With the rapidly evolving world of IT and virtualization, staying up-to-date with the latest technologies and obtaining relevant certifications is crucial for career growth and professional success.
VMware is the gold standard when it comes to the most renowned and respected virtualization certifications. In this blog post, we’ll explore the state of VMware certifications in 2023 and identify the best certifications for you.
Is it worth getting a VMware certification?
Short answer: Yes! Obtaining one or more VMware certifications is worth it for IT professionals looking to advance their careers and validate their knowledge and expertise. VMware certifications are well-regarded in the industry and validate the skills and knowledge required to implement and manage VMware products effectively. They can also open doors to new job opportunities and increase earning potential.
What are the VMware certification tracks?
VMware offers certifications that align with technology tracks across the VMware portfolio. Each track focuses on different VMware products and solutions. There are occasionally small amounts of overlap between tracks, but this is typically only with a handful of exam objectives.
Six tracks are currently available:
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Data Center Virtualization: Design, install, manage, and support vSphere environments
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Cloud Management and Automation: Design, install, configure, optimize, and support VMware Aria and other cloud solutions
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Security: Configure, manage, and support security features of key VMware products
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Network Virtualization: Design, implement, manage, and support an NSX-T environment
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Digital Workspace: Design, configure, deploy, manage, optimize, and troubleshoot Workspace ONE and Horizon with View
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Application Modernization: Develop, manage, and migrate applications through the VMware Tanzu portfolio
What are the VMware certification levels?
Within each VMware certification track, you can achieve different levels of certification. These levels are Technical Associate, Professional, Advanced Professional, and Design Expert. As you can see, these levels align to job roles. Most tracks have all levels available for certification (though there are a few where some of these levels might not exist).
VMware Certified Technical Associate (VCTA)
This is an entry-level technical based certification for those new to the technology, or even new to the industry, and targeted at those who can perform operational tasks with the technology.
VMware Certified Professional (VCP)
These are typically broad technical-based certifications for those who install, configure, manage, and optimize the technology. It’s expected that individuals going for a VCP have worked with the technology in the exam for more than a year.
VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP)
There are two certifications at this level. The first is a VCAP Deploy certification for those who manage and optimize the VMware technology in question. The VCAP Deploy exam is a hands-on experience in a real environment, where you need to show hands-on skills with managing, troubleshooting, and optimizing the products. The second is a VCAP Design certification for those who design and build solutions for VMware technology.
VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX)
This represents the pinnacle of VMware expertise and the highest level of certification. Candidates must hold the VCAP certifications in the relevant VCDX track, submit a design proposal, and defend their design in front of a panel of VMware experts. There are currently 300 VCDXs in the world.
The key VMware certifications available in 2023
With around 30 available certifications, it’s difficult to suggest a few key certifications. If your expertise is in a particular area, such as digital workspace, it makes sense to go deep into that stack from a certification standpoint.
However, if you’re looking for suggestions on key VMware certifications that are helpful from a knowledge perspective and to advance your career in the ever-evolving world of virtualization and modern workloads, the following three certifications top the list.
VMware Certified Professional - Data Center Virtualization (VCP-DCV)
The VCP-DCV certification is designed for IT professionals who want to demonstrate knowledge and expertise in deploying and managing core VMware vSphere environments. The certification validates their skills in working with VMware’s chief virtualization technology.
The VCP-DCV is VMware’s flagship certification and often singled out as a key requirement in virtualization role job descriptions. Studies have shown holders of the VCP-DCV have improved career opportunities and higher earning potential compared to those without it.
Assess your Vmware VSphere skills >>
Start prepping for your VCP-DCV certification >>
VMware Certified Professional - Network Virtualization (VCP-NV)
The VCP-NV certification is targeted at IT professionals, virtualization specialists, and network administrators who want to demonstrate proficiency in deploying and managing VMware NSX, which is VMware’s software-defined networking solution.
Networking plays an important role in the reliability and performance of applications, especially as you start to support modern and next-generation workloads in the data center and provide hybrid connectivity between multiple environments and clouds.
I remember sitting for the VCP-NV back in 2018 when the main NSX product was NSX-V. I learned so much about networking in general and took that knowledge into other roles and when working with public cloud platforms.
Start prepping for your VCP-NV certification >>
VMware Certified Professional - Application Modernization (VCP-AM)
Cloud-native and modern applications are hot right now. The VCP-AM certification is targeted at IT professionals and developers who want to showcase expertise and knowledge in modern application design, development, and containerization using VMware Tanzu and Kubernetes.
Kubernetes has been on the rise for many years and has become the gold standard of container orchestration for modern applications in cloud-native environments. VMware has been supporting Kubernetes for a while. Achieving this certification will help you understand how cloud native applications are deployed and run on VMware platforms.
This is a great certification to earn after you have the foundations of the VCP-DCV and the VCP-NV. While they aren’t prerequisites, understanding those technologies at a VCP level will assist with the Application Modernization certification path, as Kubernetes on vSphere relies on core vSphere technologies and NSX-T for the networking provider.
