Announcing MCA for Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010... and our very first SharePoint MCAs!
Today at the SharePoint Conference in Anaheim, California, Microsoft is excited to announce a new addition to the suite of Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA) certifications: MCA: Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010. Joining MCA Exchange Server, SQL Server and Windows Server: Directory, this new certification is intended to recognize and validate the expertise of the highest-achieving SharePoint architects.
The MCA Program administers a unique, rigorous review board and case exam process to help enable the most experienced IT professionals in IT architecture to distinguish their expertise in architecting complex solutions using Microsoft server technologies. Designed specifically for seasoned, practicing SharePoint architects, this new MCA certification validates both the technical and leadership skills of those who deliver SharePoint solutions for enterprise customers. Explore the MCA Program and its Microsoft technology-specific certifications.
After putting their expertise, time and effort into the process, two brand-new MCAs for SharePoint 2010 are the first out of the gate. It’s with great pleasure that we introduce them: Kimmo Forss and Spencer Harbar.
Kimmo Forss is an Architect with Microsoft Consulting Services. His current role focuses on the different flavors of cloud as they relate to SharePoint. He is a frequent speaker at industry conferences and training events as well as an instructor in the SharePoint Microsoft Certified Master (MCM) program.
Spencer Harbar (www.harbar.net) is an enterprise architect who helps organizations implement and drive value from solutions based upon Microsoft SharePoint. With over seventeen years of commercial experience in the architecture, design, development, deployment and operational service management of Web based applications and hosting platforms, his broad base of fundamental skills routinely enables Europe’s largest organizations to succeed with SharePoint.
Congratulations to Kimmo and Spencer on earning their MCA: Microsoft SharePoint certification! If you're attending any of their sessions this week at SharePoint Conference 2011, be sure to congratulate them on this tremendous achievement.
Concurrent with the new MCA SharePoint certification announcement, Microsoft is also pleased to introduce the revised and restructured review board process, which applies across all of the MCA certifications. The goal of this redesign was to reinforce the distinction between the value delivered by
technology-specific architect certifications and technology-agnostic certifications.
What’s different about the review board process? We’ve revised the scoring criteria based specifically on product-specific MCA certifications, and we’ve added technology/workload-specific supplemental scoring criteria for each product. The grading process and methods have been revised, as well as the portfolio review and approval processes. A new case study process replaces the former role-playing exercises, and there is a case study for each product. Read the details of the review board process and steps to becoming an MCA.
If you are ready to earn your MCA, get started here or for those attending SharePoint Conference 2011, visit the Readiness booth in the Product Pavilion to learn more.