Implementing Cisco IP Telephony and Video, Part 2 (CIPTV2) Foundation Learning Guide (CCNP Collaboration Exam 300-075 CIPTV2) (Foundation Learning Guides) 3rd Edition

Good book, helped me pass the test.

I'm not a stranger to Cisco Press self-study books and have heavily used self-study in my learning approach for various tests and certifications over the years. Alex Hannah and Akhil Behl do not disappoint and have successfully created the high quality resource that I expected. This book is simply the best self-study material available to prepare for the CIPTV2 300-075 exam.Much of the difficulty found within the 300-075 CIPTV2 exam can be explained by the large scope of material involved. It's difficult and time consuming to gain depth in all topics. The Cisco Press CIPTV2 self-study book does an outstanding job of rendering the information down into dense nuggets of information that allows the reader to consume knowledge as efficiently as reasonably possible. You won't find a lot of fluff, the information presented is done so for a reason. To get maximum benefit from the book, I recommend that you've either previously learned the CIPTV1 material (or the CCNP Voice certification) from the CCNP Collaboration blueprint.While this may seem subtle, the prolific use of the "Note" box is a personal favorite of mine and calls attention to and clarifies the most important concepts. Pay close attention to these boxes for important information that will likely be reflected in some manner on the official test. You'll also find tons of the requisite technical illustrations and diagrams as well. Logical flowcharts, examples of GUI screens and plenty of network diagrams are included throughout.From a purely selfish point of view, I needed to obtain the knowledge needed to pass the 300-075 exam for two reasons. Firstly, I need to update my knowledge beyond what was presented on the CCNP Voice certification. Secondly, I need to renew my certification and obtain the CCNP Collaboration certification. I believe that the book succeeds in providing the necessary framework that I needed to meet my goals. The material is logically presented, supported with visual aids where it makes sense and builds upon the CIPTV1 (and larger CCNP Voice) curriculum in a methodical manner. The online references are a tremendous resource if you desire additional reinforcement.Utilize the written chapters, verify with the test questions and go deeper with the online resources. This approach will guide you as you prepare to take the exam if you truly commit to learning the material, but more importantly, it will make you a better Cisco Collaboration professional. The necessary tools are provided so that you can be successful in your pursuit.My largest criticism of this product comes at the lack of a testing engine or any sample tests. While the chapters contain sample test questions, I personally find great benefit from the iteration and validation available in previous Cisco Press products that have included a testing engine. Overall, this is a small detractor in comparison to the tremendous value that this book provides!

So I bought this book for the purpose of preparing for the exam. The chapter topics got me REALLY excited, because the titles led me to believe that I was going to read about the material I would need to know to have a better understanding and "Prepare for the 300-075 Exam."But then I started reading the chapters.I know this is a text book, not a novel for pleasure reading. But this book was painful to read.It reminded me of having to write a book report, and trying to meet the minimum length. That's not to say this book was short. But I was reading the same info, retold almost 5 different ways. And each time, from a very broad perspective.It's hard to explain. Because there are a lot of facts. And they even have some semblance of a very hard to follow setup process for some of the topics. But the entire thing is hard to follow.After reading 7 of the chapters, where I knew my knowledge was week, I gave up on this book. I didn't feel like I had any decent grasp of those topics.The final clincher, was that I had already failed the exam once, before buying this book, so I had an idea of what I was going to need to learn. This book did not even COVER or MENTION the topics I had been asked for. And the ones it did cover, were more of a conversational thing, where it's good to know what this does, but let's not discuss anything you would really need to know for troubleshooting. WHICH IS WHAT THIS EXAM TESTS YOU ON!This was the only "Cisco Press" book I could find for this exam, which is why I bought it.I ended up returning it, and went to Cisco.com and looked up the topics there. There was a wealth of knowledge, and specifics, and well laid out tables. I spent my time in things the following.- CUCM Deployment Guide- CUCM Administration Guide- VCS Deployment Guide- VCS Administration guide.Or some semblance, of administering the technology you need to know, like [Keyterm + Admin Guide]. etc.It's a pain, research this way, yes. But I was able to successfully pass my exam, and I can confidently say, this book helped me with only one of the 60 questions I was asked. For those of you who are under a deadline, or you will lose your cert, I wish I could offer you a better solution, but I haven't found one yet.I hope this has been informative, and I'd like to thank you for viewing.

Cisco decided to retire the CCNP Voice certification and offer a whole new NP Collaboration certification, now incorporating video/telepresence before the end of 2015. There currently are no other alternative study guides for the 300-075. As this is a new curriculum, we had to wait a few months for this publication to be even be released.This book covers the advanced Communications Manager settings and features quite well. The chapters are arranged so you can get through one in an evening and understand what you have just read. As someone mentioned, the NOTE boxes were very helpful. The book includes three chapters introducing and explaining VCS and CUCM integration. My biggest gripe is that the video chapters were light in technical detail. I would highly suggest reviewing the SRND and VSC guides listed in the references to prepare you for the 300-075 exam. The book alone will not be enough.