As announced last year, Microsoft Learning has developed a new generation of senior-level certifications to address the evolving needs of IT developers and professionals. The new certification program, Microsoft Certified Architect (MCA), officially goes live today.

In beta testing for over a year, Microsoft Certified Architect is a rigorous, peer-review board certification that recognizes the technical and business expertise of experienced IT professionals. It provides an opportunity to have their breadth of knowledge verified, offering additional credibility that is recognized by peers, hiring managers and company executives.

“Microsoft Certified Architect is a misnomer, because people think it’s only about Microsoft technology,” says Jim Wilt, chief software architect for Metrics Reporting, who earned a Solutions Architect credential early in the beta phase of the program and has participated on four review boards. “One of the things I like about the process is that it’s completely technology vendor–agnostic. You have to have a breadth of knowledge and understanding of a variety of technologies, as well as a depth of knowledge in several technologies.”