Which VMware certification should I take for a rewarding career?
When you consider the different VMware product tracks, there are approximately 30 certifications available at the VMware Certified Professional (VCP), VMware Certified Advanced Professional (VCAP), and VMware Certified Design Expert (VCDX) levels. The right VMware certification for you depends on your career aspirations and expertise level.
My advice is to target a few certifications at a VCP level to demonstrate broad experience and knowledge across VMware technologies. Then dive a bit deeper into tracks that make sense for your current role and technology focus by going for the advanced certifications.
If you’re looking to validate your expertise as an architect, the VCDX could be worth considering. But understand that this requires a significant investment of money and time. It’s not for the fainthearted, but I’ve read a lot of stories from people who passed and failed the VCDX noting how much they learned on the journey.
How can I prepare for a VMware certification?
Preparation for VMware certifications is essential, and while your specific approach might differ, my advice is to take a three-pronged approach:
Hands-on experience. Everything at the VCP level and above will expect you to have hands-on experience working with the relevant VMware products in the real world. Yes, you can pass the exams without this level of experience, but the recommended candidate (as described by VMware for VCP certifications) has at least one year of experience with the products and technologies being tested.
Training and study. You’ll want to ensure your knowledge and expertise cover the objectives you’ll be tested on in the exam. My suggestion is to put the exam objectives in a spreadsheet and self-evaluate your knowledge on each one. Then use your favorite training material to solidify what you know and learn new skills as you study.
Test-taking skills. Sitting an exam to achieve a certification from any vendor is almost a skill itself. Questions are typically worded in specific ways. And depending on how many exams you’ve taken, it can be an experience that makes you a little nervous. Take practice exams and assessments to get yourself comfortable with what to expect for the real exam.
VMware publishes documents for all their exams. These exam guides provide information on how the exam will be delivered, which objectives will be tested, and other material you can reference. Always review the exam guide in detail when exploring a new certification.
Conclusion
VMware certifications continue to hold significant value in the IT industry and have been proven to increase your earning potential and present opportunities for career growth. By understanding the available certifications and tracks, planning for how they relate to your role and aspirations, and ensuring you know how to prepare for a certification, you’ll be setting yourself up for success with VMware certifications in 2023 and onward.
Further learning
If you’re seeking to leap into VMware certification, Pluralsight offers a number of courses that can help you prepare, as well as acquire useful working knowledge — you can sign up for a 10-day free trial with no commitments. If you’re not sure what course to start with, you can do a free Pluralsight SkillIQ assessment.
Here are some learning paths with courses you might want to check out:
David Davis’s vSphere 8 courses are also great for skill building for the core VMware vSphere product:
VMware Explore: VMware (and NVIDIA) Execs Promise To Deliver on Generative AI's Promise
VMware on Tuesday debuted a new solution, jointly developed with NVIDIA, that aims to address the legal, privacy and security concerns around the use of generative AI in enterprises.
VMware Private AI Foundation, expected to launch early next year, is an end-to-end platform designed to help organizations benefit from generative AI technologies while ensuring that their data remains private, secure and compliant. Powering it will be VMware's multicloud and NVIDIA's compute solutions.
VMware CEO Raghu Raghuram announced the Private AI Foundation during the opening keynote of the 2023 VMware Explore conference. He was joined onstage by NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang, who touted the product as "reinventing enterprise computing."
"For the very first time, enterprises around the world will be able to do private AI at scale ... and know that it's fully secure," Huang said.
With Private AI Foundation, businesses will be able to custom-create and train large language models (LLMs) on their proprietary data. Per NVIDIA's press release, the LLMs run "adjacent" to the customers' data, whether it's in the cloud, their own datacenters or the edge.
Raghuram stressed during the keynote that Private AI Foundation is key to helping organizations take advantage of the promise of generative AI, which he sees as threefold: the "general applicability" of LLMs, "universal access" that doesn't require data science expertise, and up to "100 times improvement in the economics of creativity."
Eventually, Raghuram predicted, generative AI will underpin the majority of modern application development. "Five or 10 years from now, calling something 'AI-powered' will be like calling something 'database-powered' now," he said.
For enterprises, however, the biggest barrier to taking full advantage of generative AI is concern for the security of their data. The concept of "private AI" navigates that barrier by taking what Raghuram described as an "architectural approach" to meet the specific privacy and compliance needs of an organization while using the cloud to facilitate access to LLMs and generative AI technologies.
"This is inherently a multicloud problem" that requires a multicloud solution, per Raghuram.
Other Announcements
Tuesday's VMware Explore opening keynote was a relatively quick one-hour affair, but it was not short on announcements. Besides the Private AI Foundation news, VMware also announced.
- vSAN Max, a new vSAN product that provides petabyte-scale, disaggregated storage.
- The vSphere+ lifecycle management service for ESXi.
