Microsoft has launched Virtualization2, a program to educate VMware administrators on Hyper-V and the System Center suite of tools. In short, these arefree online training sessiosn on November 19th and 20th, that also comes with a voucher for their new Microsoft virtualization certification exam (74-409).
This comes in addition to their existing Microsoft Virtualization for VMware Professionals Jump Start training course.
I think this is a good idea, and if you are able to close your eyes to the hyperbole, and disregard things like “Microsoft Wants to Help VMware Experts “Future-Proof “ Their Career”, I applaud this initiative.
However, if the training content is based on Microsofts own (flawed) vSphere vs Hyper-V & System Center comparisons (see Calling Out the Phony War: vSphere & Hyper-V for a detailed analysis), the training offered has little to no value.
Vendor training is, and always will be, like Ed Grigson mentioned on Twitter, inherently biased by nature.
@h0bbel ...assuming that vendor training always has a bias (including VMware)
— Ed Grigson (@egrigson) October 29, 2013
In this case, the level of both hyperbole and bias is what defines the quality of the content presented. If Microsoft manages to focus on their own product, seen from the perspective of someone who has experience with VMware vSphere, without resorting to over-the-top bias towards Hyper-V, this will be a valuable resource for lots of people, myself included. If not, well, it will just be added to the list of flawed marketing tactics that really is of little to help anyone, Microsoft included.