10/29/2008 -- The IEEE Computer Society's two software development certifications are the first to be backed by the newly released ISO/IEC 24773 standard. According to Margo McCall of the IEEE Computer Society, "The new standard is significant because it allows for certification portability between organizations and countries -- critical in today's increasingly globalized software industry."

With globalization being such a dominant market force these days, part of the Computer Society's efforts are to elevate software engineering to a more differentiatable discipline. The Certified Software Development Associate (CDSA) and Certified Software Development Professional (CSDP) certifications help employers gauge a candidate's abilities in this era of outsourcing.

The CSDP certification, which has been around since 2002, is intended for mid-career software development practitioners. The CSDA certification came out this year and is intended for entry-level software development practitioners.

Microsoft 70-113 Registration Extended
Registration for the new virtual lab exam (70-113) has been extended until Dec. 17. The "Windows Server 2008 Active Directory, Configuring" exam tests candidate's abilities to actually perform tasks and solve problems in a virtual lab environment, like they would do it normally in the real world," according to the release information.

The pilot exam will be at available for free through Prometric testing centers worldwide. Being a pilot exam, as opposed to a beta, the information gathered will be used for scoring and not for determining individual pass/fail results. You'll need to retake the exam once it goes live in order to obtain the certification. More information on the exam can be found here.

Book of the Week: 'Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Part 2'
Don't discount Chris Olsen's Implementing Cisco Unified Communications Manager, Part 2 as a sequel; this contains everything you need to pass the CIPT2 exam (642-456). This book does a great job of taking complex topics and making them understandable with graphics, tables and the usual assortment of self-study guide tools.

Unified communications is an area where increasing competition is forcing each vendor to hone what they offer. Cisco's current offering is centered around release 6.0 of CallManager. In addition to needing to know all you can about that product, you also need a thorough knowledge of the key protocols: H.323 and MGCP (Media Gateway Control Protocol). This book provides ample coverage of those topics from an exam perspective as well as day-to-day management.