- NSX+, a multicloud management, security and load balancing service.
- The ability to create virtual private clouds on demand using APIs.
- The option to perform automated, concurrent ransomware recovery across multiple VMs.
- The Tanzu Application Engine, designed to streamline requests from developers.
- Tanzu Intelligence Services, which use AI to automatically Improve things application performance, resource management and more.
- Improvements to Apps on Demand.
- Improvements to Edge Cloud Orchestrator, née SASE Orchestrator.
Beyond these announcements, for many VMware stakeholders, the elephant in the room is the impending acquisition of VMware by Broadcom for a cool $61 billion. The acquisition was first announced over a year ago. At VMware Explore on Tuesday, Broadcom CEO Hock Tan appeared via a taped message to assure watchers that the acquisition is set to be completed, as scheduled, by the end of October 2023.
Stay tuned for more AI-related news from the conference, which concludes on Thursday. In the meantime, check out our other conference coverage, which includes:
About the Author
Gladys Rama (@GladysRama3) is the editor of Redmondmag.com, RCPmag.com and AWSInsider.net, and the editorial director of Converge360.
VMware Inc. is kicking off its annual Explore user conference today with a bushel of new and enhanced products designed to simplify multicloud management, support evolving edge use cases and streamline the administration of end-user computing environments.
VMware Cloud, which combines the company’s Cloud Foundation software and Cloud Services, is being repackaged into five editions — Essentials, Standard, Pro, Advanced and Enterprise — that span the stages of cloud adoption in enterprises. The intent is to provide ”a prescriptive pathway for customers to buy and consume VMware cloud based on where they are in the journey to modernization,” Prashanth Shenoy, vice president of cloud platform, infrastructure and solutions marketing, said in a press briefing.
Packaged clouds
The Essentials Ddition packages virtual machines and software containers with cloud services and workload management. The Standard edition adds integrated computing and storage in a hyperconverged infrastructure platform with operations management. The Pro edition adds high-performance storage.
The Cloud Advanced Edition comes with full-stack hyperconverged infrastructure encompassing computing, storage, networking and management, integrated lifecycle management and on-premises cloud infrastructure. Cloud Enterprise is the highest-level package, with storage encryption and site reliability engineering services. All three can be managed either on-premises, as a VMware-managed cloud service, or by third-party service providers such as IBM Corp.
“VMware customers report challenges with existing licensing models, including complexity that creates confusion and uncertainty,” said Andrew Lerner, a distinguished vice president at Gartner Inc. “Any attempt to simplify and streamline licensing likely will resonate. That said, it is too early to say whether this is a moderate incremental improvement or a dramatic improvement.”
The Cloud Foundation component of VMware Cloud is getting a number of performance and capacity boosts, including a tenfold increase in the number of tasks that can be executed simultaneously and double the graphics processing unit capacity. Upgrade times have been cut by a third and workload domain capacity boosted by 60%.
The enhancements are intended to address the competing priorities information technology organizations are encountering to develop applications faster while also controlling cloud spending, Shenoy said. “We are evolving our VMware cloud portfolio to provide a single multicloud infrastructure as a service platform so they can deploy their applications wherever they want using a consistent infrastructure and operating model,” he said.
Multicloud networking
Furthering the multicloud theme, VMware is extending its NSX multicloud networking software with a new cloud-managed service offering for multicloud environments called NSX+. The software-as-a-service service supports a single cloud operating model with zero-trust security and consistent networking and security across VMware Cloud environments. It allows for centralized security policy creation and enforcement, full network and application visibility, and network detection, VMware said.
NSX+ Multi-Cloud Networking and Security Services Image: VMware
“Eighty percent of organizations have a multicloud strategy,” said Umesh Mahajan, senior vice president and general manager of the networking and security business unit. “Networking is the glue that ties it together.”
NSX+ virtual private clouds add full isolation of networking, security and services to multiple tenants on a shared VMware Cloud infrastructure with self-service provisioning managed by a single NSX instance.
The offering is intended to address the security gaps that multicloud environments create, said. “It provides comprehensive visibility into applications’ security posture regardless of where they’re deployed,” Majahan said.
There are four core services in NSX+. Policy management is said to enable policies to be consistently enforced across multiple clouds from a single console and speeds up cross-cloud application and network deployment. Unified application visibility identifies security gaps across multiple clouds and provides visibility into applications and security regardless of where they are deployed.
Network threat detection reduces the risk of ransomware by identifying “emerging threats that could become full-blown intrusions,” Mahajan said. Advanced load balancing is an automated service for rapid application deployment with transaction visibility so problems can be diagnosed quickly. It’s available on VMware Cloud and Amazon Web Services Inc. infrastructure-as-a-service. Existing NSX users can migrate to the expanded platform via a software update.
