Are there non-vendor specific certifications for VoIP?

Are there non-vendor specific certifications for VoIP?

I have about five years experience with maintaining a Nortel PBX. I also have my MCSE, A+, and CWNA wireless certifications. I would like to transition my career into VoIP but without taking the CCNA or the Nortel-specific courses. Are there any other certs I can get that will give me the VoIP background/knowledge I need without being vendor specific but still worthwhile in the marketplace? Or is the Cisco route the only way to go?

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Dear Sir or Madam:

Cisco is probably the most recognizable and may also be the most marketable path to VoIP certification. But if you read over my January VoIP Certification Credentials overview you'll see CCNT, CTP, and Convergence+ all offer vendor-neutral starting points for VoIP, and there very well may be more VoIP certificate programs now, in addition to the one cited from the Illinois Institute of Technology.

Even then, however, these are all more or less entry level credentials that you'll want to supplement with something vendor-specific if you really want to climb that particular career ladder.

HTH, and thanks for posting.

--Ed--

This was first published in August 2007