN-13: 978-1119288282
• CCNA Routing and Switching Complete Certification Kit: Exams 100-105, 200-105, 200-125, 2nd edition, by Todd Lammle (Feb. 6, 2017). Sybex. ISBN-10: 1119375126; ISBN-13: 978-1119375128.

CCNA practice exams: Candidates may purchase the Cisco practice questions by MeasureUp: CCNA Routing and Switching (200-125) (30-day key) for $119 and lab access for $149. Candidates may also purchase a 365-day Routing and Switching certification pass for $319. The Cisco Learning Network Store offers fee-based learning labs.

Self-paced training: The Cisco Learning Network Store offers a variety of self-study, self-paced courses and labs.

Recertification: The CCNA credential is valid for three years. Candidates must pass one of the following to recertify:

• Any current associate-level exam (except for ICNDI1)
• Any current 642-XXX or 300-XXX professional-level exam
• Any current 642-XXX Cisco Specialist exam (some exclusions apply)
• Any current CCIE written exam
• The current CCDE written or practical exam
• The Cisco Certified Architect (CCAr) interview and board review

Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

Hackers and other unscrupulous persons will always find new and innovative ways to violate and break through network security perimeters. The need for qualified information security professionals has never been greater. For those professionals, the Certified Information Systems Security Professional, or CISSP, is one of the premier and highest-value certifications available.

Developed by the International Information Systems Security Certification Consortium, or (ISC)2 (pronounced “ISC squared”), the CISSP credential is not only recognized globally, but was the first certification of its kind to be accredited by the American National Standards Institute to comply with ISO (International Organization for Standardization) Standard 17024. Recognized for their excellence, CISSP credential holders possess advanced skills necessary to develop policies, create standards and implement protective procedures to safeguard information.

Credential seekers are required to possess a minimum of five years of experience, all of which must be in at least two information security domains specified by (ISC)2. Candidates with a four-year college degree or equivalent, or an approved credential, may request a waiver of one year of experience. These are the eight CISSP security domains:

• Security and Risk Management
• Asset Security
• Security Architecture and Engineering
• Communications and Network Security
• Identity and Access Management (IAM)
• Security Assessment and Testing
• Security Operations
• Software Development Security

After completing the CISSP, credential holders can choose to pursue additional certifications in Architecture (CISSP-ISSAP), Engineering (CISSP-ISSEP) or Management (CISSP-ISSMP). The CISSP is not a lifetime certification; credential holders are required to pay annual maintenance fees and continue their professional development and training. Despite the cost of ongoing maintenance, IT pros will find the CISSP well worth the effort.

Required courses: None.

Required exams: One exam.

Exam costs: Standard registration is $699. Additional exams for each CISSP concentration area (CISSP-ISSAP, CISSP-ISSEP and CISSP-ISSMP) are $599 each. See examination pricing document for costs in other countries.

CISSP books:  (ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional Official Study Guide, 8th edition, by James M. Stewart, Mike Chapple and Darril Gibson (May 8, 2018). ISBN-10: 1119475937, ISBN-13: 978-1119475934

Official (ISC)2 Guide to the CISSP CBK, 4th edition (ISC)2 Press, by Adam Gordon (Mar. 11, 2015). Auerbach Publications. Sybex ISBN-10: 1482262754, ISBN-13: 978-1482262759

CISSP training: (ISC)² offers multiple training opportunities, including review seminars, live online classes, e-learning and textbooks. For more information, visit https://www.isc2.org/Training.

Practice exams: Practice exams are available on Amazon.com.

Recertification: The CISSP certification is valid for three years. Credential holders are required to earn a minimum of 40 continuing professional education (CPE) credits each year (total of 120 CPEs in the three-year certification cycle) to maintain the credential. An annual maintenance fee of $85 is required.

Project Management Professional (PMP)

Offered by the Project Management Institute (PMI), the Project Management Professional (PMP) credential is highly sought after by those responsible for converting IT project plans and strategies into action. The PMP credential is coveted by employers seeking the most skilled project management professionals.

Developed by project managers, the PMP certification is the highest credential PMI offers. This credential ensures that credential holders possess the skills and qualifications necessary to successfully manage all phases of a project, including initiating, planning and budgeting, scheduling, controlling, monitoring and closing the project. PMP-certified project managers are also well versed and skilled in managing all aspects of the triple constraints — time, cost and scope. Employers depend on PMP professionals to manage budgets, track costs, manage scope creep and identify how changes to the triple constraints may introduce risk into the project and minimize such risk.

