12/19/2012 -- Dec. 31 is the deadline for the "Certified for Life" candidates needing continuing-education credits to enroll. This applies to those who were certified in A+, Network+, or Security+ in 2010 or earlier and it offers a way for them to show that their skills are current (in compliance with Department of Defense 8570 IA directive and others). There are three years to actually obtain the education, but those not enrolled by Dec. 31 will be prevented from so doing. Once that enrollment period has closed, the only way to keep the certification current is to retake the latest version of the exam(s).

Those who took the exams and became certified in 2011 and later are automatically enrolled in the continuing-education program and need do nothing else. More information about the program can be found here.

CDIA+ Beta Testers Still Needed
CompTIA is still looking for a total of 400 qualified candidates to take the CDIA+ (Certified Document Imaging Architect) exam and has extended the testing period until Jan. 12. As of the last release, approximately half of the number needed had taken the exam (CD1-001). If you're interested, e-mail for a list of the objectives and then sign up using the code CDIAENG. 

More information can be found here.

Microsoft Launches New MTA Site
On Dec. 12, Microsoft launched its new Microsoft Technology Associate (MTA) certification into the commercial market. Previously, the program existed only in the academic market. It "provides essential technology training, confidence and an industry recognized certification to those just starting a career in IT -- or for business professionals who want to enhance their career by adding a technology skillset." A good analogy is to think of it as a substitute for the Strata certifications from CompTIA.

Three technology tracks are available: IT cloud in IT Infrastructure, Database and Software Development. More information can be found here.