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I watched the Microsoft webinar on the new Server 2008 (formerly Longhorn) certifications last week and came away feeling a little underwhelmed. In case you didn’t know already the MCSE is “dead” for Server 2008 and they are moving on to a “job based” approach to their certifications. Read on for more details.
To begin with, there will be several Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) exams that you can take to certify specific skills on the Server 2008 platform. These are roughly equivalent to becoming a MCP in Windows 2000/2003. You will earn MCTS certification for each different exam that you pass. Here are the initial MCTS exams that will be released:
70-640 and 70-642 are no surprise but 70-643 is interesting. It will cover Internet Information Services (IIS 7) and Microsoft Virtual Server among other things. Pretty cool. These exams are scheduled to be available 30 days after Server 2008 goes RTM.
There are two different Server 2008 tracks, the Server Administrator and the Enterprise Server Administrator. Both of these are MCITP level certifications, requiring multiple exams. These are the highest level of certification (outside of the MCA program) that you can attain. Here are the requirements for each.
Windows Server 2008 Administrator:
***Only 3 exams required; the MCTS exams 70-640 and 70-642 and the main MCITP exam for this track, 70-646
Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Administrator:
***5 exams required; the MCTS exams 70-640, 70-642, 70-643, 70-620 (or 70-624) and the main MCITP exam for this track, 70-647
The two MCITP exams are schedlued to be available 60 days after Server 2008 goes RTM.
No. You get to keep your MCSE or any credential earned under the Windows 2000/2003 certification track. You essentially have a “MCSE in Windows 2003″ (for example).
However, you do not become a “MCSE in Windows 2008″, because the MCSE no longer exists. You will have to upgrade to one of the MCITP certifications referenced above. Your Windows 2000/2003 certifications will not expire and will continue to be valuable as long as Windows 2000/2003 is used on company networks.
If you are currently working on your MCSE/MCSA keep working on it … it is still valuable and will provide you with excellent base knowledge that will also apply to Windows 2008.
Yes, there is an upgrade path but only for WINDOWS 2003 MCSEs and MCSAs. If you are certified in Windows 2000, you must upgrade to Windows 2003 first or just take the Windows 2008 exams individually. Here are the upgrade details:
Windows 2003 MCSE - Pass the 70-649 (upgrade) exam and you do not have to take 70-640, 70-642, 70-643. You DO have to take the MCITP: Enterprise Server Administrator exam and the Vista client exam.
Windows 2003 MCSA - Pass the 70-648 (upgrade) exam and you do not have to take 70-640, 70-642. You DO have to take the MCITP: Server Administrator exam.
Like I said in the opening, I came away a little underwhelmed. It just seems like the main MCITP certifications do not have enough substance. I am all for simplicity (only 2 or 3 different professional tracks) but I would like to see a few more exams attached to the higher level certs to make them a little tougher to attain.
I also think it will be a bit clunky to say (or put on a resume), “I am a MCITIP: Enterprise Administrator, MCTS: ISA Server, MCTS: Exchange Server”, etc. There should be one certification (probably the Enterprise Administator certification) that requires Exchange Server, ISA Server and perhaps SQL Server knowledge, in addition to all of the core Windows Server 2008 requirements. This would be of value to companies and IT professionals alike.
What do you think?
Looking for more information on Windows Server 2008 Certifications? Check out Trika’s Microsoft site; it is loaded with Microsoft certification information and she is very helpful.
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Tagged:Certification Help, It Training News, LongHorn Certifications, MCITP, MCTS, Microsoft, Windows Server 2008, Windows Server 2008 Certifications
E. Cetiner Says:
June 20th, 2007 at 1:37 pm
I think it is time to move-on without Microsoft Certifications. I started with NT, than to 2000 last but not least 2003, now I am 2003 MCSE Security and Messaging (Exchange) these will be my last Microsoft Certifications; I am getting sick and tired of mouse and cat game with Microsoft’s Certification Scams… There are more companies using Exchange 5.5 than Exchange 2003. Some small to medium size business are not even on AD yet. I think, Microsoft lost me as a continuing (upgrading) sucker this time around. It was a nice ride Microsoft, thanks for the memories… Cisco Certification here I come…
dr smith Says:
June 20th, 2007 at 1:53 pm
I agree with E Cetiner,
sadly as an Employer, microsoft qualifications are considered useless and pretty much a joke, due to many reasons.. with the new certification routes, microsoft qualified individuals will be primarily rejected in favour of comptia, cisco and IT experienced individuals.
