CompTIA creating VoIP certification

CompTIA creating VoIP certification

If your company is jumping into VoIP in a big way or seriously evaluating it, or if you're looking to add a new dimension to your career, you'd be interested to know that CompTIA is planning to introduce a VoIP skills certification.
Although the discussions are at the very early stages, CompTIA executives say the VoIP or convergence certification will be a "foundational," rather than entry-level certification, aimed at IT professionals with two to three years experience of installing network systems.


Unlimited life Microsoft MCTS Training, Microsoft MCITP Certification at certkingdom.com


"The certification will be complementary to our existing network certifications [Network+, Server+, and A+] and will most likely be a separate certification," says Brian McCarthy, COO at CompTIA. However, the certification likely won't be available for another 12 months, although training and education institutes will be able to put together coursework before then.

The idea for such a certification was first discussed in December after convergence technology OEMs, which CompTIA declined to name, asked CompTIA to identity training and skills levels for VoIP practitioners. Some 33 organizations from the manufacturing, distribution, systems integration and training sectors of the industry attended the first meeting. A second meeting is scheduled to take place this month, when participants will discuss certification prerequisites and the skills required to achieve such a designation.

McCarthy acknowledges creating a convergence certification is challenging because it's targeted at professionals from two different sides of the house: networking and telecoms. He says the key is to determine the skills level required to successfully install a VoIP network, find the common foundation experience of the two types of professionals, and figure out what the gaps are to include in the certification.

It typically takes CompTIA between nine and 12 months to get from the first meeting to launching a certification. During that time, objectives of the certification are posted, exams are created and beta tested. Because of the particularly challenging nature of creating a VoIP certification, McCarthy anticipates the process will take 12 months.

We will be following the progress of this certification and bring you details as they unfold. In the meantime, you can find out more about CompTIA's convergence interests at http://www.comptia.org/sections/convergence.aspx

Here is a press release of a CompTIA/IDC study that showed IT departments are playing a bigger role in running enterprise voice networks: http://www.comptia.org/pressroom/get_pr.aspx?prid=512

For specific info, you can contact Edward Migut, director of CompTIA's Convergence Group at CompTIA (630-678-8300 or mailto:emigut@comptia.org).

Read more about voip & convergence in Network World's VoIP & Convergence section.