Gartner’s Lerner said the new offering is “a more robust investment from VMware in terms of feature capability and focus,” but that the multi-cloud networking software market as a whole has underperformed expectations. “Some of the barriers to entry for customers are that the native offerings from cloud providers are seen as good enough, it is hard to justify the return on investment and the cutover to MCNS is tedious,” he said. “As a result, MCNS vendors struggle fiercely to expand their business.”
Disaggregated storage
VMware Cloud storage is getting scalability and cost-efficiency upgrades with vSAN Max, a new offering within the vSAN storage area networking line that delivers up to 8.6 petabytes of disaggregated storage with a single administration point. Storage can be scaled independently from computing for better utilization and can support up to 3.6 million inputs/outputs per cluster, VMware said. It can withstand failures across sites and hosts and can heal itself up to 92% faster than previous vSAN versions, according to company data.
“We’re seeing an explosion of data and new technologies like AI that require a new approach for storage-intensive applications where customers can independently scale the storage clusters from their compute clusters,” Shenoy said. He said early vSAN Max customers have seen operational cost savings of as much as 30%.
New ransomware recovery capabilities allow for concurrent multi-VM recovery operations and the ability for customers to run production workloads in the cloud until forensics are completed and protections established. VMware also unveiled a technology preview of secure storage that integrates recovery workflows with native vSAN snapshots for data transfer optimization.
Edge orchestration
With International Data Corp. expecting worldwide spending on edge computing this year to grow 13%, to $208 billion, VMware is introducing new and enhanced orchestration capabilities for the edge that is says help IT organizations to better match workloads with computing capacity.
Image: VMware
“Because the edge is stretched across so many locations, full synchronization is critical so you can get asynchronous behavior combined with installation and maintenance done with precision,” said Sanjay Uppal, general manager of service provider and edge business. “When workloads match with the network, magic happens.”
Edge Cloud Orchestrator, which was formerly called VMware SASE Orchestrator, will provide unified management for VMware secure access service edge and the VMware Edge Compute Stack. SASE is a converged network and security service that includes software-defined wide-area networking and cloud native security functions.
Enhancements to the orchestrator are said to help customers plan, deploy, run, visualize and manage their edge environments based on business outcomes with a single console to manage edge infrastructure, networking and security. The approach is based on shrinking the stack to the smallest possible footprint with security and administrative updates “pulled” by the workload along with network programmability in code.
The company also unveiled new orchestration capabilities for the VMware Edge Compute Stack based on Project Keswick, an effort to optimize endpoint deployment through automation in code. It combines pull-based configuration with zero-touch provisioning and desired state management principles as defined by the GitOps operational framework for infrastructure automation. Users can automate security updates across edge infrastructure and ensure that updates are applied to edges that lack a stable inbound network connection.
Smarter workplace
Finally, VMware is integrating artificial intelligence features into its Anywhere Workspace platform, a cross-cloud services portfolio that covers digital employee experience, virtual desktop infrastructure, unified endpoint management and security.
The improvements are meant to address growing pressures on support organizations to accommodate variable work schedules, support a profusion of devices and ensure security with a distributed workforce, said Renu Upadhyay, vice president of product marketing for the end-user computing business unit.
“It’s about allowing IT to do more with less by allowing the platform to be self-configuring, self-healing and self-securing to make it easier to support employees with a scalable approach,” she said.
Digital Employee Experience, a software platform that monitors user experience and helps remediate problems, can now monitor seasonal variations and monitor the availability of the SaaS applications employees use. The workspace suite can also now deliver application performance scores in addition to existing mobile, desktop and virtual environment experience scores. If a SaaS service goes down, IT and affected employees can be automatically notified.
Playbooks, which are step-by-step guides to proactive problem resolution, now include machine learning algorithms and expanded access to help data. IT administrators can create step-by-step remediation workflows and use success rate analytics to automate the resolution process and streamline execution over time through machine learning.
An expanded partnership with Intel Corp. will integrate VMware’s Workspace ONE with Intel vPro, a microprocessor optimized for remote management and security. The integration should make it easier for IT organizations to secure and remotely manage devices entirely from the cloud with no additional on-premises infrastructure or management software needed, VMware said.
Intel vPro provides centralized visibility into PCs, rapid patch remediation and remote diagnosis and repair. The capabilities complement an expansion of VMware App Volumes to enable support teams to deliver applications to persistent virtual desktops from VMware, Citrix Systems Inc., Microsoft Corp. and Amazon.
Most of the enhanced products will become available during the third and fourth quarters.
Image: VMware
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Where applications, networking, infrastructure and security have always played off each other, it has been historically easy to treat each of those elements somewhat independently as well. But mobility has turned that view upside down and shifted it sideways. Network engineers need to support local, remote and mobile users, and provide proper infrastructure. Application and app development is more heavily slanted toward mobile environments, so security professionals must consider mobility from every angle.
Whatever part of mobility falls in your bailiwick – networking, infrastructure or security – you should find at least one of our top five mobility certifications worth your time and effort.