preference will be given to the experience IT individuals with no qualifications but with proven IT knowledge. Having seen the content of the microsoft exams, it is obvious they are of no use as even MCTs are advising students to simply braindump them, as they are ridiculous questions with microsoft answers only being accepted.
my advice to those on the cert track would be go via any other route, but not microsoft as you will not be emplyed and actively discriminated against.
Henrik Svendsen Says:
June 20th, 2007 at 2:19 pm
Wau…. i disagree with you…
however there is one thing you all must be aware of, with the new MCTS and MCITP.
They are to be renewed every 2′nd year, to be able to keep your certification status.
Saji Thomas Says:
June 20th, 2007 at 2:28 pm
I do agree with E Cetiner and dr Smith but at the same time I believe that Microsoft exmas are not useless. However, it is unfair on Bill Gates part that by the time you work on an OS and learn it well, Microsoft is ready with another OS that is similar to the previous one with some security and display difference.
That is really an inconvenience on the students part. Cisco certifications are better and perfect in this matter.
Cheers.
Faiz Says:
June 20th, 2007 at 5:09 pm
Hi Guys
I 100% agree to all, this is easy way for Microsoft to make money.Windows 2003 was my last certification from Microsoft. Now i am moving towards CCIE.
Bye Bye Microsoft.
IT Pro Says:
June 20th, 2007 at 5:40 pm
Thank goodness I did not pursue the MCSE cert after all…it would be pretty much worthless by 2009 and a rather poor investment for anyone to continue on the MCSE track. I am an MCSA 2003 but I always thought it would only be fair to have one exam for MCSA and another for MCSE. An exam of 65 questions with 15 being simulations is what I would recommend but instead the MCSE has IT professionals taking 7 exams and at least 4 of them will overlap one another and the questions do not really pertain to the material in the books.
That led thousands to braindumps and that eventually devalued the cert.
Personally, I think its all a bunch of BS and these useless exams only profit an already billion dollar company.
Leo 'D' great Says:
June 20th, 2007 at 6:33 pm
Life is all about choices guys, making tough choices !
This will separate the loyal Microsoft followers from desserters…again comes back to choice ie., either do you upgrade or you don’t verrrry simple.
bob Says:
June 20th, 2007 at 7:52 pm
I am jumping off the microsoft bandwagon and jumping onto unix and cisco. Microsoft is a waste of time.
Michael Douglass Says:
June 20th, 2007 at 8:07 pm
I think as time goes on more and more people are attaining Microsoft certifications because it’s becoming easier to cram study for and predict what’s on the exam.
Microsoft in this case is dumbing down the certification requirements and as a result I think we’ll see an already saturated market start to show serious signs of the certification value dripping away.
Vincent Oosthuizen Says:
June 21st, 2007 at 12:10 am
Hi there all,
I tend to agree, microsoft cerifications is a load of hog wash. Go the CCIE and\or linux\unix route and u won’t be dissapointed. A whole new world awaits….
Scott Skinger Says:
June 21st, 2007 at 1:33 am
Thanks for all the comments. I am a little surprised to hear all of the negativity directed towards the Microsoft certification program. I agree, that it has problems but I also feel like it has significant value to employers (we still value the MCSE) and employees. Many jobs require the MCSE certification. Several things that I wanted to point out:
1. If you are currently a MCP, MCSA, MCSE, etc. in Windows 2000/2003 your certification will NOT expire. You will always hold this certification. You don’t have to pursue the new MCITP certs and your MCSE will still be recognized and valuable as long as Windows 2000/2003 is used by companies. You can take the new MCITP certs when (or if) you want.
