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The Microsoft Certified Solutions Master (MCSM) is the new name of the MCM program and actually include different paths (MCSM: Data Platform, MCSM: SharePoint, MCSM: Communication, MCSM: Messaging , MCSM: Active Directory).

This certification is almost similar at the VCDX level from VMware, but it’s not the top one in the Microsoft path, where a Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) level also exist.

Now, in the last days, there are some strange rumors about those certifications: seems that Microsoft communicated on Friday evening to existing and candidate MCM/MCSM/MCA community (exams will be retired on October 1, 2013, in just one month).

I don’t understand this choice (also considering the new re-organization of Microsoft) and honestly I prefer wait some news in the official pages that are still live and does not report this fact. Of course the exam retiring does not necessary mean the program closure (maybe they must be updated to 2012 R2?)… but it’s a bad sign.

Honestly I think that each vendor need some advanced and high level certifications (of course they must also be really valuable) and also they must be not so exclusive or limiting for people outside US (the Country Divide is in any case a big limit in those kind of certifications). The choice to make training no longer required (available only in Seattle) was a good move: effective July 1, 2013, training will no longer be required to obtain Microsoft Certified Solutions Master (MCSM) certifications.

Maybe they are replaced by other certifications? Maybe a it’s only a move to re-organize them and add other path (like BI and Virtualization)?

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Virtualization, Cloud and Storage Architect. Tech Field delegate. VMUG IT Co-Founder and board member. VMware VMTN Moderator and vExpert 2010-24. Dell TechCenter Rockstar 2014-15. Microsoft MVP 2014-16. Veeam Vanguard 2015-23. Nutanix NTC 2014-20. Several certifications including: VCDX-DCV, VCP-DCV/DT/Cloud, VCAP-DCA/DCD/CIA/CID/DTA/DTD, MCSA, MCSE, MCITP, CCA, NPP.