In this episode of the Virtually Speaking Podcast, hosts Pete Flecha and John Nicholson talk with Drew Nielsen from Broadcom about the major changes to VMware’s certification program following the Broadcom acquisition.

Drew breaks down how VMware has streamlined certifications from five tracks into three clear, role-specific paths for:

🔹 Implementers & Admins

🔹 Architects

🔹 Support Professionals

Key updates include:

✔️ Standardized exam pricing at $250

✔️ No required training before taking exams

✔️ Alignment of internal and customer training content for consistency

John also shares his past frustrations with the certification process—especially the high cost barrier for early-career professionals—and how this new model helps democratize access to VMware certifications.

The conversation highlights how the new program keeps content current with product releases, and Drew announces the launch of five new VCP exams at VMware Explore 2025, focused on VMware Cloud Foundation (VCF) and VMware vSphere Foundation (VVF). With over 500 registrations at the event—five times higher than last year—the excitement is clear.

👉 Tune in to learn how VMware certifications are evolving to be more accessible, relevant, and impactful.

#VMwareExplore #VCF #VMwareCertification #Broadcom #VirtuallySpeakingPodcast