Microsoft Windows 7 Exam Development Underway

With Windows 7 almost out on the market, the exams are currently under development while a beta version is available for download, too.

Now that we now Windows 7 is supposed to be released time later this year, Microsoft Learning is closing in on exam development for Windows 7, experts say. . Although, not much news has been disclosed on the topic, there is some preliminary information on three new MCTS certification-level exams for the new OS system that many are highly anticipating. All the information that is known so far is that there are three exams in development that are associated with the new operating system:

• 70-680, TS: Windows 7, Configuring
• 70-685, MCITP: Windows 7, Enterprise Desktop Support Technician
• 70-686, MCITP: Windows 7, Desktop Administrator.

Another fact that is known industry-wide is that Windows 7 has big changes that IT experts have complained about in the previous version, which is Vista. Windows 7 is actually going to be much faster, more reliable and makes it easier to do what you want-both the everyday things and the killer "is that really possible?" things. Basically, the new operating system from Microsoft was built around feedback from tons of experts in the industry, making the new changes easier to work with your PC on both everyday things and more advanced things IT professionals use.

For IT professionals, Windows 7 includes tons of key features and new capabilities that will make working with advanced options a whole lot easier. First there's application compatibility. When Vista appeared, it introduced architectural changes down to the kernel level that made the OS inherently more secure than Windows XP. However, this came at a cost; many applications needed modification to function properly in a Windows Vista environment. While at this point in the lifecycle of Windows Vista (post Service Pack 1) most applications are now compatible, deploying Windows Vista into the desktop environment early on required some "heavy lifting" and creative shimming-not to mention a few late nights. Windows 7 is actually built n the same basic architecture as Windows Vista, so most applications will retain their compatibility between these operating systems. This alone will make adopting Windows 7 much less challenging than migrating from Windows XP to Windows Vista.

Windows 7 also has better hardware compatibility and requirements than what Vista first had. The ne Microsoft OS was actually designed to perform well on the same hardware that runs Windows Vista well, while delivering additional performance and reliability improvements. The design team for Windows 7 had a specific focus on the fundamentals-as well as maintaining compatibility with existing applications and hardware. In operation, you will find that Windows 7 boots faster and has a smaller memory footprint than Windows Vista.

The new operating system also fits better together with Windows Server 2008 since they share a common base code, and are maintained with a single servicing model, which means updates security updates are shared across both client PCs and servers, simplifying the process of maintaining an up-to-date infrastructure. To better secure companies' sensitive information, Windows 7 includes BitLocker technology that was first seen in Windows Vista, which now provides full encryption of all boot volumes on a PC. The new OS also introduces BitLocker To Go, which offers data protection on portable storage, such as USB flash drives. In addition, BitLocker Drive Encryption and BitLocker To Go can be managed via Group Policy, placing more control over sensitive information in the hands of the professionals.

To help IT administrators better maintain a consistent environment and improve personal productivity, Windows 7 includes an updated graphical scripting editor, Windows PowerShell 2.0-a powerful, complete scripting language that supports branching, looping, functions, debugging, exception handling, and internationalization. It also provides rich tools to identify and resolve technical issues, often by the end users themselves. If a help desk call is unavoidable, Windows 7 includes several features and troubleshooting tools to help speed resolution within your company's network.

It professionals will enjoy the new ability to create, deploy, and manage images more efficiently with Windows 7since it includes several tools to streamline the creation and servicing of the deployment image, and to get users up and running as quickly as possible. With the beta release of Windows 7 now available, IT professionals are encouraged to download a version to your lab machine and begin testing the new applications and devices to get to know what's in it for you, so that you are familiar with its capabilities when the full version is finally released.

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