Tuesday, 27 November 2007

Microsoft Announces New Benefits for Global MCPs

Microsoft’s community of 2.2 million Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCPs) will now receive new benefits that will help them successfully deploy and support new technologies through increased access to internal Microsoft resources and networking with their peers. The new MCP benefits...

Microsoft’s community of 2.2 million Microsoft Certified Professionals (MCPs) will now receive new benefits that will help them successfully deploy and support new technologies through increased access to internal Microsoft resources and networking with their peers.

The new MCP benefits are being introduced as Microsoft is gearing up to launch Windows Server 2008 and customers are already taking advantage of the readiness resources available.

”As new technology is released, Microsoft is investing in unique benefits for MCPs that provide ongoing value that will help them improve their performance on the job while distinguishing themselves from their peers,” says Lutz Ziob, general manager of Microsoft Learning.

The new benefits are the latest in a series of evolutionary changes in the new generation of Microsoft’s certifications designed to help technical professionals adopt and deploy technology.

The new MCP program features include:

Knowledge Base Access – MCPs now have access to the extensive partner-level Microsoft Product Support Knowledge Base, previously accessible only to Microsoft partners and Most Valuable Professionals (MVPs), including exclusive technical information not available to the general public. This deeper level of Knowledge Base access provides MCPs with an inside track on important technical issues that will make them more valuable to their peers and employers.

MCP Member Directory search – MCPs will be able to locate their peers within a city, state or country for professional networking, mentoring and community involvement.

MCP Community Profiles – MCPs worldwide can build and maintain their personal landing page on the Microsoft.com Web site to help drive community interaction and increase their visibility within the worldwide community. MCPs define who can access their community profile by worldwide public, MCP peers or Microsoft only.

Transcript Manager - All credentials earned are now combined into one transcript, which can be downloaded in both XPS and PDF formats for easier saving and sharing. Enhanced transcripts match the look and feel of the new generation certificates and MCPs can forward transcripts directly to their managers.

Certificate Manager – MCPs can now download redesigned, high-resolution Microsoft certifications in both XPS and PDF file formats within days of achieving new credentials.

Logo Manager – MCPs can continue to download from the library of Microsoft certification logos for use in their resumes, Web sites and business communications.

The new benefits are set to continue to build value MCPs receive from certification while enabling organizations to more effectively market the skills of their team members to clients.

“Microsoft certification gives you a way to connect with Microsoft because of the MCP program,” says James Kovacs, a Microsoft MVP – Visual Developer, Solutions Architect. “

“You start getting the newsletter and seeing what other people are doing with certifications and what other training opportunities are out there. It’s a career builder.”

Microsoft said the enhanced benefits of the MCP program align perfectly with the needs of MCPs today. They provide the resources to effectively promote their skills to their companies, clients and peers. With access to the Microsoft Product Support Internal Knowledge Base, they can advance their technical knowledge to implement and support Microsoft technology, providing more value to their organizations. And, the community allows MCPs to build connections around the world—supporting themselves and their organizations in an increasingly global IT market.