70-504 – Microsoft Certification Exam on Windows Worflow Foundation

This post now has sequel here on preparations for 70-504

Few months before in one quiet boring evening, I was checking my emails when I saw one from LionBridge; inviting me to be part of a team working on preparing new exam on Windows Workflow Foundation for Microsoft!…. moment I read the email, I knew boring moments have ended and following months are going to be fun, and trust me they were! I worked with few amazing guys at LionBridge, a company with an impressive profile, works on lots of different areas of computing, one of which is to provide certification exam material to companies like Microsoft. I wrote items for new exam, which were evaluated for Microsoft’s defined standards by LionBridge, this was followed by lots of discussion and eventual approval of them.

Having signed NDA with LionBridge, I cannot comment on anything related to exam, not even harmless details (like how many areas of Workflow Foundation will exam cover) which everyone one would know once exam get announced by Microsoft. Rather, I would like to talk about what I felt very strongly about Workflow Foundation (WF) during these last few months of exam preparation.

Unlike its cousins; WPF, WCF, you would have noticed WF didn’t get that big reception from industry yet nor does it create that “sensational” effect in your mind. Its not as sexy as WPF is, and it doesn’t have those buzzwords (communication, web service, etc.) in its pocket like WCF. Still I believe WF is going to change the way we program in much drastic manner, unlike WPF, WCF. I don’t mean to compare three .NET 3.0 technologies, the point I am trying to make is, WF is about how you can make your deep core logic behind applications ‘customizable!’, it gives you power to make such intelligent robust application that Business Analysts or even clients can customize to their needs. It helps you writing batch jobs, services, routine chores in better fashion, and also gives you power to expose your application via web service, or have them executed as desktop application. You can run your ASP.NET web application page-flow workflow on WF, and you can have core business intensive software, designed on WF with its ease of designing, power of customization and liberty of being exposed as web service, called as background service or simply kicked by a desktop program. WPF is only about user interface, WCF is about communication, but WF is going to be backbone of variety of software. THIS is the reason I believe slowly but with its immense power and suite of facilities, WF will penetrate into our industry and change the way we program! ….therefore, I would strongly recommend brushing up your WF skills, and be among the first 100s who would pass 70-504 – Microsoft’s yet-to-be-announced certification exam on Windows Workflow Foundation. Don’t miss chance of putting this jewel on your resume! [One question, that may be asked why was I selected by LionBridge for writing exam? I think this may be because of this blog and/or my articles on Workflow Foundation at CodeProject.com]

This post now has sequel here on preparations for 70-504