Cisco Unity Support Specialist

chmorinchmorin Member Posts: 1,446 ■■■■■□□□□□
in CCNP Collaboration
Has anyone attempted this exam? Any opinion on its requirements and credentials? Had is opened any doors for anyone? Does anyone carry any specialist exams around here?

I am currently in a position where I am trying to 'ninja' my way into cisco unity access, so I am getting my CCNA: Voice within the next month and prying my way into getting access to Unity for our company. Would this be worth getting?
Currently Pursuing
WGU (BS in IT Network Administration) - 52%| CCIE:Voice Written - 0% (0/200 Hours)
mikej412 wrote:
Cisco Networking isn't just a job, it's a Lifestyle.
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  • laidbackfreaklaidbackfreak Member Posts: 991
    I dont think it would hurt your chances, personally I think you'd be better going down the VP route after the CCNA-V

    Whats your experience of Unity?
    if I say something that can be taken one of two ways and one of them offends, I usually mean the other one :-)
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  • mikej412mikej412 Member Posts: 10,086 ■■■■■■■■■■
    chmorin wrote: »
    Has anyone attempted this exam? Any opinion on its requirements and credentials? Had is opened any doors for anyone? Does anyone carry any specialist exams around here?
    They used to require the MCSE:Messaging as a prerequsite -- but I think they dropped it last year (or the year before) since that was an awfully big prerequisite. icon_lol.gif

    I've got the security specialist certifications and voice specialist certification I earned while doing the CCSP and CCVP. I've managed to keep them since I'm working on the CCIE and the CCIE written exams re-certify the specialist certifications.

    I did go out of my way to do the exam to earn the IP Telephony Design Specialist Certification -- and that's actually the certification that seems to get the most attention. But I'd guess my CCVP and the lack of available Voice CCIEs has something to do with it too.

    I'll eventually loop back for a couple more Specialist Certifications like the Unity Support and Unity Design once I have a CCIE (and know that I will keep them since they have a 2 year recertification cycle like the CCIE).
    :mike: Cisco Certifications -- Collect the Entire Set!
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  • chmorinchmorin Member Posts: 1,446 ■■■■■□□□□□
    My supervisor lets me use unity when he gets the chance and lets me handle some of the phone support tickets that come in. Adding phones, changing lines, a little voice-mail... not much else.

    I'd go down the VP route if I actually end up getting a job in voice and enjoy it. For the moment I'm torn between wanting to do voice, or networking.
    Currently Pursuing
    WGU (BS in IT Network Administration) - 52%| CCIE:Voice Written - 0% (0/200 Hours)
    mikej412 wrote:
    Cisco Networking isn't just a job, it's a Lifestyle.
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  • laidbackfreaklaidbackfreak Member Posts: 991
    Given that I'd say go for it, certainly cant do you any harm and will make you stand out a little in the voice field icon_smile.gif

    If you do decide let me know what resources your using as I may look at this once I've finished my VP.

    oh and as Mike said the m$ messaging used to be a pre-requisite but is now shown as additional training. So I figure you need to have an understanding of this too.
    if I say something that can be taken one of two ways and one of them offends, I usually mean the other one :-)
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  • chmorinchmorin Member Posts: 1,446 ■■■■■□□□□□
    I plan on getting an MCITP this summer in network infrastructure, hopefully it will touch on it a little. I'll be sure to let you know once I start to study!
    Currently Pursuing
    WGU (BS in IT Network Administration) - 52%| CCIE:Voice Written - 0% (0/200 Hours)
    mikej412 wrote:
    Cisco Networking isn't just a job, it's a Lifestyle.
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  • pitviperpitviper Member Posts: 1,376 ■■■■■■■□□□
    mikej412 wrote: »

    I did go out of my way to do the exam to earn the IP Telephony Design Specialist Certification -- and that's actually the certification that seems to get the most attention. But I'd guess my CCVP and the lack of available Voice CCIEs has something to do with it too.

    Hmmm, you make a nice point here. CCDA is a pre-req for the IP Telephony Design specialization no? I plan on taking the DA @ some point - I have all the material, but have only been using it on and off as a laxative :) May have to look into this a bit.
    CCNP:Collaboration, CCNP:R&S, CCNA:S, CCNA:V, CCNA, CCENT
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  • FlyingputFlyingput Member Posts: 114 ■■■□□□□□□□
    pitviper wrote: »
    Hmmm, you make a nice point here. CCDA is a pre-req for the IP Telephony Design specialization no? I plan on taking the DA @ some point - I have all the material, but have only been using it on and off as a laxative :) May have to look into this a bit.

    Sorry for being late to the thread. Could you share your material list for CCDA?


