Holiday Freebie from Microsoft: Earn Your MCS Server Virtualization Cert For FREE

Editorial update — October 2026: The no-cost Server Virtualization certification offer described below was a 2013 holiday promotion. It is no longer a way to register for an exam or earn an MCSA/MCSE credential. Keep the virtualization lab ideas as technical history, but do not rely on the original voucher terms, exam numbers or deadlines.… Read More »

Microsoft Postpones The Retirement of SQL Server 2008 Exams, And How You Can Benefit From This

Historical certification context — October 2026: This article records the earlier postponement of SQL Server 2008 certification-exam retirements. That extended examination window has long since closed. Any invitation below to book one of these exams or act before the historical deadline is archival, not current registration advice. Microsoft has made an unexpected but welcome announcement… Read More »

The Year In Review: Best Paid IT Certifications of 2013

The question of which IT certifications paid the most in 2013 reveals what employers valued at a particular moment in technology history. Virtualization was becoming normal in enterprise data centers, public cloud adoption was accelerating, and security and infrastructure specialists were being asked to manage increasingly interconnected systems. Lists from that period are useful as… Read More »

CISSP in 2013: Historical Exam, Ten Domains, and Career Value

The year 2013 was a landmark period for information security professionals. Organizations around the world were waking up to the reality that cybersecurity was no longer a back-office concern but a boardroom priority. High-profile data breaches, growing regulatory pressure, and the rapid expansion of internet-connected systems had created an urgent demand for skilled security professionals… Read More »

New Cisco CCIE R&S Exam V5.0 Coming Soon

The networking world is buzzing with anticipation as Cisco prepares to roll out the updated CCIE Routing and Switching version 5.0 exam. For networking professionals who have built their careers around Cisco technologies, this update represents one of the most significant shifts in the certification program in recent years. The changes coming with version 5.0… Read More »

HPExpertOne: Balanced Approach That Deserves a Closer Look

HP ExpertOne belongs to a particular period of enterprise IT certification. The program was built around Hewlett-Packard’s server, storage, networking, software, and converged-infrastructure businesses, and its purpose was to connect technical skills with professional and partner roles. It should not be presented in 2026 as a newly bookable certification track simply because historical course descriptions… Read More »