2. Most vendor’s certification programs (Cisco included) have re-certification requirements. I think this is a good thing. I realize that it is time consuming and expensive to attain certifications but this is part of working in IT…things change pretty quickly. Honestly, I don’t want somebody working on my network that last certified in NT 4.0 and/or last learned about Cisco routers over 5 years ago.
Change is good. Innovation is good. Windows 2008 is good. That doesn’t mean that every company should, or needs to, upgrade to Windows 2008, but I think that it is important for Microsoft to make their OS better.
3. Certification is important and the MCSE IS valuable to employers. It doesn’t mean that the MCSE will get you the job, but it does mean that NOT having the MCSE will result in you NOT getting some jobs.
We require the MCSE for some of our positions, but we also require strong communication skills, diverse background, excellent references and more. You have to have ALL of these things in order to land the position.
Bozos who cheat, use brain dumps or are just paper MCSEs will be busted. They don’t usually make it past the resume screening process because their resumes are terrible or their communication skills are poor. If they make it by the initial screening, they are always embarrassed when it comes to our live technical interview. Many times they are not even prepared to answer the simplest of questions for a MCSE, like “What command do you use to install Active Directory on a Windows 2003 Server?”
Braindumpers/Cheaters are not good for certification programs but I don’t think they have (or will) destroy them.
Mike Says:
June 21st, 2007 at 3:38 am
I’m with you guys when you say that IT experience trumps certifications in any recruitment scenario.
I’ll still be persuing the microsoft certs, and here’s why:
1) The company you’re working for now aren’t going to train you in the latest & greatest OS, but you can be sure they’ll be interested once upgrade time comes around again. Who’s more valuable, the guy who’s up to speed with the OS which is about to be deployed, or his colleague who does his job and just knows the technology in place now?
2) In recruitment the choice is not normally between the guy with experience and the guy with certs. I’d take a guy with experience AND certs over the guy with just experience any day. - The guy with the certs has shown that he is still interested enough in the job to pursue them. He’s also more likely to be up to date with the available technologies.
3) There’s a lot of doubt on this board about the value of the certifications in themselves. I’ve been mcse for 10 years (Still have my Windows 2000 inflatable cushion!) and I find that the exams have improved beyond measure. The quip above about “microsoft” answers used to be true under NT4 - I don’t find it so now. (there will always be ‘best practice’ to know and understand though.) Yes, despite MSs best efforts braindumps exist. (It’s not exclusively a MS problem) but to pass the exam without braindumps does require quite an in-depth knowledge of the product.
So, I think i’ll at least be taking the MSTS exams (might as well, I get 40% off) - and I’ll probably take the enterprise one too. After all, if so many guys aren’t going to bother upgrading, it just gives me an additional distinguishing factor on my CV!
Brian King Says:
June 21st, 2007 at 5:43 am
As a small business IT Support provider possessing and displaying to potential customers that you are recognised by an International software player such as Microsoft as being “competent” at using their products is a great marketing asset.
My original certifications were taken on Windows 2000, but rarely do I work on that version of Windows anymore, but my customers accept my credentials for what they represent i.e. “Microsoft Certified”.
Unfortunately, I do not have the time to keep re-studying just to keep up with yet another new operating system or server exam, but use an old-fashioned hands-on approach to deal most of the tasks I am called to.
Believe it or not CompTIA have played a major part in my IT education, and tend to be more across the board rather than focused on one manufacturer.
I do agree that Microsoft Certifications have reached a saturation point and are in need of some renovation.
I think it is important to select the certifications that are relevant to the individual. I used to work in a Novell environment and passed my CNA/CNE several years ago, but has now become redundant for me as I no longer work with Novell software.
Changes to the various Mircosoft Certifications is a fact of IT life that also matches the way technology constantly evolves, and where appropriate we need to try and keep up with those changes.
Rob Cooper Says:
June 21st, 2007 at 12:06 pm
Microsoft in diversifying all of it’s certs has made it virtually impossible to work out what they mean.. there are over 50 Microsoft qualifications, set to rise to over 100.
