On October 5th, 2021, Microsoft officially rolled out its newest version of the Windows Operating System. While there are undoubtedly many great updates to give users a more uniform experience between work and life, you may be wondering what you need to know from an IT perspective.
The lists below details what and when Microsoft certifications and exams are retiring and what your recommended next steps should be.
First, if you’ve recently earned one of these certifications or have been studying for an upcoming MCSA, MCSE or MCSD exam, relax and take a deep breath, you’re OK, but you should move swiftly. In Microsoft's statement they clarified that, “If you have passed a qualifying exam, it will still count towards competency attainment for 12 months after the exam is retired.”
If you are pursuing a qualifying exam, “you can continue earning the MCSA, MCSD, and MCSE certifications as long as the required exams are still available. As we retire the exams that are part of those certification paths, you will no longer be able to earn those certifications. If you are unable to complete the required exams before they are retired (31/01/2021), ....”
365 Real-Time Co-Authoring
I’m going to tell you an anecdote that I’m sure will ring true for you: you go to open a file that you desperately need to work on, but a dialog box warning pops up saying “This file is locked for editing by so-and-so, would you like to open a Read Only copy”. Naturally, you click yes because the work must be done. So you do your work and then click Save As. Now, there are 2 copies of similar files, and as time passes it becomes 3 copies, and then 4… because you and your colleagues can’t work on the same file at the same time, right?
Microsoft has added a new benefit for customers participating the Enterprise Skills Initiative (ESI). Now available to ESI customers, via the Learner Experience Portal, are exam preparation session offerings for six different Azure and Data/AI courses. These new Exam Prep sessions provide practical details on how best to prepare ESI customers for a certification exam.
Are you a Microsoft 365 Enterprise Administrator who evaluates, plans, migrates, deploys, and manages Microsoft 365 services? Do you perform Microsoft 365 tenant management tasks for an enterprise, including its identities, security, compliance, and supporting technologies? Do you have a working knowledge of Microsoft 365 workloads? Are you an administrator for at least one Microsoft 365 workload (Exchange, SharePoint, Skype for Business, or Windows as a Service)? Do you have a working knowledge of networking, server administration, and IT fundamentals, such as DNS, Active Directory, and PowerShell? If so, let me tell you about the new Microsoft 365 Certified: Enterprise Administrator Expert certification!