In addition to passing a comprehensive and exhaustive exam, credential holders must demonstrate and certify that they possess the skills and education necessary to succeed in the project management field. Credential seekers should be prepared to provide documentation regarding such items as education, projects worked on and hours spent in each of the five project management disciplines.

In September 2017, PMI released the sixth edition of its PMBOK Guide.  In response to the release of the new PMBOK Guide, PMI also rolled out a new PMP exam on March 26, 2018. The purpose of the new exam is to ensure consistency regarding terminology usage, tools, techniques and processes references between the new PMBOK Guide and the exam. The  Exam Content Outline remains unchanged.

While it’s a difficult certification to achieve, the rewards for PMP credential holders can be significant. According to the latest (2018) PMI Salary Survey, PMPs globally earn an average of 23 percent more than their non-credentialed counterparts, with median annual earnings in the United States of $112,000. Global Knowledge reports slightly higher average earnings for U.S. PMPs at just under $115,000 for 2018.

Those interested in the field of project management who do not yet possess the required combination of skill and education to qualify for the PMP credential may consider the Certified Associate in Project Management (CAPM) certification. An entry-level project management credential, the CAPM is designed for those who are new to the project management profession but are still determining whether project management is their long-term career path.

PMI offers additional project management-related certifications, including program and portfolio management, risk analysis credentials, and specialty certifications for Agile practitioners. Those interested in expanding their project management careers would do well to check out other credentials in the PMI portfolio, which include the following:

Required courses and prerequisites: There are no required courses. Candidates must possess one of the following combinations of education and experience to qualify:

• Secondary degree (high school diploma plus associate’s degree or global equivalent), a minimum of five years non-overlapping project management experience with at least 7,500 hours of leading and directing projects, plus 35 hours of project management
• Four-year degree, a minimum of three years non-overlapping project management experience with at least 4,500 hours of leading and directing projects, plus 35 hours of project management education

Required exams: One.

Exam costs: Computer-based exams are $405 for PMI members and $555 for non-PMI members. Retakes are $275 and $375, respectively. Credential seekers must obtain an eligibility ID from PMI prior to registering for the exam. To obtain an ID, candidates must submit an application that demonstrates they meet the prerequisite combination of education and experience. All PMI exams are administered by Prometric.

Recertification: The PMP credential is valid for three years. Candidates must obtain 60 professional development units (PDUs) in each three-year cycle to maintain the credential.

PMP books:

• A Guide to the Project Management Body of Knowledge: PMBOK Guide, 6th edition, by PMI (Sept. 22, 2017). Project Management Institute. ISBN-10: 1628251840, ISBN-13: 978-1628251845
• PMP exam Prep – Updated: Rita’s Course in a Book for Passing the PMP Exam, 8th edition, by Rita Mulcahy (Aug. 1, 2015). RMC Publications. ISBN-10: 1932735658, ISBN-13: 978-1932735659
• An Introduction to Project Management, 6th Edition, by Kathy Schwalbe (Sept. 8, 2017). CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform. ISBN-10: 1544701896, ISBN-13: 978-1544701899.

PMP practice exams:

• PMP Exam: practice exam and Study Guide, 10th edition (ESI International Project Management), by J. LeRoy Ward and Ginger Levin (Sept. 17, 2015). Auerbach Publications. ISBN-10: 1498752829, ISBN13: 978-14987528247.

Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE)

IT professionals seeking recognition of proficiency in the realm of Microsoft technologies will almost certainly want to consider the Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert (MCSE) credential. MCSE credential holders are recognized for possessing the technical skills, expertise and knowledge necessary to perform complex roles using Microsoft technologies. Employers depend on MCSE professionals to solve difficult problems requiring innovative resolutions, design systems and complex solutions, build and deploy, and operate, maintain and optimize Microsoft-based systems.

The MCSE comes in various flavors, designed to meet the demanding requirements facing advanced Microsoft professionals in today’s ever-changing technology environment. Over the past several years, Microsoft introduced numerous changes to the MCSE certification portfolio. In September 2016, Microsoft introduced an entirely new collection of credentials, and retired its former slate of MCSE credentials in March 2017. While nothing regarding program changes has been formally announced, it appears that more changes are on the horizon. By way of example, you’ll note that the MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure credential is absent from the certification program this year as it retired on December 31, 2018. The MCSE: Mobility credential is scheduled to retire on March 31, 2019. While it hasn’t been retired, the MCSE: Business Applications certification has an entirely new list of prerequisites and exams since our 2018 updates. Candidates interested in pursuing the MCSE should check the Microsoft certification page frequently for the latest updates.