As an Employer, we simply look for the best. MCSE was considered the best 5 years ago. Today with over 10 million MCSEs, the size of a country, it is understandable why the qualification has to be ‘retired’ - yes it won’t officially be retired, but in honesty do you really think I’ll be hiring an MCSE for a windows2008+ platform? No.
So in effect MCSEs as the title of this article infers, are dead.
The IT industry does need a shake-up, but why can’t microsoft simply follow Cisco’s route? all cisco IT pros, are valuable, from the basic CCNA to the invincible CCIE. This is simply not the case with Microsoft, with their highly inflated MCA, which is just a nod to all the friends of microsoft. Cynicism is easy to set in when you view the way microsoft works.
The facts speak as mentioned before, true there are legit MCSEs, but for every single legit MCSE there is over 100 fake ones. From countries such as India, who actively promote attaining MCSEs in a weekend, to bootcamps attaining MCSEs in a week, saturation and destruction of the MCSE was assured.
An MCSE is achieved usually within 2 years, by an already experienced infrastructure individal. MCSDs are different as they code by nature and braindumping is not an option for them as they are instantly found out, whereas a fake MCSE can get away with it for years just by knowing the basics.
The new certs address this in some degree by making the qualification job focused.. apparently! As an employer, to date, 2006/2007 we have hired over 100 Cisco staff, 97% genuine and highly valued. Microsoft staff: 250 hired,with over 70% rejected at 2nd indepth technical interview for false IT knowledge. Of the 250 staff hired, over 65% have no microsoft qualifications, their skill comes from indepth experience, and remarkably their abilities far exceed those with microsoft qualifications, most technical leads are from non-microsoft qualified staff.
It was initially surprising to see how many fake microsoft individuals were out there, though a lot of them are legit in their depth of knowledge, it comes from their experience not the microsoft certs.
As a consortium of banking companies, we no longer view microsoft qualifications as a requirement, and no longer advertise for microsoft certified individuals; Viewing the new certs, nothing will change here, as the whole system needs a revamp,- a simple structure to follow as mentioned before is CISCO’s basic: CCNA CCNP CCIE
No employer will be bothered to check what the new microsoft certs mean, as even microsoft can’t decide what to name them. it’s a spaghetti nightmare.
I don’t wish to offend the legit Microsoft types, but you will find that your MCSE becomes quite valueless in a few months, especially in the UK, London, city environment, which has already formalised a new interview method for IT staff, which excludes microsoft certified individuals. CISCO individuals with ’some’ microsoft knowledge are more favoured than certified microsoft individuals. which is a shame.
Hopefully microsoft will wake-up and address the short-comings of the new certs, as they stand, no-one in my environment will even bother advertise jobs for them. It looks like CISCO individuals will be asked to assist in Microsoft environments more often.
Scott Skinger Says:
June 21st, 2007 at 12:54 pm
Rob:
Some very good points. I have to say that this is my biggest complaint with Microsoft certifications. Why can’t they keep it simple? I have long felt that the MCSA, MCDST and all of the new fangled certifications were confusing and somewhat worthless from a HR perspective. Although Cisco has diversified their certification offerings quite a bit, they have stuck with the core CCNA, CCNP and CCIE. They have kept it simple for both the IT pro and the employer.
Rob Cooper Says:
June 21st, 2007 at 2:28 pm
Scott:
Thank you for the interesting points raised; we do value confirmed MCSEs in the City of London, UK - it’s just as mentioned, we work by the KISS principle, Keep it Simple, St*pid! which microsoft fails to do repeatedly.
Yes, Cisco has diversified as well, but in a clear consise structured fashion, which is easy for an employer to follow and respect. Hence the uptake of cisco certified individuals is never ending and has increased dramatically this year.
Microsoft seem to be intent on flooding the market with a specialist for every microsoft technology.
As said, the employment market wants a simple way to hire individuals based on their certifications. Having to look up the acronym for every single microsoft qualification quickly becomes tiresome.
one thing that a colleague said to me earlier today when reviewing the new microsoft certifications ‘they look bloody ugly!’ - unfortunately I have to agree even on that point, the MCSE does sound a lot sexier than an MCITP!
still what will be will be, and microsoft will have their way.. on a side note, I’d like to thank you for training up many of our IT staff with your courses. we always favour Trainsignal courses and trainers as the best. Your Exchange2003 course was exceptionally good and our current exchange gurus are grateful for your excellent approachable and understandable teaching method.
