4/19/2007 -- This week, Microsoft Corp. released more details on the structure of its upcoming Office-related certification revamp.

In January, Certiport, the company that Microsoft works with to produce its Office-related certifications, said the program would undergo a revamp around specific skills and job roles. Until this announcement, however, the name of the program, its related certifications and the requirements for the title had not yet been publicly released.

Those details came in this week's annoucement. No longer known as Microsoft Office Certifications (MOS or, previously, MOUS), the program is now called the 2007 Microsoft Office system certifications. Within this, there are two titles: Microsoft Certified Application Specialist (MCAS) and the Microsoft Certified Application.

Within the Application Specialist credentials, candidates will still take one "live application" format exam that will test their hands-on skills with one of the following Microsoft 2007 Office products: Word, Excel, Outlook, PowerPoint and Access, as well as a new option to certify on the Windows Vista operating system.

However, the new Application Professional titles are designed for "experienced business professionals" to test their skills around a variety of job roles, including Managing Budgets, Supporting Organizations, Managing Presentations and Managing Team Collaboration. These exams will test skills in multiple programs, the company said on its Web site, as well as Vista.

"The Microsoft Certified Application Professional credential validates the wide range of skills it takes to work in a collaborative business environment," Lutz Ziob, general manager of Microsoft Learning, said in a released statement. "It recognizes the advanced skills experienced business professionals have gained and offers them a way to earn certifications that are recognized by their managers and peers."

None of the new Office certification exams are live yet; the Application Specialist titles are expected to go live by the "end of Q2," with the Application Specialist titles coming some time "in the third quarter."

Like the previous titles, the exams will be available through Certiport testing centers worldwide.

While the exams have yet to launch, free "system trial software" is available on Microsoft's site here, as well as objectives for each exam.

CertCities.com will bring you more on this story as information becomes available. -Becky Nagel