VCP recertification deadline extended, VCP6 discount if you've already recertified

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VMware Training and Certification: VCP recertification deadline extended, VCP6 discount for those who've already recertified

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MentholMoose

Is the discount for anyone who renews by tomorrow? Or do you need to have already renewed by today? I've scheduled the VCP550D and plan to take it tomorrow even though I now have some breathing room thanks to this extension.

scott28tt

It's for "those who met the original deadline on time", including if you recertify on March 10th.

MentholMoose

Excellent, thanks for confirming. I'll still take the exam tomorrow to hopefully renew and also get the discount.

bertieb

I rushed to study and recertify last week (via the VCP550D) in between foreign trips for work.

This is good news for me as VMware DCV topics are not my primary focus in my current role but I still wish to maintain my certs (and experience) in this area to a certain level. I'm therefore very happy I can update to VCP6 for a reduced cost plus it means my boss is likely to fund the exam even though its not on his core hit list for me this year

jibbajabba

Amazing how many people complain on the blog about VMware's decision.

I get it - but I don't get why people wait until the actual day to renew

blargoe

I finally renewed yesterday (passed VCP550). My problem was that I simply don't have the time to pursue exam studies these days, I'm stretched too thin at work and at home. I finally had to just set a date, and as the date approached and I didn't get much time to study the preceding week, I ended up just taking off the exam day to cram the VMware blueprint and PDF guides on the new 5.5 material that I haven't worked with yet. Not my style, I don't like doing things that way, but I didn't want to lose the cert that I had invested so much in.

Then I got the email about 30 minutes later that the deadline had been extended. Really? Really? I don't have a problem with the extension, but they coulda told a brother sooner. I don't see how they couldn't have known they were going to do that, like several weeks ago. Why wait until the night before the cutoff to announce?

scott28tt

blargoe wrote: »

. Why wait until the night before the cutoff to announce?

Because it became clear that there were partners in danger of losing their status, plus there was a website problem that meant nobody who left it til the last weekend could actually authorise to be able to take the exam...

jonny72

I'm sure I'm not the only person who managed to recertify in time, despite the considerable inconvenience it caused. Not sure the reasons they've given (their incompetence running a website and their partners incompetence at getting their engineers certified in time) are justification for the change in policy and the lateness of the decision is totally unacceptable. The compensation they've offered, being able to pay them to take another exam which hasn't been released yet at a discounted rate (provided it's within a short time frame) just rubs salt in to the wounds.

Though it does give me another entry on my why VMware sucks list. Go Hyper-V!!!!

scott28tt

They've been transparent in the reasons, whether you agree/like them or not.

Offering the 65% off to those who did meet the original deadline was the right thing to do - making no such gesture would have been a lot more salt in a lot more wounds...

Hyper-V is a better solution for your customers because of this is it? OK, if you think so...

jonny72

Depends on how you look at their reasons, I see it as their web developers screwing up and their partners not being competent enough to get their engineers certified despite having 12 months notice. I'd call those poor reasons myself.

They could have given a larger discount or a free exam, I doubt the discount they're giving is going to cost them a single penny. And the right thing for them to do would have been to stick to the original deadline rather than having a last second panic and realising they'd messed up.

The upshot of all of this is that VMware are going to have a lot more engineers certified in their products than they would have done otherwise and a nice chunk of extra income on top.

Whilst I'm a big fan of Hyper-V I always take an objective view when deploying any solutions and whilst my list is growing ever longer I'd still go with VMware if it were the right choice. From experience it's normally the VMware fanatics that have the blinkered view, a worrying number discount Hyper-V without giving it a second glance.

Deathmage

This news is great. Doesn't make VMware any less great. Death to Hyper-V!

jibbajabba

I think this is what most people upset on the original VMware blog

There seem to be a distingt dicsonnection between product and certification team.

Don't get me wrong - I never leave things to the last minute so I am sorted - just saying

I love how many people say "Screw you VMware, I go with Hyper-V" - these guys clearly don't work in an Enterprise where VMware has been properly implemented in production - no company "just" changes vendors based on some certification problem. That is clearly just frustration speaking and I am sure the dust settles eventually.

I am really just interested when the exam is being released. The fact that you got an August deadline to use the voucher but no indication as to when the exam is being released - is a bit ... rubbish

scott28tt

jonny72 wrote: »

They could have given a larger discount or a free exam, I doubt the discount they're giving is going to cost them a single penny. And the right thing for them to do would have been to stick to the original deadline rather than having a last second panic and realising they'd messed up..

I don't recall there ever being such a large discount for a VCP exam.

Actually, the discount costs them a lot of money, PearsonVUE are still paid in full.

Sticking to the original deadline would have upset many more than are annoyed right now.

I don't buy the "extra income" argument - so many people now never have to take training again, plus many of the folks who would update to VCP6 early will now get a discount to do so.

scott28tt

jibbajabba wrote: »

I am really just interested when the exam is being released. The fact that you got an August deadline to use the voucher but no indication as to when the exam is being released - is a bit ... rubbish

From what I've heard, we won't have to wait long to find out...

jonny72

jibbajabba wrote: »

I love how many people say "Screw you VMware, I go with Hyper-V" - these guys clearly don't work in an Enterprise where VMware has been properly implemented in production - no company "just" changes vendors based on some certification problem. That is clearly just frustration speaking and I am sure the dust settles eventually.

We don't all work in large enterprise environments. If you work on a smaller infrastructure, say up to 6 hosts, then it is a lot easier to switch from one to the other, costs are often a deciding factor and it can just come down to personal preference. Totally different metrics compared to a large enterprise.

To be honest, I'm gonna be more annoyed than most people due to the substantial inconvenience passing the VCP5 in time caused me. There's nothing VMware could do to change that, I wouldn't even take them up on a free VCP6 exam - I don't have the time to study for it as Azure and System Centre are my priority for the next 6-12 months for a rollout at work. I'll hardly touch VMware products again until I need to recertify with VCP6 in 18 months time.