One of the many things that my work requires is various IT certificates. In particular, they require Network+ for the job I am currently filling, and A+, Security+, and Linux+, for various other simulators at my work. So, I make an effort to keep my certifications current, and to have as many as possible, in the event that a position opens up to which I want to apply.
Now, there are a lot of certificates out there, and while I’m not intending to talk about them all here, I would mention that there are other great programs out there, other than CompTIA. For instance, I do hold an LPIC certification, as well as a SLES, and a LFCS. Two of the great things about CompTIA, however, is the fact that they are an industry standard, and that they have a pyramid hierarchy, which allows you to make current and hold numerous “lower” tier certifications by only taking the top level test.
It was a surprise to me to learn that they are retiring the Mobility+ certificate before the close of this year. Here is their take on why they should retire this certificate:
CompTIA Mobility+ certification will officially retire on December 15, 2017. The main reason for this retirement is that the job role for Mobility+ continues to merge into the Network Administrator role, and much of the Mobility+ content is covered in CompTIA A+, Network+ and Security+.
What surprised me, though, was that this is the only certification from CompTIA, and one of the few certifications in general, that covered cellular data and infrastructure.
Sure, A+ does cover a lot of hardware, but it doesn’t seem to cover cellular towers, WiMAX, or even Satellite components, which are a part of Mobility+. Here in Alaska, with many wild and untamed areas of the state, various forms of wireless communications are utilized to get internet connectivity into remote locations.
Granted, Network+ does cover the majority of TCP/IP protocol stack, but cellular devices typically use odd protocols to control the transmission and reception of the TCP/IP data. The radio portions of Mobility+ helped differentiate between the various types of frequency shifting, hopping, and cells that are an integral part of the mobile world.
Of course, Security+ covers most aspects of authentication, authorization, and accounting, but in a more general sense. While it does cover wireless access, it only focuses on the typical 2.4 and 5 MHz bands and associated equipment, not covering the special needs of cellular devices. When it comes to MDM (Mobile Device Management), Security+ treats it as a footnote in section 4, in which all of section 4 is covered by less than 15% of the test. In Mobility+, however, Mobile Device Management alone is 28% of the exam!
It would seem to me that any cellular or satellite internet provider would make Mobility+ a mandatory requirement. Places like Verizon, T-Mobile, or AT&T would all be encouraging their technical employees to certify in this field in order to maintain their network.
What does that mean? I certainly think that the Mobility+ certificate is one worth keeping, but apparently CompTIA believes otherwise. Since it does not make logical sense to me, I can only believe that either too few people are taking the test to make it worthy of updating, or CompTIA is not earning enough revenue from Mobility+ sales to warrant it’s continued operation.
It could be that cellular technologies will be rolled into A+, Net+ and Sec+, negating the need for Mobility+, but I just renewed my Network+ and Linux+ certifications, and didn’t see any cellular references on the exam. They say that CompTIA certifications are led by the industry, and not the other way around. In a world that is becoming increasingly more mobile, I just can’t see getting rid of Mobility+.
Linux – keep it simple.