11/10/2010 -- CompTIA, in conjunction with SNIA, is currently looking for subject matter experts to help craft a storage networking certification. The SMEs are needed from Jan. 31 to Feb. 4, and the proposed certification is intended to complement Network+, Server+ and Security+. The proposed name for the certification will be "CompTIA Storage+ Powered by SNIA" and more information can be found here.

Three Oracle Storage Exams Ending Beta
On Dec. 4, three storage exams from Oracle will end beta and are planned to go live within ten weeks after that. The three exams ending the beta phase are:

• StorageTek Tape Libraries (1Z1-546)
• Sun Storage 7000 Unified Storage Systems Essentials (1Z1-547)
• Sun Flash Storage Essentials (1Z1-552)

More information on Oracle beta exams can be found here.

Save 15 Percent On Project+ Certification
Until Dec. 31, CompTIA is offering a 15 percent discount on the Project+ certification (exam PK0-003) when you use the code PROJECTDAY. This single-exam certification consists of 100 questions on the basics of project management (think of it as a first step toward PMI certification) that must be answered in 90 minutes with a passing score of 710 (on a scale from 100 to 900).

More information on the certification and the promotion can be found here.

Technology Book of the Week
The SharePoint Shepherd's Guide for End Users: 2010 by Robert is not only an update to the 2007 book, but a pretty significant rewrite and expansion as well. In this edition, there are over 180 "Tasks" -- these are step-by-step walkthroughs of how to perform an operation, complete with screenshots. Each task begins with a Purpose (a paragraph or so detailing why you would want to do this) and Example ("A document workspace has been created in SharePoint, and you would like to sync local copies of the files with SharePoint Workspace", etc.).

Bogue is easily the most knowledgeable person on SharePoint outside of the actual developers. Not only does he contribute to SharePoint-related projects through Microsoft, but he is also a seven-time recipient of the Microsoft MVP award and has been involved in the Microsoft Patterns and Practices SharePoint Guidance (written for the developers) for every version. Combine this with his experience as an author of a number of certification titles over the years, and you end up with an impressive combination of the best author and the best book on SharePoint on the market.

Certification Book of the Week
Over twenty years ago, I took on a project that required me to travel over a thousand miles away and work for what was then projected to be three weeks for a lucrative sum of money. The moment I arrived at the IT center, it became apparent to me (thankfully, not to them) that I had been awarded this project with a belief that I knew more about a technology than I did. This was through no fault of my own -- they had simply misinterpreted a skill set and never explained to me fully what they were looking for out of fear that I might back out.

That first day, I made an excuse about needing to get checked into the long-term lodging and left early. My true destination was the nearest large bookstore where I attempted to max out a credit card buying every book that so much as even mentioned the technology in question, whether it had any meat to it or not.

The reason I bring this up is because Mike Harwood's CompTIA Network+ (N10-004) Cert Guide is the one book I would recommend buying when time is short, and you need to grasp as much as you can about network technology. I wish a similar offering would have existed when I needed it. At $59.99, you won't max out a credit card and you'll find ample coverage of every topic on the certification exam along with more than 300 practice questions.