Posted on 01/19/2017 9:26:02 PM PST by dayglored
They'll go in mid-2018. Does that support the 'too insecure for business' message?
In the same week that Microsoft's German tentacle declared Windows 7 a security horror that no business in its right mind would continue to use, the company's also announced it will axe some certification exams for the operating system.
Microsoft's educators have announced that certs for Windows 7 configuration, plus the the Enterprise Desktop Support Technician and Enterprise Desktop Administrator qualifications, won't be needed after July 31st 2018.
That Redmond is keeping the exams going suggests it has customers a-plenty that will need certified staff. And seeing as Microsoft's MCSE holders are required to recertify every three years, and its MCSD has a two-year refresh, those who take the exams in the first half of 2018 will hold a certification past the January 14, 2020 date on which Windows 7 users are left without even security updates.
Giving users 18 months warning of exam termination, and doing so on a timeline that ensures users will have certified staff beyond end of support doesn't exactly chime with Microsoft Germany's “migrate now if you want to live” suggestion. It does, however, fit in with Microsoft's long-established pattern of behaviours aimed at promoting Windows 10 adoption.
Microsoft's also retired exams for SharePoint 2013 and Dynamics 2012, with the latter scoring less than six months warning ahead of its July 2017 evaporation. As did an exam titled “Virtualizing Enterprise Desktops and Apps”. The latter's an App-V and Windows Server 2012-centric exam.
[...more at the article link...]
You vill use vat ve tell you to use! Ja!
We just went from XP Pro to Win7 Enterprise last year!
Bump for reference.
For all my bitching about M$, this is really not something that I can blame them for. They stopped all sales of Win7 (including legal licenses for OEM PC’s) last October.
They have already stopped mainstream support for Win7 and will no longer publish even security patches as of January 2020.
As for complaints about end of support date...frankly, they’re not making any revenue for Win7 any longer and I can fully understand wanting to keep costs for support to a reasonable level. Even Linux distros have end of support dates established.
Bottom line is that if they aren’t supporting a piece of software, why bother with certifications for that software. (”Gee, M$ are ogres because they no longer will certify me on Windows 3.0”)
This doesn’t mean that I am suddenly an apologist for the crap that M$ releases, like the spyware they are forcing on the public (a/k/a Win10 with it’s “telemetry”), but this is not something to complain about.
No matter how many times you paper it over it’s fundamental flaws remain.
Same here.
What I really wish is that they’d pull the Windows 8 certifications.
Honestly though, as an MCT, I haven’t taught a Windows 7 or Windows 8 certification class for the last few years. Complete lack of demand. I teach mostly Online Classes now, and the lack of demand is at least nation-wide.
Microsoft Learning statistics show virtually no one is taking the exams for these systems.
MSFT knows their goal of “Windows as a Service,” (charging for updates and maybe even usage) will never be successful as long as there is a significant percentage of the population not using Win 10.
MSFT’s begging and pleading has just begun. I’m seeing more and more folks writing about dumping MSFT altogether for Apple or Linux.
It was Windows 8 that drove me to change. My normal laptop is now a Macbook Pro, while my desktop has Windows 7. The old desktop, which I really don’t use, but has little market value, uses Windows 10. I thought it would be good to experiment with it on there to see how I liked it.
If they go to a subscription model, I’m finished with MS. I had to jump through secret hoops to get Adobe Lightroom in a stand-alone version instead of the subscription cloud version. If they quit supporting that, I’ll go back to the less elaborate but free Canon software for picture processing.
I upgraded from Win XP to Win 7 about a year ago. Nothing wrong with XP, I just decided to get to the last Win version before MSFT fell off the cliff with Win 8 and following.
Updates are turn off and I’m very happy.
I really like Windows 7... I don’t ‘get’ the problem with it...
You, me, and a lot of other Windows users.
If it ain't broke, why "fix" it...
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.