Keep up the good work.
Mike Abadie Says:
June 21st, 2007 at 7:05 pm
I’m currently a student who has been researching the IT market. It seems to me that While the MCSE can be valuable. The Cisco Certs are better. Also Having a Bachelors Degree in IT is optimum. I will have my BSIT soon. I’ve been networking with employers as well as other people in the industry and I’ve come to find out that while Certs are a great thing to have I know from talking to these people that having a BSIT or similar degree will get you the job alot faster than just being Certified.
I plan on getting both. Last but not least there are many in this field (that I know) who started out as certified computer guys but were required by their employers to seek a degree before they could move up in their careers
Mike
Faris Mlaeb Says:
June 22nd, 2007 at 10:33 am
I am working on MCSE 2003 I had Finsih Windows XP exam and server Exam ..
I was planning to make Exchange as as the next exam .. But I will Stop and start with Exchange 2007
Mike B Says:
June 22nd, 2007 at 4:57 pm
There are some good points here. I have had my MCSE since NT4 and have upgraded to 2000 and 2003. I will also be upgrading to 2008 (it is not that hard).
Some of the statements here go a little too far as to say that there is no value is a MCSE certification. When you are looking to hire an employee to manage your 5000/10000 user Active Directory, I don’t think that you are going to be looking for a CCIE. It does not hurt to have a CCIE, but clearly that person is not focused on AD. I have worked with a CCIE before and he knew AD pretty well and thought he knew it better than he did. He knew Cisco in and out. In general, I am not even competing for the same jobs as a CCIE or CCNA (at least at the size of the companies I work at). Those job functions are completely seperated between WAN teams and Windows teams…
What it comes down to is that you need to find a person with the background in you are looking for. The MCSE certification alone will not get you a Senior Systems Engineer position (I hope), but it is looked and shows that you are dedicated to being the best at your position.
Just my opinion…
Mike
Ladylovestech.com » Windows Server 2008 Certifications - Death to the MCSE Says:
June 23rd, 2007 at 6:00 am
[…] Windows Server 2008 Certifications - Death to the MCSE […]
Scott Skinger Says:
June 23rd, 2007 at 11:06 am
Mike B
Couldn’t agree with you more. The MCSE (and the new Server 2008 certs) do have value. It is unfair to say that they have NO value. Certifications and committment to education are one of many criteria that I consider when looking at a candidate. I definitely value the MCSE.
Ironically, with all of this “Cisco Love” going around, Cisco just announced that they are adding a new low-end certification, the CCENT. So much for keeping it simple!
I will follow up with a new post discussing this certification (and the new CCNA) later this weekend. Thanks to all for the excellent comments.
Scott
Maggie Smith Says:
June 25th, 2007 at 5:04 am
I’m all for new certifications, true it is money driven by microsoft and cisco, but how else can you value an individual?
Most companies view certifications first, then experience, a certificate is just a key to a door, then you have to let your experience come into play.
Death of the MCSE? about time too!! 7 exams was way unfair, and often the exams overlapped so you had to have knowledge of the entire field.
New Certificates keep the IT industry fresh, too many stale IT specialists with only NT4 is a definite no-no.
The backlash of the Death to MCSE probably comes from those newly attained MCSEs, and those still studying the current MCSE 2003 track! - do you stop or continue? I’d say continue, windows2003 will be around for at least another 5 years. Uptake of windows2008 will be slow due to platform requirements and also due to the fact that windows2003 is a superb network OS. A lot of companies have only updated to windows2003 in the last couple of years, so they won’t be looking to update for quite some time… hence the slow uptake of the client windows Vista as a corporate platform. Why fix something that isn’t broke?
At some point we all have to jump onto the certification merry-go-round, Use certification to improve yourself, not as a way of showing off your new shiny medals!
Mo Khan Says:
June 25th, 2007 at 8:15 am
The IT Industry requires a turn-over of up-to-date qualified professionals. Too long have MCSE types rested on their laurels.
