Windows 7 Exam Development Underway
With Windows 7 almost out, the exams are currently under development and IT professionals can currently download a beta version to check out the new features.
Now that we now Windows 7 is supposed to be released something within the next year, Microsoft Learning is closing in on exam development for the new version of Windows. Although, not much news has been disclosed on the topic, there is some preliminary information on three new MCTS certification exams for the upcoming OS system. What's known so far is that there are three exams in development that are associated with Windows 7:
- 70-680, TS: Windows 7, Configuring; 70-685
- MCITP: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician; and 70-686
- MCITP: Windows 7, Desktop Administrator.
Windows 7 includes significant changes that computer experts have complained about in previous version. Windows 7 is faster, more reliable and makes it easier to do what you want-both the everyday things and the killer "is that really possible?" things. Basically, the new OS was built around feedback from tons of experts in the industry, making the new changes easier to work with your PC.
For IT professionals, Windows 7 includes tons of key features and new capabilities. First there's application compatibility. When Vista appeared, it introduced architectural changes down to the kernel level that made the OS inherently more secure than Windows XP. However, this came at a cost; many applications needed modification to function properly in a Windows Vista environment. While at this point in the lifecycle of Windows Vista (post Service Pack 1) most applications are now compatible, deploying Windows Vista into the desktop environment early on required some "heavy lifting" and creative shimming-not to mention a few late nights. Windows 7 is actually built n the same basic architecture as Windows Vista, so most applications will retain their compatibility between these operating systems. This alone will make adopting Windows 7 much less challenging than migrating from Windows XP to Windows Vista.
The new OS also has better hardware compatibility and requirements than what Vista first had. Windows 7 was designed to perform well on the same hardware that runs Windows Vista well, while delivering additional performance and reliability improvements. The design team for Windows 7 had a specific focus on the fundamentals-as well as maintaining compatibility with existing applications and hardware. In operation, you will find that Windows 7 boots faster and has a smaller memory footprint than Windows Vista.
Windows 7 also fits better together with Windows Server 2008 since they share a common base code, and are maintained with a single servicing model, which means updates security updates are shared across both client PCs and servers, simplifying the process of maintaining an up-to-date infrastructure. To better secure companies' sensitive information, Windows 7 ncludes BitLocker technology, first implemented in Windows Vista, which now provides full encryption of all boot volumes on a PC; along with introducing BitLocker To Go that offers data protection on portable storage, such as USB flash drives. In addition, BitLocker Drive Encryption and BitLocker To Go can be managed via Group Policy, placing more control over sensitive information in the hands of the professionals.
To help IT network administrators better maintain a consistent environment and improve personal productivity, Windows 7 includes an updated graphical scripting editor, Windows PowerShell 2.0-a powerful, complete scripting language that supports branching, looping, functions, debugging, exception handling, and internationalization. It also provides rich tools to identify and resolve technical issues, often by the end users themselves. If a help desk call is unavoidable, Windows 7 includes several features and troubleshooting tools to help speed resolution within your company's network.
IT professionals will also be able to create, deploy, and manage images more efficiently since it includes several tools to streamline the creation and servicing of the deployment image, and to get users up and running as quickly as possible.
With the beta release of Windows 7 now available, you are encourage to download a version to your lab machine and begin testing your applications and devices to get to know what's in it for you a bit better.
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