You’ll see some changes in our lineup this year. The Citrix Certified Professional – Mobility (CCP-M) and the Microsoft Certified Solutions Associate – Mobility (MCSA – Mobility) have been retired and are no longer available. To replace them, we added the Cisco Certified Network Professional – Wireless (CCNP – Wireless) along with GIAC’s Mobile Device Security Analyst (GMOB). The CCNP Wireless is geared more toward networking than toward mobility, but is popular with individuals and employers alike. Also, VMware’s AirWatch solution is now part of Workspace ONE yielding yet another change in the lineup.
Speaking of employers, we’ve listed the results of our informal search of several online job boards for our top five certifications. These numbers indicate how many postings across the U.S. included each certification in its qualifications or requirements on a specific day. This snapshot gives you a pretty good idea of the relative popularity of the certifications in the marketplace.
Job board search results (in alphabetical order, by certification)
| Certification | SimplyHired | Indeed | LinkedIn Jobs | >Linkup.com | >Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
ACMP (Aruba) |
49 | 58 | 126 | 31 | 264 |
|
CCNP Wireless (Cisco) |
51 | 65 | 9 | 40 | 165 |
|
GMOB (GIAC) |
15 | 17 | 58 | 14 | 104 |
|
VCP-DTM 2019 (VMware) |
40 | 55 | 6 | 69 | 170 |
|
VCP-DW 2019 |
130 | 156 | 732 | 145 | 1,163 |
In fact, it was challenging to come up with a worthwhile lineup this year. One of the issues we found is that there simply aren’t a lot of meaningful mobility certs available. Mobile technology is changing so quickly that it appears that mobile certs are not viewed as keeping up with industry changes.
Read on to learn more about our featured certifications for mobility and mobile technologies.
ACMP: Aruba Certified Mobility Professional
Aruba Networks, acquired by Hewlett Packard Enterprise (HPE) in 2015, is perhaps best known for its network infrastructure solutions, but it’s also a major player in next-generation mobility networks.
The HPE certification program includes several Aruba mobility and network management credentials. The Aruba Certified Mobility Professional, or ACMP, identifies network engineers who install and maintain enterprise mobility and wireless LAN (WLAN) projects. It’s a step up from the Aruba Certified Mobility Associate (ACMA) and is a prerequisite for the more advanced Aruba Certified Mobility Expert (ACMX).
The primary difference between the associate- and professional-level credentials is a focus on skills in environments with a single “Mobility Controller” versus multiple controllers, respectively. The expert-level certification is concerned with implementation and troubleshooting in large-scale WLANs.
The ACMP exam covers concepts, networking and topology design for Layer 2 and Layer 3 networks. An ACMP is expected to have deep knowledge of Aruba First Network Solutions, mobility and WLAN products, UCC Voice, firewall roles and policies, operations, planning and design, intrusion detection systems, troubleshooting techniques, and applications/solutions.
ACMP facts and figures
| >Certification Name | Aruba Certified Mobility Professional (ACMP) V8 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisites & Required Courses | Aruba Certified Mobility Associate (ACMA) V6.4 (currently inactive) or V8
At least one to two years of experience deploying network solutions for the enterprise plus three years of experience working with wired LAN infrastructure and switching and routing technologies is recommended. Recommended training: Scalable WLAN Design and Implementation (SWDI) 8, Rev. 17.31 or Scalable WLAN Design and Implementation (SWDI) 8.4, Rev. 19.21 |
| Number of Exams | One exam: HPE6-A71, Scalable WLAN Design and Implementation (SWDI) 8.4 (60 questions, 90 minutes) |
| Cost per Exam | $230; exam administered by Pearson VUE. |
| >URL | https://www.arubanetworks.com/support-services/training-services/ |
| >Self-Study Materials | Search for “aruba” at the HPE Press site. Currently, you can purchase study guides, practice exams and self-directed labs. |
VCP-DW 2019: VMware Certified Professional – Digital Workspace 2019 (VCP-DW 2019)
Last year, we featured the VMware AirWatch Expert Accreditation: Enterprise Mobility in our list of the top five mobility certs. AirWatch, a VMware company, is an industry leader in enterprise mobility management. VMware rolled AirWatch into its Workspace ONE solution. Today, the AirWatch unified endpoint management (UEM) powers VMware’s Workspace ONE, providing end users with an integrated platform for digital workspaces. The featured cert for AirWatch/Workspace ONE is the VMware Certified Professional – Digital Workspace 2019 (VCP- DW 2019). The VCP-DW 2019 certification is geared to IT professionals able to configure and deploy Workspace ONE solutions. Ideal candidates are also able to manage and maintain solutions, as well as troubleshoot potential issues, and should be well versed in multiple operating systems (Android, iOS and Windows 10, for example).
To earn the credential, candidates should possess at least six months of experience working with Workspace ONE Platform (AirWatch EMM and Identity manager) and installing, configuring, managing, and optimizing computing solutions for end users. In addition, candidates must pass a single, professional-level exam. Depending on the current VMware certifications held, some candidates may also be required to attend mandatory training courses. The table below reflects the certification requirements based on credentials held.