Current MCSE certification paths include the following:

The MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure retired on December 31, 2018. A replacement has not yet been announced.   Mobility – march 19, 2018 MCSE: Business Applications, new set of exams

An advanced credential, the MCSE builds on foundational skills developed at the MCSA certification level. In addition to earning a preliminary MCSA (which takes two or three exams depending on subject matter), credential seekers must pass only one exam relating to their area of expertise and focus to advance to the MCSE from the MCSA. Links in the preceding list also lead to applicable prerequisite MCSA requirements for each MCSE (for example, the MCSE: Cloud Platform and Infrastructure takes a variety of MCSAs as prerequisite, including the MCSA: Windows Server 2016).

The MCSE offers credential holders numerous benefits, including recognition from peers, establishment as an expert in Microsoft technologies, and prestige and validation of technical skills. Plus, the MCSE (and the MCSA) credentials have real-life benefits in terms of earning potential and access to new jobs or promotions.

The latest generation of MCSE credentials does not expire. But each credential is tied to a specific platform or version, so an outdated MCSE will make itself obvious in any certification portfolio. Microsoft encourages MCSAs and MCSEs to keep their credentials current by taking at least one new or relevant exam every year. That’s also why MCSE and MCSA cert holders need to check in on exam offerings and prerequisites yearly.

Required courses: Prior courses are not generally required, but a current MCSA is. The MCSE requirements list all necessary exams, along with prerequisite MCSA credentials (of which any one will suffice).

Required exams: All current MCSEs require candidates to pass three or four exams, depending on the concentration area, as some MCSA certifications require three exams, while others require only two.

Exam costs: Microsoft exams typically cost $165. Prices may vary based on the specific geography, and taxes may apply in some instances.

MCSE study materials: Microsoft Learning has numerous resources available by specialization area, including books, exams, online courses and classroom training. For more information on self-study, visit Microsoft Learning.

IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL) Service Management Foundation

For many IT professionals, the ITIL Service Management Foundation Certification represents the holy grail for those interested in best practices. ITIL is much more than a certification; it’s a philosophy designed to increase reliability and produce the highest-quality IT products and services through use of organizational best practices and proven processes.

ITIL practices meet quality standards set by ISO/IEC 20000 (the IT Service Management Code of Practice). As business and organizations become increasingly dependent on technology, the requirement for IT professionals who possess a superior understanding of ITIL management philosophies and processes continues to increase.

ITIL currently has five certification tiers:

• ITIL Foundation – Credential holders understand ITIL key processes, terminology, structure and concepts, as well as links between the lifecycle stages and how they enhance product quality. The Foundation certification fulfills prerequisites for the ITIL Intermediate level.
• ITIL Practitioner – This qualification focuses on Continual Service Improvement (CSI), including measurement and metrics, communication, and organizational change management.
• ITIL Intermediate – Two paths are available: Service Lifecycle (strategy, design, transition, operation, CSI) and Service Capability (planning, protection, optimization, service offerings and agreements, release, control and validation, and operational support and analysis). A candidate may create a combined qualification by choosing modules from both the Service Lifecycle and Service Capability paths. ITIL Intermediate credential holders possess an in-depth knowledge of processes, roles, best practices, management, activity control and execution.
• ITIL Expert – Credential holders possess superior in-depth knowledge of ITIL processes and practices across the entire cross-spectrum of ITIL disciplines. Credential seekers must earn a total of 22 credits, which includes passing the Managing Across the Lifecycle (MALC) exams, to qualify for the Expert designation. Up to 17 of the credits may come from passing various Foundation and Intermediate modules.
• ITIL Master – Credential holders possess superior knowledge and practical experience applying ITIL principles and processes across a broad set of ITIL disciplines including organizational and industry change, continual improvement and audit and certification preparation. They must be able to analyze and create solutions to complex issues. Master credential holders have achieved the Expert level and have at least five years of experience in IT service management. They also possess skills necessary to train other ITIL practitioners.

