It is difficult not to have a great deal of sympathy for either a test candidate facing Microsoft Certification or taking on Microsoft’s Hyper-V understanding.

In the case of either type of person there is an astoundingly small amount of good documentation. This may be because virtualization is a relatively new topic, or it may be because it is a complex topic.

While there are no shortages of solutions for virtualization, only the basics remain the same among all the offerings. Hyper-V seems to be particularly daunting for several reasons.

The reality is VMware was first out the gate with virtualization software. It proved so cost-effective Intel changed the design of their CPUs to better accommodate virtualization.

Microsoft ‘caught on to’ this hot topic and released Hyper-V. In classic Microsoft fashion, version 1 was, let me put it kindly, sub optimal. That is diplomatic speak for saying: it sucked.

That was then, and this is now. Redmond has put in considerable effort in making Hyper-V a more than respectable powerhouse. And, for their next rope trick they’re going to make it ambiguous.

Hyper-V is a core component in every version of Windows 8. Given this, one does not have to be a rocket scientist to realize Hyper-V is going to be everywhere.

I’m only aware of trainsignal.com as a solution to providing an in-depth look at Hyper-V training in a video format.

MCT instructor Benjamin Culbertson lead you through almost a full day of instruction covering 13 lessons.

If you have been studying for Microsoft certifications and found the material is mute on “R2″ stuff, you need to look no further.

I’m happy to report the instructor is a very high-energy style that keeps you engaged.

The chatter about the Windows server 2008 R2 Active Directory exam (MCTS 70-640) reveals the classic Microsoft mentality. That would mean difficult questions across a wide variety of subtopics.

There is no shortage of thoughts about the classic chicken and egg dilemma regarding Microsoft certification. Microsoft exams are intended to weed out candidates that do not have practical experience. Employers have little taste for hiring when a person does not have MCTS 70-640. This creates quite a dichotomy.

It is also true that the teams which do the actual item writing on not allowed to talk to the other Microsoft employees that create the training material.

There is no shortage of material for preparing for this exam. What there seems to be an extreme shortage of is good/current material for this digital witch-hunt.

Is Microsoft’s position that the exam will test on the latest and greatest versions. How that works in reality is dependent on how fast item writers can create new questions and have been verified by the psychometrician.

I can say definitively that the exam covers R2 specific features. For example, the new commands like djoin.exe and AD Recycle Bin.

I first became an MCT in 1997. My experience tells me that brain dump sites are a waste of time money and energy.

In reviewing study materials to break the chicken and egg dilemma created by Microsoft. I was a little surprised and quite delighted to see http://trainsignal.com come up with the top of the list for suggested guidance.

I suspect the reason for this is the training is video-based. Most of us can absorb new material faster by seeing than reading.

Further, since the exam is based on the assumption of Active Directory servers being in separate physical locations, the magic of video is like instant teleportation. And certainly without the expense of setting up different physical servers.

According to a recent research survey, 44% of Enterprises are going to migrate to Exchange Server 2010 in the next few months. Also, professionals possessing Microsoft Exchange 2010 experience or certification can easily find employment with salaries of over $80,000 per year.

The newest Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 is not just a simple email platform. Rather, it is a full featured Unified Communication solution offering integrated enterprise telephony (VoIP), voice mail, security-enhanced email distribution, calendaring, conferencing, instant messaging and many more. This means that in order to tame the beast called Exchange Server 2010 you will need an excellent training course. And this applies to experienced I.T professionals as well.

Microsoft has introduced also a certification associated with Exchange 2010. It is called MCTS Exchange Server 2010, Configuration. To get this certification you need to pass exam number 70-662. So, the question that arises here is: Shall I get a training course which will teach me all the details of the Exchange 2010 platform or a training course to help me pass the 70-662 exam ? The answer to this is: “why don’t you get a single training course that will offer you both Exchange 2010 training plus 70-662 exam coverage”.

There are two training companies that offer such a course. These are CBT Nuggets and Trainsignal. These two companies are the two most trusted and successful in the area of computer based training (CBT). The video trainings produced by these two companies have helped thousands of certification candidates to pass their exams and also thousands of I.T professionals to master their chosen technology topic. A video training course is also an excellent option for students. It offers a combination of “teacher based” training which you can follow on your own pace and time without having to pay thousands of dollars to attend a training classroom.

In this article my intention is to give you a side-by-side comparison of the two training courses for Exchange 2010 offered by CBT Nuggets and Trainsignal. Remember also that both training packages will help you achieve two goals:

1. Get a high standard and solid training to learn the details of Exchange Server 2010 from two highly experienced teachers.
2. Cover the objectives and pass the 70-662 exam.

The table below illustrates the characteristics and features of the two courses:

From a first glance on the side-by-side comparison table above, you can easily observe that the TrainSignal package option offers a more comprehensive and in-depth training value. The key differences that make Trainsignal Exchange 2010 Training a better value for money are the 20 hours of training (compared to 7 hours with the CBT Nuggets course) and the free extra Transcender Practice Exam together with the 90-Days Total Experience Guarantee (something that is not available with the CBT Nuggets option). Of course the CBT Nuggets price is $299 compared to $397 of the Trainsignal package so its completely up to you to decide which company’s package to choose.

You can visit the two training companies below for getting more information if you want.

Trainsignal

CBT Nuggets

The newest Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 has been released a few months ago and enterprises are already upgrading from the older versions in mass scale. Microsoft holds almost 2/3 of the market share in email communication solutions and the Exchange Server 2010 is its flagship product and the cornerstone of Unified Communications for many companies.

The new Exchange 2010 version boasts ground breaking features such as PowerShell utilization as its main engine, Transport Protection Rules, Role Based Access Control, full unified communication support (text to speech, voice mail, instant messaging etc) and other advanced software communication features that make this product one of the most powerful enterprise tools.

If you are going to get involved with the maintenance and administration of Microsoft Exchange 2010 then you certainly need a good training for such a complex product. I.T administrators responsible for their Exchange Server must be ready and prepared to manage hundreds or thousands of users and their mailboxes, the security of the servers, the databases, the operating system etc. Getting a solid and proven Exchange 2010 training package is essential if you want to “survive” for such a demanding task.

There is also an Exchange Server 2010 relevant Exam, the 70-662 (Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Configuration) which counts as credit towards two Microsoft Certifications (the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist – MCTS and the Microsoft Certified IT Professional – MCITP certifications). Passing the 70-662 exam, you will be one step closer to a better career, to a better salary, and to a more stable IT position in your company.

Now, what if you could find a training package that will offer you two things:

1. Extensive in-depth training to teach you how to install, configure, maintain and troubleshoot the newest Microsoft Exchange 2010 Server with hands-on experience from a Certified Instructor.
2. Full coverage of 70-662 exam requirements with practice exam questions.

The combination of the above can be found in the Microsoft Exchange Server 2010 Training Package Here. Check it out because I believe it’s a great deal in terms of cost and the amount and quality of information that you will acquire. And the best part is that the training package above comes from one of the most trusted Computer Training companies, so you will be assured that you will get the best results.