VMware AirWatch Expert Accreditation requirements
| Credential | Experience | Training course | Exams |
|---|---|---|---|
| AirWatch accreditation | Workspace ONE and Digital Workspace | Required (AirWatch and Workspace ONE training required) | VCP – Digital Workspace 2018 OR Professional Workspace ONE 2019 |
| VCP6.x (DCV, CMA or NV) OR VCP7 (CMA or DTM) OR VCP-DTM 2018 | Workspace ONE and Digital Workspace | Recommended | VCP – Digital Workspace 2018 OR Professional Workspace ONE 2019 |
| VCP-DW 2018 | Workspace ONE and Digital Workspace | Recommended | Professional Workspace ONE 2019 |
| No VCP | Workspace ONE and Digital Workspace | Required | VCP – Digital Workspace 2018 OR Professional Workspace ONE 2019 |
* Six months of experience is recommended.
Although VMware encourages candidates to keep their technology skills current, there is no formal recertification requirement.
VCP-DW 2019 facts and figures
| Certification Name | VMware Certified Professional – Digital Workspace 2019 (VCP- DW 2019) |
|---|---|
| >Prerequisites & Required Courses | Six months of experience working with Workspace ONE Platform (AirWatch EMM and Identity manager) and installing, configuring, managing, and optimizing computing solutions for end users |
| Number of Exams | One exam required: 2V0-761 VMware Certified Professional – Digital Workspace 2018 (65 questions, 135 minutes)
or 2V0-61.19 VMware Professional Workspace ONE 2019 (65 questions, 105 minutes) |
| Cost per Exam | $250 each |
| URL | https://www.vmware.com/products/workspace-one.html |
| >Self-Study Materials | The respective exam web pages contain links to recommended training and exam guides, along with additional resources, including the VMware Press, Certification Market Place, the VCP community, and Learning Zone. |
CCNP Wireless: Cisco Certified Network Professional Wireless
A newcomer to the top five list, the Cisco Certified Network Professional Wireless (CCNP Wireless) is an advanced credential geared to IT professionals working with Cisco wireless enterprise networks. Ideal candidates are able to design, implement and secure Cisco wireless networks as well as troubleshoot issues as they arise. As senior team members, CCNP Wireless certification holders can assess business requirements, make recommendations and implement solutions.
Earning the CCNP Wireless is not easy. Candidates must first obtain either the Cisco Certified Network Administrator Wireless (CCNA Wireless) or Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) credential. In addition, candidates must pass four exams covering designing, deploying, troubleshooting and security Cisco wireless enterprise networks.
On February 24, 2020, Cisco will roll out new certification exams. The CCNP Wireless cert will migrate to the new CCNP Enterprise credential. Cisco encourages all candidates currently working on their CCNP Wireless cert to continue, indicating that any work completed in preparation for earning the CCNP Wireless will be credited toward earning the new CCNP Enterprise certification.
For more information, interested candidates should visit the CCNP Wireless Migration Tool to learn more about how their exams map to the new Cisco certification. The last date to test on the existing CCNP Wireless exams is February 23, 2020.
The CCNP Wireless is valid for three years. To recertify, candidates must pass one of the following exams: a 642-XXX or 300-XXX professional-level exam, the CCIE written exam, the CCDE written or practical exam, or the CCAr interview and board review. Recertification requirements will change once Cisco releases its new exams, so credential holders should check with Cisco close to February 24, 2020, for the new recertification requirements.
CCNP Wireless facts and figures
| Certification Name | Cisco Certified Network Professional Wireless |
|---|---|
| Prerequisites & Required Courses | Cisco Certified Network Administrator Wireless (CCNA Wireless) or any Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification |
| Number of Exams | Four exams:
300-360 WIDESIGN 300-365 WIDEPLOY 300-370 WITSHOOT (55-65 questions, 90 minutes) 300-375 WISECURE |
| Cost per Exam | $300 each |
| URL | https://www.cisco.com/c/en/us/training-events/training-certifications/certifications/professional/ccnp-wireless.html |
| Self-Study Materials | Links to training resources, including self-study materials (study groups, learning library, books), e-learning, classroom training, practice exams, learning labs, games, and more, are maintained on the CCNP Wireless web page. Exam syllabus and trial questions, along with study recommendations are also available on the exam web pages. |
GMOB: GIAC Mobile Device Security Analyst (GMOB)
Making its first appearance on the top five list is GIAC’s Mobile Device Security Analyst (GMOB). Part of GIAC’s Penetration Testing certification domain, the GMOB is geared toward penetration testers, network or system administrators, ethical hackers, technical auditors and security professionals who support tables and mobile devices.
The GMOB certification validates a candidate’s ability to assess and secure mobile devices, mobile applications, systems and networks. Successful candidates are also able to mitigate damage from malware, stolen devices, and penetration testing; unlock and root mobile devices; manage iOS and Android devices; and analyze and manage network activity.
