Microsoft announces WES 2009 certification – MPC #70-577

Microsoft announced a certification exam it says can validate the skills and experience of Windows Embedded Standard (2009) operating system users. MPC #70-577 is available now in six languages, with downloadable “prep” kits due in English this March, or this June for the other…

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five languages.
The exam, whose price was not stated, must be scheduled in advance, and taken on a secure workstation. It lasts approximately two hours. Those who pass it receive MCTS (Microsoft Certification Technology Specialist) status.

According to Microsoft, candidates should have one or two years of experience working with Windows XP Embedded, including a “deep understanding” of the operating system’s internal workings and registry. Candidates should have functional knowledge of how to configure and build operating system images, deploy them to a variety of hardware platforms, and troubleshoot device driver installations, the company adds. Those taking the exam should have experience with the following, according to Microsoft:

* Windows security
* Componentization
* The role of packages, groups, and repository sets
* Application-level development on Windows XP and Windows XP Embedded
* Deployment options and methodologies
* Embedded enabling features (EEFs)
* Working at the hardware level
* The WES Component Database Manager

Experienced Windows XP Embedded developers who are merely new to WES 2009 should be able to prepare for the exam “with little additional work,” Microsoft says. However, those who are new to both Windows XP Embedded and WES 2009 should sign up for an introductory class, the company adds.

Microsoft’s WES 2009 operating system combines a Windows XP codebase with new drivers and the following updated technologies:

* Service Pack 3 (SP3)
* Network Access Protection (NAP)
* Silverlight
* .NET Framework 3.5
* Remote Desktop Protocol version 6.1

Microsoft says MCP (Microsoft Certification Program) is now nearly 15 years old, having certified three million IT professionals and developers in products that include Windows NT, Exchange, SQL Server, Windows XP, and Vista. Such certifications are “an excellent proof point of IT skills when competing for consulting opportunities, jobs, or advancement,” the company claims.

Last year, Microsoft announced an MCP certification exam for Windows CE 6.0, and subsequently offered a downloadable, 358-page book for those interested in taking it. According to a recent posting on the company’s Windows Embedded Standard blog, a free preparation kit — similar to the one for Windows CE 6.0 — will be available in mid-March for English-speaking readers. Versions translated into the other relevant languages will be available by June, the company adds.