    Thanks a lot in advance!
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  • pitviperpitviper Member Posts: 1,376 ■■■■■■■□□□
    I picked up the cisco press self study guide (Diane Teare), quick reference sheets, and the CBT Nuggets - pretty much the usual recipe :). The delivery is fine (book is quite good) I just find the material a little dry.
    CCNP:Collaboration, CCNP:R&S, CCNA:S, CCNA:V, CCNA, CCENT
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  • chmorinchmorin Member Posts: 1,446 ■■■■■□□□□□
    pitviper wrote: »
    I picked up the cisco press self study guide (Diane Teare), quick reference sheets, and the CBT Nuggets - pretty much the usual recipe :). The delivery is fine (book is quite good) I just find the material a little dry.

    Hmm that kind of stinks. I am taking my IIUC exam on Thursday and I greatly enjoyed the material in that. So much to the point I might get the IP Communications Express Specialist certification while taking classes at WGU.
    Currently Pursuing
    WGU (BS in IT Network Administration) - 52%| CCIE:Voice Written - 0% (0/200 Hours)
    mikej412 wrote:
    Cisco Networking isn't just a job, it's a Lifestyle.
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  • FlyingputFlyingput Member Posts: 114 ■■■□□□□□□□
    pitviper wrote: »
    I picked up the cisco press self study guide (Diane Teare), quick reference sheets, and the CBT Nuggets - pretty much the usual recipe :). The delivery is fine (book is quite good) I just find the material a little dry.

    LOL, that IS the standard recipe! I am quite happy to know CBT Nuggets has a video on CCDA as I usually start from here to warm-up.
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  • brocbroc Member Posts: 167
    pitviper wrote: »
    ... I just find the material a little dry.

    To say the least... I used the Self Study Guide and that wasn't the most enjoyable read!

    I passed (only just...) the CCDA this morning and I second guessed myself on 60% of the questions, maybe I wasn't prepared enough but I think many of the questions are quite ambiguous.
    "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”
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  • chmorinchmorin Member Posts: 1,446 ■■■■■□□□□□
    broc wrote: »
    I think many of the questions are quite ambiguous.

    It appears to look that way.

    Yeah I more of use the study guide as a reference during my studies than a word for word book. I get to bored of the information if I do it like that.
    Currently Pursuing
    WGU (BS in IT Network Administration) - 52%| CCIE:Voice Written - 0% (0/200 Hours)
    mikej412 wrote:
    Cisco Networking isn't just a job, it's a Lifestyle.
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  • laidbackfreaklaidbackfreak Member Posts: 991
    broc wrote: »
    I passed (only just...) the CCDA this morning

    congrats Broc :) and forget about it, a pass is a pass after all icon_smile.gif has anyone EVER been asked there scores ? lol
    if I say something that can be taken one of two ways and one of them offends, I usually mean the other one :-)
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  • brocbroc Member Posts: 167
    laidbackfreak wrote: »
    congrats Broc :) and forget about it, a pass is a pass after all icon_smile.gif has anyone EVER been asked there scores ? lol

    Thanks :)

    And yes I do agree, a pass is a pass. It's just that after passing many CCxP exams with fairly good scores, I was a bit disappointed to get so low with a CCxA!

    Back to studying for the IE written, this one I'll be happy with any score as long as it's a pass :)
    "Not everything that counts can be counted, and not everything that can be counted counts.”
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  • hypnotoadhypnotoad Banned Posts: 915
    Is there even any material available to study for the voice specialists?
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  • pitviperpitviper Member Posts: 1,376 ■■■■■■■□□□
    hypnotoad wrote: »
    Is there even any material available to study for the voice specialists?

    Channel partners seem to have access to training material for the specialization exams – Outside of that though, I haven't seen anything – official or 3rd party.
    CCNP:Collaboration, CCNP:R&S, CCNA:S, CCNA:V, CCNA, CCENT
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  • FlyingputFlyingput Member Posts: 114 ■■■□□□□□□□
    Go to eBay and buy those servers in VMware. Throw in 16GB and boom, CUCM pub+sub, Unity, UCCX, Presence, IP Communicators..... hmm, I still use real voice gateways. Is it better to simulate them from Packet Tracer or GNS3? :D
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  • chmorinchmorin Member Posts: 1,446 ■■■■■□□□□□
    I'm working on CIPCES and can't find any material in reguards to it either. I'm just trying to do each of the exam objectives over and over to practice. I assume I'll fail the first time, but then I'll know what I need to study. Haha!
    Currently Pursuing
    WGU (BS in IT Network Administration) - 52%| CCIE:Voice Written - 0% (0/200 Hours)
    mikej412 wrote:
    Cisco Networking isn't just a job, it's a Lifestyle.
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