Citrix announces two new virtualization certification tracks

Last year around this time, many companies were just talking about virtualization. Now companies are starting to deploy the technology. This increases the demand for people who have the skills required to deliver end-to-end virtual computing, from the data center to the desktop. In fact, in ongoing surveys conducted by Foote Partners, virtualization consistently tops the list of the most in-demand skills.

In its 2009 year-end salary survey, Certification Magazine predicted that those who want to enter the field would have difficulty unless they had specialized knowledge and training. Citrix has announced two new certification tracks address this.

Here’s some information about the certifications–the Citrix Certified Enterprise Engineer (CCEE) for Virtualization and Citrix Certified Integration ArchitectTM (CCIA) for Virtualization:

* The CCEE certification is designed to certify breadth of knowledge across end-to-end Citrix virtualization solutions, focusing on the ability to combine operational planning skills with tactical design expertise and integration know-how. Candidates begin working toward the CCEE by first passing several product-specific exams for Citrix XenDesktop, XenAppT, and XenServer. The final requirement of the CCEE exam, A15 Engineering a Citrix Virtualization Solution, features complex simulations, enabling students to showcase their extensive knowledge in a performance-based setting.
* The CCIA certification is the highest Citrix designation and focuses on best practices for virtualization analysis and design. The CCIA certifies the skills required for successful deployments, helping organizations improve implementations through lower costs, increased performance and reduced time. Candidates must have achieved the CCEE and pass one more final exam, A16 Architecting a Citrix Virtualization Solution, to attain the CCIA credential.
* Currently certified Citrix Certified Enterprise Administrator (CCEA) and CCIA professionals can update to the new certifications by taking the new exams. To update to the CCEE, existing CCEAs need only pass the A15 exam. Existing CCIAs must pass both A15 and A16 exams.
* In order to prepare for the exams, training is highly recommended. Training courses designed for the CCEE and CCIA are hands-on and available to take with an instructor in the classroom, or online in a self-paced format.

For more information, visit www.citrixeducation.com.