The last Microsoft's attention to the software architect world (conference, articles etc.) seems to have a point of convergence: Microsoft has announced the creation of the Microsoft Certified Architect Program.
Seems that this program will be a high level certification and will be done in a new manner respect to the actual MS certifications:
- The architecture candidate process will consists of a written submission and board examinations.
- Only about a quarter of the emphasis of a candidate's knowledge will be on Microsoft-related architecture technologies; the rest will relate to general architecture principles and best practices that aren't Microsoft specific.
- The estimated completion of the program could take from six to 12 months.
For the moment this are only beta programs, but we'll see a new type of certification, more like a university course of study.