If you search at this point for the recording of this webcast you will discover that is pretty hard to locate it. To make things easier for you here's the link: MCP Live Meeting: SQL Server 2008 and Your Microsoft Certifications The source of the link is Trika's blog, one of the blogs that should be on your RSS Reader if you are serious about MS certs.

Watching the webcasts I found some interesting things such as:

  • Number of certified people per certification:
    • MCDBA – 149,590
    • MCTS: SQL Server 2005 – 24,939 (We have over 10 MCTS on our forum Cool )
    • MCITP: Database Administrator – 4,006
    • MCITP: Database Developer – 1,596
    • MCTS: Business Intelligence - 801
    • MCITP: Business Intelligence Developer - 364 (Why this number?)
    • MCA: Database – 10
  • SQL Server 2008 RTM is annouced for the 3rd quarter of calendar year 2008 and SQL Server 2008 will follow the RTM.
  • The certs have the same format as the certs in SQL Server 2005:
    • Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS):
      • 70-432: TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Implementation and Maintenance
        • Description: the SQL Server 2008 counterpart to 70-431 on SQL Server 2005 (dba part)
        • Objectives: Installing and Configuring, Maintaining SQL Instances, Managing Security, Maintaining a database, Data Management Tasks, Monitoring and Troubleshooting, Optimizing, Implementing High Availability
        • Exam availability – estimated for August 2008  
      • 70-433: TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Database Development
        • Description: the SQL Server 2008 counterpart to 70-431 on SQL Server 2005 (dev part)
        • Objectives:
        • Exam availability – estimated for September 2008  
      • 70-448: TS: Microsoft SQL Server 2008, Business Intelligence Development and Maintenance
        • Description: the SQL 2008 counterpart to 70-445 on SQL 2005
        • Objectives: Configuring, Deploying, Maintaining and Implementing SSIS SSRS SSAS
        • Exam availability – estimated August 2008
    • Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)
  • MCDBA exams are planned to be retired in 2009
  • There will be upgrade paths from MCTS 2005 to MCTS 2008