Modular in its structure, each ITIL tier builds upon skills obtained in preceding certification levels. Credential seekers earn credits at each level, which accumulate as they progress through ITIL’s tiers. While the numbers of credits required at each certification level remain constant, credential seekers can choose their paths from the various modules available. ITIL certifications, especially the Expert and Master qualifications, are time-consuming to obtain and require dedication and commitment. However, the rewards make ITIL certifications well worth the effort for IT professionals focused on best practices and continual quality improvement.

Required courses: Credential seekers need to review the individual ITIL qualification pages for complete certification details and prerequisites, as these vary depending on the individual ITIL qualification and the given certification’s area of concentration. Training is recommended but not required for ITIL Foundation and ITIL Practitioner.

Required exams: ITIL Foundation, ITIL Practitioner and ITIL Expert credentials require one exam; ITIL Intermediate credential seekers can expect to take a minimum of four or five exams, depending on the path. No exams are required for the Master certification.

Exam costs:  PeopleCert is the Axelos Accredited exam Institute. The Foundation exam costs $346 while the Practitioner exam is $469. Intermediate and Expert level exams are $399 each. Exams are also frequently given at the end of an approved training course by the training provider. ITIL books: Official and other ITIL publications are available from the AXELOS store. Credential seekers must create a user profile to log in and access materials.

ITIL practice exams: Check with individual ITIL exam institutes for availability of practice exams.

Training: For available training, take a look at this list of Strategic Accredited Training Organizations, or use the AXELOS Search for Training tool.

How has your business evolved over the past year? Has the pandemic changed how you plan for the future and how you view and execute sales & marketing strategies?

The pandemic really encouraged our sales and marketing teams to think more strategically about how we work with our partners. The sales and marketing team decided that we should fund all marketing campaigns at 100 per cent, meaning all co-branded activities that were pre-approved by VMware were fully reimbursed to the partner. The pandemic has also changed how we plan for the future. By encouraging our partners to maintain a hybrid approach when it comes to F2F events, we are able to capture an audience that traditionally wouldn't have been able to digest the content delivered in-person.

With many firms insisting staff return to the office for at least part of the week since the pandemic ended, how is your company operating in 2022? Is it a mix of homeworking and office working? Or fully office based?

The pandemic heightened awareness of the benefits of hybrid working. In UK and Ireland, we have offices for teams to come together a collaborate in-person, but with the pandemic, we recognise that home offices have become places of business, and every employee location became a workplace.

VMware recognises that when employees have more choice in where they work and live, their job satisfaction increases, which boosts loyalty and retention and increases business success, efficiency and morale.

The majority of our UK and Ireland workforce now have the choice to return to offices fully, a few times a week, or not at all. The flexibility lies with the individual and VMware's IT infrastructure fully supports this. With tools like Zoom, WorkspaceONE, Microsoft Teams and Office 365, most of our day-to-day responsibilities can be completed from home.

How do you keep your staff motivated? Do you have any special incentives/schemes that they take part in?

VMware motivates staff by offering each full-time colleague four "Take a Break" days, that can be used whenever they wish throughout the year to switch off and "take a break" from work. Allowing staff time to decompress, and re-charge is critical. VMware also offers great holiday benefits, whereby you can buy/sell holidays and also transfer up to 5 days over from the end of the calendar year to the following year if you haven't already used them. Once a quarter, VMware also has an EPIC day, which is a company-wide shut down. Again, this gives colleagues time to switch off, spend time with family/friends and be more present in their lives outside of work.

Certain teams within the business are eligible for commission and bonus schemes. For example in Partner Marketing we have an annual bonus scheme, whereby if the company performs well and we hit our marketing targets, we will receive a bonus. In addition, when a full-time colleague has been working at VMware for 1 year, they get access to the Take 1 Program.

This gives them $5000 USD to spend on further learning, development courses, degree programs and much more. This allows staff to upskill and polish their skillset, be it an Excel Advanced training course, or a Chartered Institute of Marketing Qualification. Everyone is given the flexibility to choose how they wish to spend the funds if it's for professional development. This can also include language courses and certificates from top Universities globally.

How have you managed to stay close to your partners and customers over the past year?

As mentioned below, we held our flagship partner event virtually last year and this year, which allowed us to bring together our partner community online for training, news and fun - including a live streamed music artist and some fun online games. We also have held our flagship partner and customer event "VMworld" virtually over the last two years, bringing together our partners and customers for learning and networking.

What have been some of the biggest challenges for the channel in the past year in your opinion?

