VMware feels the ‘pinch’ and “invalidates” the VCP-NV as a “valid VCP Certification” #AsteriskGate

Wait, what what what?! Are you just trolling? What the hell is this post supposed to mean?!

Interesting point, I’ve gotten some (justifiably) upset emails from some people who had read one of my previous posts; The VCP-NV is your ticket to escaping the VCP “Class requirement” for VCP-DCV!

For those who haven’t read it, the gist is (or well, was) If you have a valid VCP credential you’re eligible to take ANY OTHER VCP Certification without being required to have the expensive (time and cost) classroom requirement.   That’s pretty awesome, especially for people who already had their CCNA/CCNP and were invested in the ‘family’ but didn’t want to pursue the classroom because your employer wouldn’t pay for it, or give you up for the time required to take the class (A common issue which plagues MANY)  Thus (until 28FEB2015) this was an awesome opportunity that VMware had left available for people to pursue!

Apparently this wasn’t an opportunity!

I mean, I haven’t seen VMware directly come out and SAY this but we’ll assume for the moment this was a ‘loophole’ or an opportunity they presented without realizing that OMG WE’RE CUTTING OFF ALL OF THIS CLASS REVENUE BY PEOPLE WHO CARE ABOUT THEIR ADVANCEMENT. Yea. Thanks VMware Education or whoever we have to thank for introducing THIS little gem. And just to give you a little context… I’ll quote some elements from the VCP-DCV Certification page…

BAM! Right there it says, if you have a valid VCP Certification* – You can just go on ahead, request authorization and take your exam! Bam, done! No problem!  This is very similar to what it was back in November, minus the *.

Scroll on down to the * section though, and lo and behold this beautiful little IN YOUR FACE NETWORK PEOPLE rears its ugly head.

I’m sorry, but WHAAAAATT???!

So, let me get this straight. I can take the VCP-DCV without requiring a Classroom requirement IF I have a valid VCP Certification, and I could have gotten my VCP-NV without a classroom requirement (until 28FEB2015) if I had an existing CCNA/CCNP, yet of all of the VCP’s available, the VCP-NV suddenly isn’t a “Valid Certification” ?  AM I BEING PUNKED?!?   I mean, let’s be honest here, this isn’t the first time that VMware Education has done something which is perceived and rightly so by the community to screw us over, so I doubt this will be the last time.

That said, I do apologize for those who (Post Asterisk) pursued their VCP-NV via the CCNA path (which was only available for a few months) and found themselves screwed by VMware here.  Having known several people who pursued their VCP-DCV through the Network Virtualization path, I know it to be a reality and for them I’m glad they got it before the ‘man’ has abruptly put us down.

It just goes to show, we can’t have nice things.