Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP)

I see there are a lot of materials in my office now to learn about Voice-Over-IP solutions. In addition, my first task now is to help a team that develops Advanced Technology Demo Units Voice and Unified Communications plus Cisco IP Interoperability and Collaboration System (IPICS). Besides, one of my team just finished her Bachelor's Thesis about IP Telephony and Cisco Unified Communications Manager (CallManager), maybe she can explain or teach me something regarding to IP Telephony.

Then, my friend told me that maybe I should take CCVP rather than CCNP since the condition and environment of my office can support me in pursuing CCVP.

The CCVP (Cisco Certified Voice Professional) validates a network professional's ability to implement and operate Cisco Unified Communications solutions in single site and multi-site deployments. Individuals who hold a CCVP certification can help create an IP telephony solution that is transparent, scalable, and manageable. The CCVP curriculum focuses on Cisco Unified CallManager, voice gateways and gatekeepers, switches, Unified IP Phones, and skills to secure the voice communications and ensure voice quality of service. Candidates must pass five secure, proctored certification-quality exams to become a Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP). The prerequisite for the Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP) is CCNA. As voice technologies continue to grow in importance Cisco helps you keep pace with a rapidly changing world.

The CCVP provides network professionals with the knowledge, skills, and credentials necessary to design and implement end-to-end Cisco IP Telephony solutions. The certification content focuses on Cisco Call Manager, QoS, gateways, gatekeepers, IP phones, voice applications and utilities on Cisco routers and Catalyst switches..

Required Exam(s)	Recommended Training
642-642 QoS	Quality of Service (QoS)
642-432 CVOICE	Cisco Voice over IP (CVOICE) AND Cisco Voice over IP Fundamentals (CVF)
642-426 TUC	Troubleshooting Cisco Unified Communications Systems (TUC)
642-444 CIPT 4.1 OR 642-445 CIPT 5.0	Cisco IP Telephony Part 1 (CIPT1 4.1) AND Cisco IP Telephony Part 2 (CIPT2 4.1) OR Cisco IP Telephony Part 1 (CIPT1 5.0) AND Cisco IP Telephony Part 2 (CIPT2 5.0)
642-453 GWGK	Implementing Cisco Voice Gateways and Gatekeepers (GWGK)

So the steps that I should take are Cisco Voice Fundamentals, a 6-hour e-learning course to establish a strong foundation in VoIP and PSTN fundamentals, then CVOICE, followed by CIPT1, GWGK, or QoS in any order. CIPT2 should be completed only after completing CIPT1.

The final course in the series, IP Telephony Troubleshooting is best taken after having completed the other CCVP courses in the curriculum. Those will help me better understand how to install, configure and deploy the various voice products and technologies tested in the CCVP exams.

From the information that I got, there will be 5 exams to pass:

• CVOICE is the foundation for it all (the most useful exam)
• QoS is not much based on anything; but you need to have some background so it is better after CVOICE (the most interesting one)
• GWGK is CVOICE2 (the hardest to master)
• TUC has some parts built on CIPT knowledge (the easiest to do)
• CIPT is a lot better after GWGK (the most boring)

I will think about CCVP and CCNP, which one should I choose for now...