* Deals and offers for education on Microsoft's forthcoming messaging server
Microsoft is expected to launch Exchange Server 2007, its long awaited replacement for Exchange 2003, late this year or early 2007. In a bid to get more Microsoft professionals proficient in its forthcoming messaging server prior to the launch, the software giant has a range of initiatives to kick-start your education in the product.
Although it says it will have more to say about certification on the product in October, Microsoft in a recent bulletin to Microsoft Certified Professional outlined the exams that Microsoft experts can expect.
There will be one exam to attain the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialists: Microsoft Exchange 2007 designation, and two exams – on top of the MCTS pre-requisite – to earn the Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Enterprise Messaging Administration certification.
The exams will be supported by 15 days of classroom training, 50 hours of e-learning and training kits, says Microsoft.
Microsoft plans to follow last month’s release of Beta 2 of its messaging server with a late-October rollout of course material to support the second beta. You can take a sneak peek of the three-day instructor-led course, “Updating Your Skills from Microsoft Exchange Server 2000 or Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 to Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 (Course 3938)”, at Microsoft’s Web site. According to the Web site, students will be given an introduction to Exchange Server 2007 and learn how to deploy and implement the product. The course also includes discussions on implementing client access services, managing message routing and messaging security and policies.
Until October, Microsoft is offering two free e-learning “clinics” for its forthcoming messaging server. Participants can sign up for both offers, which are:
* Clinic 3053: What’s New in Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Administration (Beta 1), which introduces the role-based installation provided by Exchange Server 2007 and describes the various server roles.
* Clinic 3054: Overview of Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Architecture (Beta 1), which describes the most significant changes in the Exchange Server 2007 architecture, the infrastructure required to deploy Exchange Server 2007, and the three different Active Directory topologies in which you can install Exchange Server 2007.
Microsoft learning partners are also offering limited-time education deals for classroom training for Exchange Server 2007. On offer are:
* Clinic 3910: “Getting Started with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Clinic,” a one-day that provides a broad understanding of the architecture and administration of Exchange Server 2007 and an overview of unified messaging.
* HOL 3911A: “Getting Started with Microsoft Exchange Server 2007 Hands-on Lab,” a change to play with product for a day. The course includes instruction on configuring of server mail flow and rules, setting up policies, and using continuous replication.
You can find a center near you that’s offering these courses here.
For comprehensive details about Microsoft’s training plans and training partners for Exchange Server 2007, head over to Microsoft’s Exchange Server 2007 training portal.
And over at NetworkWorld.com, we’ve been following the product closely for the past few months. Here are some articles to help you learn more about the product, what’s in Beta 2 and the full release, and how it fits into Microsoft’s grand plans for unified communications:
* “Microsoft offers second beta of Exchange Server 2007”
* “Microsoft outlines new Exchange CAL, Beta 2 features”
* “Sneak peek at Exchange”
* “Microsoft outlines broad unified communications strategy”