Maintaining a sense of community with our partners has been a challenge. The VMware Channel team really get a buzz off of seeing our partners face-to-face. We did our best to bring partners together virtually at our flagship partner event called "EMPOWER" to help keep them enabled and excited on all things VMware. We would normally host this event in-person, but by hosting it virtually we are able to engage and entice partners with more content

What are you most looking forward to in the coming year?

We are looking forward to welcoming our partners and customers to VMware Explore Europe - that is replacing the VMworld events we used to have. This will be a face-to-face event held in Barcelona, with elements of the content being made available virtually, so a wider audience can join us.

Recently announced, VMware vSphere+ and vSAN+ integrate Kubernetes with VMware virtualization technology to help transform on-premises workloads into SaaS-enabled infrastructure and simplify its management and evolution, says VMware.

On-premises deployments have a number of benefits, including locality, low latency, performance, and predictable cost. Where they fall short is usually on the side of flexibility and maintenance.

In many instances, customers’ vSphere environments are distributed across siloed locations, edge sites, and clouds leading to operational complexity and inefficient maintenance experience.

According to VMware, vSphere+ makes it possible to provision infrastructure on-premise with the same ease as is possible on the Cloud, for example by scaling services in and out based on demand. Central to vSphere+ is the integration between vCenter and the Cloud Console, which enables metadata collection and management in a centralized location.

This is made possible by vSAN+, which delivers vSAN storage services for on-premises deployments and represents the connection point between vCenter instances and the VMware Cloud for centralized management. Thanks to this connection, you can use higher-level services to access your on-premises as well as Cloud deployments, including admin, developer, and add-on services.

Admin services aim to simplify and streamline the overall management of the system, including for example lifecycle management to distribute and install updates; an inventory service to track all available resources such as clusters, hosts, VMs, and so on; an event viewer for alerts and other kinds of events; VM provisioning, to quickly create new VMs, and more.

Developer services, says VMware, bring the integration of vSphere with Kubernetes beyond what is available in VMware Tanzu, enabling the unification of VMs and Kubernetes containers. This means for example you can create VMs using Kubernetes commands and APIs, run containerized apps using a Kubernetes distribution integrated with vSphere, managing network connectivity for VMs and Kubernetes workloads, etc.

Finally, add-on services provide extended capabilities, such as VMware Cloud Disaster Recovery, a solution to protect and recover mission-critical applications, which will be available soon.

VMware says they have defined an incremental and non-disruptive way to adopt vSphere+ which does not require migrating or moving any vCenter instances, both for vSphere and vSphere Enterprise Plus customers.

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OpenJDK usage has ramped up significantly in the past few years, and even more so in the past year after Oracle’s decision in 2019 to change their licensing model for Java so that only paid subscribers would get updates for Java SE. A Snyk survey from 2020 revealed that only 34% of Java users utilized Oracle JDK, while 53% used OpenJDK. This was a 36% positive change from the previous year for OpenJDK, and a 36% decrease for Oracle JDK. 

BellSoft, one of the largest external contributors to OpenJDK, has announced it is teaming up with VMware to Strengthen OpenJDK even further. As part of the collaboration, BellSoft will provide its OpenJDK distribution, Liberica JDK, and full support for VMware Tanzu. Together, the two companies will work closely with the OpenJDK community to bring it to the next level. 

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The main areas for improvement, according to Alexander Belokrylov, CEO of BellSoft, are to enhance support for ARM processors and optimize Java for cloud deployments and microservices architectures. 

According to Belokrylov, ARM64 architectures are increasingly being considered as viable replacements for ARM and x86 processor architectures, and in some cases are actually better. BellSoft has worked to enhance OpenJDK on these processors. For example, it created JEP 315, which improves existing string and array intrinsics on AArch64 processors, as well as implementing new intrinsics. 

Another pressure point for Java is the increasing popularity of microservices. A 2020 survey from JRebel revealed that 50% of Java developers were working with microservices. 

The move to more microservices-based architectures has also put pressure on Java and competition from languages like JavaScript, Go, and Python, due to the fact that Java has higher memory and CPU requirements and longer startup times, Belokrylov explained. “As a response for that demand, we released more than a year ago already, Liberica JDK, an OpenJDK binary based on Alpine Linux container on Alpine Linux based image, and what differentiates Alpine Linux from other Linuxes is the size of the container, the size of the Alpine Linux container is around like 5MB only, which allows it to run OpenJDK,” Belokrylov added. 

Java doesn’t work out-of-the-box on Alpine Linux, but one of the JEPs BellSoft is currently involved with, JEP 386, aims to bring support of OpenJDK for Alpine Linux. 

