Just passed my VCP5 today.
I would expect those with a stake in VMWARE would be pretty happy. Barriers to VCP are good business. Making a cert a bit more difficult increases the value, keeps salaries higher, keeps the training industry in business.. all good stuff.
I even understand the stated motivation. Keeping up with new technology.
However just digging a bit deeper I have to say this isn't standard across the industry. If you are an MCP with Microsoft Windows 2000 you keep that forever. It just becomes 'legacy'. By legacy we mean less relevant. They don't revoke the certification per se. Actually there is a natural timeout in VCP5. If you have a cert it goes 'out of date' a bit more with every update. There is a natural pressure to update.
The big market for VMWARE is the enterprise. Yet they are actually not the ones who upgrade first. Right now there are still businesses migrating to Windows 7 ( a 2009 OS) so Microsoft professionals with a Windows 7 cert are very relevant.
What would make sense is this;
1. When a new product comes out your cert becomes legacy after 12 months of release. On the website it shows that you passed the qualification but has the word 'legacy' beside it.
2. If you have any legacy cert you can certify with the 'new' version without taking a course. Just do the exam.
This would make it clear to employers and business the level of certification someone has, it would reward people for doing the certification and allow them to 're-certify' at the speed their business requirements allowed for,. VMWARE should not 'punish' people for staying with an older certification if their employers want to keep it for a while.
it would also help people who pay for their own cost of certification.
My personal experience was a 2 year journey to certification. I took the course but could not take the exam for 18 months for personal reasons. Life intervened with my profession. I even changed job roles twice.
So I think re-certification was a good idea but my personal viewpoint is that VMWARE should lighten up. If you pass a VCP5 then you have learned the material. You should be a VCP but when it becomes an old product just indicate that. Don't try to take away what someone has earned. It's like taking away a university degree because they don't re-take the exam every so often.
Just my thoughts.
Steve