Gunfighters, have to practice their art. In every field you have to fight for your your position, if it is indeed a valued one, such as the Network System Administrator.
In the police force, you have to go down to the range and shoot targets, if you fail to hit 5 out of 6 targets, then you are retired from the armed services patrol. If an MCSE does not know how to maintain Active Directory FSMO roles, s/he should be retired.
It comes down to training, you need an indicator of your skill set, new certificates indicate your level of understanding of a new technology. Ultimately your certificate is a valuable qualification in a timed-environment. Microsoft will again ask that you re-sit exams every 2-3 years, this is to weed out the weak from the strong.
The IT industry can only benefit from the strong. Many IT pros are considered the best because they have been there for 20plus years, but if they have learnt nothing, and have sat in a chair, spinning around and eating potato chips and drinking chocolate milkshakes, then what is the value and worth in having such a person?
Experience is only good when it is good. Meaning it is experience that has learnt new technologies. I applaud training regimes such as trainsignal that provide crucial important up-to-date training material.
In dropping the certification requirements down to 3 and 5 exams, microsoft have done a good thing. I know some have compared the 3 exams to the MCSA and the 5 to the MCSE - which is the ultimate goal. Realistically no-one goes for the MCSA type qualification, it is merely a stop-gap on the approach to the final crowning glory of the MCSE. Indeed, it is said to be harder to achieve the MCSA than the MCSE, due to the notorious 291 exam.
Thus one who can slay the beast, can easily slay the remaining worm?
I say to the writer of this excellent article, well done. It is important that microsoft listens to the voices of those that have to sit these exams. I too have been in with these strange exams. And yes I do see the writer’s point on making the new MCTIP?? (sorry i forget the letters) MCTS or whatever it is called, making the qualification harder? I would not like to see microsoft compress the qualification from 7 to 5, if is such a case of the MCSE being squeezed from 7 to 5. and the MCSA from 4 to 3? I would presume, that microsoft would change the format, and re-work the exams from scratch, and have the questions more specific and simulated and point and click types, rather than have the same questions from the previous exams, slightly changed and dropped into a server2008 scenerio.
The new influx of technologies from Microsoft, virtual server, sharepoint and even the new wave of sql and exhange2007 should be carefully separated from into their own fields. Though I hear virtual server will be part of 2008 server.
Again, as the writer has said, the ‘clunky’ style of the logos and sign-offs will be very off-putting on a resume or email. I can see the microsoft logo-builder going into over-drive on this one.
I understand that from my employers viewpoint, that he or she won’t have a clue what the new microsoft certifications are about. What will the job requirements be now? Already Job Ads list every requirement under the sun just to be a call-desk operator simply because the person putting the ad out has no idea what the IT letters means.
I see a new age for IT qualifications. It is much like being at school. Before only a handful of IT personnel had qualifications, now it is the de facto, that all staff are qualified.
The MCSE is simply being re-born as the MCITP: Enterprise Server 2008 Administrator - like a phoenix from the flames, or a maybe a cuckoo bird from the flames, as it’s a bit messed up.
To those that are jumping off the microsoft band-wagon, well perhaps you were never on it, as qualifications are about self-improvement and not putting framed certificates on the office-wall.
There will always be endless changes in qualifications and exam requirements. We all know what microsoft is about. We all have to work with their technologies. When the 2008 exams are settled, take the upgrades, one to get the server2008 requirement, and just 2 more for the enterprise2008 requirement. not so bad really? only 3 exams for an MCSE qualified individual to take. Then you are sorted for 3 years or so, then just another single exam upgrade every 2-3 years. And you can pick off speciality exams, or even take CompTIA and Cisco exams as well. It all benefits you in the end. And your Employer will give you those bonus rises as you continue to become the best in your area.
Good luck, and be positive. To have any certifications show that you are indeed an intelligent and worthwhile individual to have in employment.
The End.
Bob Murray Says:
June 25th, 2007 at 11:33 am
There are a lot of good comments within these opinions and I agree with many of them. I particularly like 11, 12, 14, 16, 19, 22 & 23.
