Microsoft Partners Program - Course & Test

[mel]

Has anyone done these yet? The reason I ask is I probably don't fit the "IT professional" catagory that the program is aimed at (in fact I DON'T by any stretch) but it's always been a nice way for dirt cheap corporate software, however this changes things slightly as I'm bound to fail as I don't know an HCAP IP CONFIG port widget from a PCAP HDOS WIN widget.

[TheGriffalo]

They are easy enough. Read the bible according to Microsoft, answer questions on the material you just read ten minutes previously. The "course" is far more sales based than technical

[rich1231]

I renewed before i had to take any tests.

They just look like noddy multi choices.

Just get someone you know to do the test for you...

[TonyToniTone]

The tests are very very easy, nearly all the answers are in the pre-amble before the test..

I would advise taking the web one's as they send you a copy of visual studio 2008..

[BaconBonce]

TonyToniTone said:

The tests are very very easy, nearly all the answers are in the pre-amble before the test..

I would advise taking the web one's as they send you a copy of visual studio 2008..

Has anyone received the Visual Studio pack yet?

Still waiting for mine even though I've had confirmation that I should be getting one (after passing the test)

Edited by BaconBonce on Monday 4th February 15:12

[dilbert]

TonyToniTone said:

The tests are very very easy, nearly all the answers are in the pre-amble before the test..

I would advise taking the web one's as they send you a copy of visual studio 2008..

Is that the Beta? You can get the beta anyhow! Not sure theyve made it beyond that anyway. Using the beta at the moment, and waiting to buy the release. Can't actually get a copy of the release, I think.

Edited by dilbert on Monday 4th February 15:16

[TonyToniTone]

BaconBonce said:

Has anyone received the Visual Studio pack yet?

Not received confimation or mine yet.. think it can take upto 2 months to get it, details are on here somewhere

https://members.microsoft.com/communities/partner/...

______________________________________
EDIT No its not the beta - 2008 Standard

Edited by TonyToniTone on Monday 4th February 15:24

[plasticpig]

BaconBonce said:

TonyToniTone said:

The tests are very very easy, nearly all the answers are in the pre-amble before the test..

I would advise taking the web one's as they send you a copy of visual studio 2008..

Has anyone received the Visual Studio pack yet?

Still waiting for mine even though I've had confirmation that I should be getting one (after passing the test)

Edited by BaconBonce on Monday 4th February 15:12

Microsoft are moveing to online distribution in the very near future so it will be a download.

[TonyToniTone]

plasticpig said:

Microsoft are moveing to online distribution in the very near future so it will be a download.

Cant see it being any time soon as its only been recently discussed on the partner site..

[plasticpig]

TonyToniTone said:

plasticpig said:

Microsoft are moveing to online distribution in the very near future so it will be a download.

Cant see it being any time soon as its only been recently discussed on the partner site..

Pretty sure it was from April. There was a note included in the last software distribution for Certified Partners. I guess it may be diffrent for registered members.

[Simon.]

You could of course opt for the Technet Plus solution instead, this doesn't require any tests of any sort (currently) and gives you a whole host of MS software.

[dilbert]

TonyToniTone said:

BaconBonce said:

Has anyone received the Visual Studio pack yet?

Not received confimation or mine yet.. think it can take upto 2 months to get it, details are on here somewhere

https://members.microsoft.com/communities/partner/...

______________________________________
EDIT No its not the beta - 2008 Standard

Edited by TonyToniTone on Monday 4th February 15:24

Yeah... I wanted Pro too! (I have a feeling that standard will not compile a 64bit binary, although it might have been the exprs/std boundary)

The main thing though, I shall be very peaved if I'm left without a convenient way to debug session 0, on Vista, when my eval key runs out!!!

Edited by dilbert on Monday 4th February 16:46

[Ail Puant]

mel said:

Has anyone done these yet? The reason I ask is I probably don't fit the "IT professional" catagory that the program is aimed at (in fact I DON'T by any stretch) but it's always been a nice way for dirt cheap corporate software, however this changes things slightly as I'm bound to fail as I don't know an HCAP IP CONFIG port widget from a PCAP HDOS WIN widget.

Come on Mel, you just want to be a geek like Ian

[TonyToniTone]

plasticpig said:

Pretty sure it was from April. There was a note included in the last software distribution for Certified Partners. I guess it may be diffrent for registered members.

It was suggested that bandwidth in parts of EMEA can be slow\expensive so it will probably be an opt in\out also Certified Partners cant get maps and should have a decent connection to download technet.

[.Flyer]

I got my 'Web Solutions Toolkit' in the post 2 weeks ago. Well worth it, Visual Studio 2008 Standard (RTM) plus Expression Studio .. £600 worth of software.

The assessments are really, really easy

[BaconBonce]

.Flyer said:

I got my 'Web Solutions Toolkit' in the post 2 weeks ago. Well worth it, Visual Studio 2008 Standard (RTM) plus Expression Studio .. £600 worth of software.

The assessments are really, really easy

Did you get it separately to the quarterly update pack?

I received my January pack a couple of weeks ago, but the web solutions kit wasn't included - I completed the test successfully back before Christmas

[.Flyer]

BaconBonce said:

Did you get it separately to the quarterly update pack?

I received my January pack a couple of weeks ago, but the web solutions kit wasn't included - I completed the test successfully back before Christmas

Yep, it came separately. I applied for it as soon as it was announced; late summer perhaps? Also got the Small Business Specialist toolkit (separately), so maybe that had some bearing on early delivery? Expression studio is very cool

[BaconBonce]

.Flyer said:

Yep, it came separately. I applied for it as soon as it was announced; late summer perhaps? Also got the Small Business Specialist toolkit (separately), so maybe that had some bearing on early delivery? Expression studio is very cool

Nice one, I'll hang on another couple of weeks before dropping them an email

It's the Expression studio I want to get my hands on

[plasticpig]

TonyToniTone said:

plasticpig said:

Pretty sure it was from April. There was a note included in the last software distribution for Certified Partners. I guess it may be diffrent for registered members.

It was suggested that bandwidth in parts of EMEA can be slow\expensive so it will probably be an opt in\out also Certified Partners cant get maps and should have a decent connection to download technet.

Certifed Partners ger rather more software than MAPS https://partner.microsoft.com/UK/program/programov... as for decent connection we are limited to 1mb ADSL due to location.

[TonyToniTone]

plasticpig said:

decent connection we are limited to 1mb ADSL due to location.

I think they are making assumption that certified = bigger company?

Certified pack is much better working on getting to get the softgrid package.. shame you dont get System Center Configuration Manager