A single exam is required to earn the credential. While recommended, training is not required to earn any GIAC credential. Candidates have 120 days from the date the application is approved to attempt the exam.
To maintain the GMOB, certification holders must earn a minimum of 36 hours of continuing professional education (CPE) credits every four years and pay a renewal fee of $429.
GMOB facts and figures
| Certification Name | GIAC Mobile Device Security Analyst |
|---|---|
| >Prerequisites & Required Courses | None |
| Number of Exams | One exam (75 questions, 2 hours, 71% required to pass) |
| Cost per Exam | $769 if purchased in conjunction with training; $1,899 if purchased independently of training
Each certification attempt includes two practice exams ($318 value) |
| URL | https://www.giac.org/certification/mobile-device-security-analyst-gmob |
| Self-Study Materials | GIAC maintains links to exam objectives on the certification web page. Live and online training is also available, along with other learning resources.
Self-paced online training (called SANS OnDemand) and interactive virtual training (called SANS vLive) |
VCP-DTM (2019): VMware Certified Professional – Desktop and Mobility 2019
VMware tackles mobility with virtual desktop infrastructures and a host of technologies that enable administrators to support mobile users using virtualization tools and platforms.
The VMware Certified Professional – Desktop and Mobility 2019 (VCP-DTM 2019) certification identifies individuals who can configure and manage environments running on Horizon 7.5 and install, design, and manage Horizon with View in vSphere implementations. The VCP-DTM 2019 is well suited for professionals engaged in the delivery of personalized solutions online services geared to end users, applications and virtual desktops.
The path to earn the VCP-DTM 2019 varies depending on whether the credential seeker currently possesses a VCP and the type of VCP held. The table below reflects the requirements for the various paths to certification.
VCP-DTM 2019 requirements and prerequisites
| Credential | Experience | Training course | Foundation exams | Professional exams |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| VCP-DTM 2018 credential holders | Horizon 7.5 or 7.6 | Recommended | Not required | Horizon 7.7 exam 2019 |
| VCP6-DT, VCP6-DTM or VCP7-DTM | Horizon 7.5 or 7.6 | Recommended | Not required | Horizon 7.5 exam 2018 or Horizon 7.7 2019 |
| VCP-DTM | Horizon 7.5 or 7.6 | Required | Foundations 6, 6.5 or 6.7 | Horizon 7.5 exam 2018 or Horizon 7.7 2019 |
| VCP6 (in DCV, CMA, or NV) or VCP7-CMA or VCP6.5-DCV | Horizon 7.5 or 7.6 | Recommended | Not required | Horizon 7.5 exam 2018 or Horizon 7.7 2019 |
| VCP-DW 2018 | Horizon 7.5 or 7.6 | Recommended | Foundations 6, 6.5 or 6.7 | Horizon 7.5 exam 2018 or Horizon 7.7 2019 |
| No VCP | Horizon 7.5 or 7.6 | Required | Foundations 6, 6.5 or 6.7 | Horizon 7.5 exam 2018 or Horizon 7.7 2019 |
* Six months of experience is recommended.
In the past, VMware certifications expired after two years. However, on February 4, 2019, VMware announced that mandatory recertification is no longer required for active certifications.
VCP-DTM (2019) facts and figures
| Certification Name | VMware Certified Professional – Desktop and Mobility 2019 |
|---|---|
| Prerequisites & Required Courses | Six months of experience with Horizon 7.5 and 7.6
One required training course for VCP-DTM and candidates with no current VCP |
| Number of Exams | One or two exams required depending on current credentials held:
One Foundation Exam: 2V0-620: vSphere 6 Foundations exam (65 questions, 115 minutes, passing score 300); or 2V0-602: vSphere 6.5 Foundations exam (70 questions, 105 minutes, passing score 300); or 2Vo-01.19: vSphere 6.7 Foundations exam 2019 (65 questions, 105 minutes) Plus One Professional Desktop and Mobility Exam: 2VO-51.18: VMware Professional Horizon 7.5 exam 2018 (59 questions, 135 minutes) or 2VO-51.19: VMware Professional Horizon 7.7 exam 2019 (65 questions, 105 minutes) |
| Cost per Exam | All Foundation exams are $125; Professional Desktop and Mobility exams are $250. Exams administered by Pearson VUE. |
| >URL | https://mylearn.vmware.com/mgrReg/plan.cfm?plan=64296&ui=www_cert |
| Self-Study Materials | VMware provides several free learning videos on the VMware Education & Certification YouTube channel. The VMware Certification exam Prep page lists videos for each certification (for a fee) as well as links to private training, Lab Connect and free resources. |
Beyond the Top 5: More mobility certs
There are many more mobility certifications that can provide job or promotion seekers an advantage in this IT niche.
