CCVP was put on hold

Received a news from my manager that the company is pursuing partnership with Cisco and we are encouraged to take Cisco certs. And was also advised I could reimburse the exam fee (yehey!!!!) for all the exams I had taken since January of this year.

I was also advised that they would like to include me on the next batch of Engineers that will undergo CCIE track training! Wow!!!! What a blessing in deed! And by the way my friend Mar (cciepilot.wordpress.com) got a slot (congrats Mar!).

Imagine!? A CCIE track!!?

So I was advised that I need to take the CQS-ARSFE specialist cert after my CCNP. And thats why I set aside CCVP at the time being.

Then yesterday, I attended the Cisco Expo 2008, and saw where the market is moving! It was going to the “Unified Communications” and “Security” direction. As stated by Mr. John McCool, VP/General Manager, Data Center, Switching and Services Group, Cisco Systems, the main market drivers will be (1) Unified Communications; (2) Video; and (3) Web 2.0.

After this my heart remains torn between the unified com and security (but reality bites, you can’t have it all). So, I align again my plans to prepare for the CQS-ARSFE and still study the content of the CCVP track (study only). And still hope to get the CCVP and CCSP track next year, but for now, I have to study wisely.

Thanks to my wife and kids. For understanding the valuable time that my study had taken away from them.

-Back to PEC…

Cisco Second Chance Exam Promotion

Found this info from Jeremy Stretch website.

Vue is offering a free take two exam but the offer is time limited, here is the link:

“Register for an exam at full price. If you fail the exam, you may schedule a free retake of the same exam by entering the promotion code: SECONDCHANCE at the time of registration.

IMPORTANT NOTE: Both the full-price exam and free Second Chance retake must be scheduled and taken between April 15, 2008 and October 15, 2008, to qualify for this special promotion. Free exams may only be scheduled via the web. “

Reference: http://www.vue.com/cisco/secondchance/

Undocumented Cisco Commands

Found this site, through ccie-lounge. The list came from www.elemental.net.

Be careful though of using test crash.

Here is the “Undocumented Cisco Commands” link.

My CVOICE Mind Map – VoIP Basics

Here is my VoIP Basics Mind Map.

Download the PDF: CarlProject Study Mind Map – VoIP Basics

CCVP vs. CCSP – My Personal Choice

Completed my CCNP last 27 of May. Took the ISCW as the last exam to finish the track.

Now what’s next? I thought of getting CCIE (R/S) as my next certification goal to target to, but I counted the cost, its a great undertaking which will not only require a great deal of finances but of time and discipline.  Which I’m not capable at this time. So now I’m torn between CCVP and CCSP.

CCSP, a good start for me to break in to the information security community again. Which I would like to be part of, since a couple of years back, but was put on hold to pursue a career in Telecommunication (to support my family) here in Hong Kong (I was originally from the Philippines). But CCVP is also a very promising track to pursue, it offers great new technologies to learn and conquer. It also offers a niche of skill sets that could be more attractive in the market space, but I still want to pursue an Infosec certification.

So I carved out a plan to pursue CCVP and target to finish it by September (Wow! September!?, as if I have the time?) this year. And need to drag my self to study for the SSCP cert and purposely take the exam by December 14 (as to what its says in ISC2’s schedule for HK). So CCSP will be in 2009, whether I’m done with my SSCP or not.

Thanks for taking time to read and share your time…(I’m just sharing my hopes and plans).