“We want to bring industry-first innovations with our partners to provide customers with fast and professional support, high level of trust and flawless security capabilities. We are really happy to become a partner of such a comprehensive ecosystem and we believe these plans have earned us recognition from today’s leading specialist,” said Belokrylov.

The pace of business is accelerating. Enterprises today require the robust networks and infrastructure required to effectively manage and protect an ever-increasing volume of data. They must also deliver the speed and low-latency great customer experiences require in an era marked by dramatic innovations in edge computing, artificial intelligence, machine learning, the Internet of Things, unified communications, and other singular computing trends now synonymous with business success.

We recently caught up with Mike Fuhrman, Chief Product and Information Officer at Flexential, to learn how the company is helping customers gain the connectivity and cloud solutions they need and what it means to be VMware Cloud Verified. We also took the opportunity to learn what he sees as the next big transformative trends in cloud computing.

“We serve companies in numerous industries, including those in software and IT services, manufacturing, finance, insurance, retail, health care, transportation, media and Internet, and telecommunications,” says Fuhrman. “The kinds of organizations that benefit most from our unique approach are those that require a seamless and integrated solution, low-latency connectivity across North America and beyond—and access to an all-inclusive solution from a single vendor so they can offload as much or as little of the IT management burden as they want. Organizations also turn to us for access to an extensive bench of professional services and IT experts who can assist in everything from strategy and design to implementation, ongoing management and optimization regardless of how their businesses scale.” 

Flexential’s 40 state-of-the-art data centers in North America – located in metropolitan areas across the country to ensure short hops and low latency – are connected by a 100 Gbps network backbone that is easily upgradable to 400 Gbps for those customers that require ultra-high speeds. Notably, the company offers cloud solutions with built-in security and compliance to the hypervisor for the peace of mind that results when infrastructure is audit-ready at all times. Industry-leading SLAs also ensure that applications and the data within and used by them – the very lifeblood of the enterprise – is always accessible and protected.

The company’s unified cloud platform, FlexAnywhere™, integrates colocation, cloud, edge, connectivity, data protection, and the managed and professional services to deliver a true hybrid IT approach. Flexential also offers two types of private clouds, a hosted private cloud with dedicated resources for compute, networking and storage; and Advanced Access, a hosted private cloud offering that enables enterprises to maintain control of the provider-owned VMware vCenter server. An industry-first, it allows for greater personalization in a virtual environment that performs and functions like an on-premise solution.

Flexential also provides a managed public cloud service that lets customers use AWS and Azure, through a managed, consumption-based model that ensures they only pay for the public cloud services and capacity they use. And the Flexential Cloud Fabric, a Network-as-a-Service solution, makes it easy to spin-up, configure and manage all cloud connections from a single pane of glass, an innovation that makes true multi-cloud operations a reality.

The company also offers Desktop-as-a-Service, Disaster Recovery-as-a-Service, managed containers, as well as managed services for networking and infrastructure, security, and compliance. Addition services address each stage of the cloud journey, from design and migration to optimization.

All of the company’s cloud offerings are based on VMware technology. This includes vSphere, HCX, vROps, NSX accessed through Flexential’s FXP portal, which is tightly integrated with VMware vCloud Director.

“Being VMware Cloud Tested is important to us because it not only allows us to demonstrate Flexential delivering best-of-class solutions to our customers today, but it also contributes to an important strategic partnership that allows us to innovate and easily deliver market-leading future enhancements to our customers going forward,” adds Fuhrman. “Being VMware Cloud Tested is also important for our customers because it gives them the confidence and assurance that our cloud solutions utilize best-in-class network, storage, and compute solutions that are future-proofed and based on industry-leading technology that will continue to leverage market-leading innovations.”

Fuhrman notes that this confidence and assurance will be crucial as enterprises embrace what he sees as the next big transformative trend in cloud computing. It’s a trend he says already has significant momentum and will be increasingly commonplace in the near-term future.

“Multi-cloud deployments that enable enterprises to capitalize on the strengths of individual clouds for specific use cases, software-defined data centers, and enhancements to virtualized networks are where we will see a dramatic increase in activity,” says Fuhrman. “And that will only increase as more organizations stretch workloads across multi-cloud environments to dramatically Strengthen customer experiences and simultaneously lowering their overall IT costs.”

Learn more about Flexential and its partnership with VMware here.