Android professionals should check out the Android Certified Application Developer. If you’re interested in SAP, that company offers several SAP Mobile certifications on application mobility architectures that leverage the SAP Mobile Platform.
Professionals who work with Oracle Mobile Suite should consider either the Oracle Mobile Development Certified Implementation Specialist or the Oracle Cloud Platform Enterprise Mobile 2018 Associate Developer certification.
Some honorable mention goes to the Certified Casper certifications by Jamf and the Mobility certification from NetMotion. Also, keep your eye on the Credentialed Mobile Device Security Professional (CMDSP) from the Mobile Resource Group. This credential aims at Android and iOS device administrators and architects.
LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug 23, 2023--
Long-standing partners Stratodesk, pioneer of secure managed endpoints for modern workspaces, and VMware, a leading provider of multi-cloud services for all apps, enabling digital innovation with enterprise control, are pleased to announce their latest technology cooperation with passwordless authentication specialist AuthX. Together, Stratodesk, VMware and AuthX offer an efficient and hyper-secure end-to-end healthcare technology solution that safeguards patient data, boosts efficiency, and lowers the total cost of ownership for healthcare organizations.
This press release features multimedia. View the full release here: https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230823489377/en/
Stratodesk and AuthX at VMware Explore 2023 in Las Vegas. (Photo: Business Wire)
With AuthX’s cloud-hosted, multi-factor, passwordless authentication solutions, healthcare professionals can log into their digital workspaces from anywhere at any time. A platform for easy identification and access management, AuthX enables healthcare organizations to streamline their operations while keeping providers productive and patient information secure.
Stratodesk's small footprint, Linux-based managed OS, NoTouch, gives IT teams the freedom to transform any end-user computing device, regardless of make or model, into a highly secure VDI/cloud workspace endpoint. Stratodesk NoTouch enables hospitals, outpatient clinics, and at-home services to cost-effectively and productively manage their now unified endpoint deployments with the NoTouch Center management platform. Together with AuthX and VMware, Stratodesk OS endpoints are equipped with reliable cloud workstations and multi-factor passwordless authentication, built to streamline work for professionals in healthcare, financial services, and other industries.
VMware Horizon and Horizon Cloud Improve the quality of patient care with an integrated digital foundation for healthcare by supporting secure access to applications and critical protected health information (PHI) from any device, anywhere. Physicians and nurses have immediate access to mission-critical applications such as EHR and imaging software, alongside web, SaaS and mobile apps, through a unified digital workspace.
“We are thrilled to announce the technology collaboration with VMware and AuthX as Stratodesk continues to optimize endpoints, security, and management. As organizations everywhere become increasingly more security aware and sensitive, we invest on expanding the options for our customers to meet their environment access, security, and compliance requirements. This partnership marks an exciting journey of growth and advancement for the EUC and MFA space,” said Emanuel Pirker, CEO of Stratodesk.
“This solution leverages the power of authentication, endpoint management, and cloud integration that is timely for Healthcare customers as they face increasing demands for secure and agile workflows. VMware innovation is driven through partnerships like the one presented here with Stratodesk and AuthX.” - Michael Robinson, VP of Healthcare, VMware.
“Our co-development work integrates with VMware Horizon and Stratodesk NoTouch OS delivering a step forward into AuthX’s journey to provide complete and unified security solutions. As the leader in SaaS-based SSO and MFA including Badge 'Tap & Go' offerings we bring together user-friendly identity and access management with security, privacy and control for an optimized user experience,” said Marc Potash, Authx CEO.
Stratodesk is a sponsor of VMware Explore in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Stratodesk, VMware and AuthX solution is demonstrated at the Stratodesk booth #209.
About Stratodesk
Founded in 2010, Stratodesk drives the adoption of secure managed endpoints for accessing the modern workspace. Stratodesk NoTouch software gives IT users endpoint security and full manageability while allowing the flexibility to choose endpoint hardware, workspace solution, cloud or on-premises deployment, and the cost consumption model that fits their business. Through its U.S. and European offices, Stratodesk is growing a disruptive community of channel partners and technology providers committed to modernizing and digitizing workspaces. Today, with one million licenses deployed globally across multiple industries, Stratodesk prides itself on its authenticity and dedication to delivering the most innovative software solution to its customers. For more information, visit www.stratodesk.com.
View source version on businesswire.com:https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20230823489377/en/
CONTACT: Stratodesk
Silke Telsnig, CMO
415-613-1772
KEYWORD: UNITED STATES NORTH AMERICA NEVADA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE OTHER PROFESSIONAL SERVICES SECURITY DATA MANAGEMENT MANUFACTURING INSURANCE OTHER HEALTH TECHNOLOGY SMALL BUSINESS PROFESSIONAL SERVICES OTHER TECHNOLOGY SOFTWARE NETWORKS INTERNET HEALTH ENGINEERING
SOURCE: Stratodesk
Copyright Business Wire 2023.
PUB: 08/23/2023 05:13 PM/DISC: 08/23/2023 05:13 PM
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