We are a small IT consulting firm. When hiring new techs we give preference to applicants holding certifications that meet our people skills and experience requirements. Persons with certifications demonstrate to us a desire to improve their knowledge base. Once we hire a tech they are expected to continue their education by renewing or obtaining new certifications.
Certifications alone do not make good technicians. A well seasoned technician is a person who posses all of the following … certifications, good people skills, good communication skills, diversified experience, common sense and is trustworthy.
Joe Duncan Says:
June 25th, 2007 at 11:40 am
hey hey,
as my fellow school friends have said there are lots of reasons to be happy to be an MCSE:2003 - don’t forget, when windows2008 comes out, who will they be asking to upgrade the servers? The MCSE:2003 specialists!!!
And the MCSE does not expire, so you will be an MCSE and a MCTS and MCTIP.
Also you become a Legend!!!!! No more MCSEs mean you will be one of the Elite!! It will become a legendary status. one of the last MCSEs in the world. People will look upon you and worship you.
See maybe not so much to the level I said.. but they are definite plus pluses to being an MCSE. Although I’m an MCP on XP, I rate MCSE as the best in the world.
The new certs are fine, but they won’t be any about really until 2009.. remember windows2008 has to mainstream before you can really understand the environment.
Microsoft will probably re-instate MCSE in 2010.. I have heard rumours.. MCSE 2010!!
Sal Heller Says:
June 25th, 2007 at 12:21 pm
One reason for the scale down of size of the MCSE now known as MCITP, is that the elective is not required as it has it’s own certificate pathway.
Microsoft probably want to encourage more people to hit the certificate trail, giving everyone a way to find the software more suitable to them.
One thing for sure is that it makes things a lot more interesting.
As now ALL OF US have to re-certify!! :)
even the trainers on this site! ;)
Robert Says:
June 30th, 2007 at 10:33 pm
Interesting reading through all of this it seems like we have a collection of engineers and “Managers” here.
I should make a few points:
“Death of the MCSE? about time too!! 7 exams was way unfair, and often the exams overlapped so you had to have knowledge of the entire field.”
Avid Blogger Says:
July 2nd, 2007 at 5:33 am
Dear All,
It is an interesting cat-n’-mouse game with the biggies fighting it out….in the certifications arena…
I’m from India and here certifications are a joke….anyone with dumps can just get thru and then u see them posting their resumes all over the place trying to find a decent job !!!!
I understand a very simple KISS principle, if a person is worth his weight in knowledge of an IT domain, he’ll succeed sooner than later….
It gives me tremendous pleasure to have achieved the status of an MCSA (Messaging + Security) and the pleasure comes out of the fact that i have studied hard and practiced hard to achieve the certifications —- The apprecation is huge…..
Unfortunately, the quality of training and the materials provided here in India is ridiculous —– so the sheer pleasure of achieving an Int’l certification means a lot to a person like me……
Post certification, i have the priviledge of implementing a LIVE solution for a mid-sized company on Exchange and ISA servers ….. and that’s when i realise that live implementations are so critical and important for a client……
Here a CISCO certification wud’nt do much gud since the cleint is looking for a Messaging and Security solution and not routing solutions ……
Hence i wud stick with Microsoft and agree to a fact that they shud devise a way of certifying people like Redhat does —– by performing exercises on computers connected on a network…..as per statistics that i’m aware off in India, the RHCE is considered to be a tough nut to crack…….
So my suggestion wud be role based rather than, product based……. U can only keep improving your skills post certification and a new product shud have good training to upgrade skill sets rather than a new certifcation to prove your expertise again and again…
My 2 bits — Cheers :-)
Steve Says:
July 3rd, 2007 at 8:49 am
Interesting how in the IT interview process we find CV’s with tertiary qualifications highlighted but not MCP/MCSE qualifications.
There seems to be a stigma attached to anyone with MCP/MCSE on their CV ie… it goes straight into the garbage bin unforunately!
The IT community doesn’t have a positive view of certs. Its what you do on the job and how you implement solutions in the real world is what employers want to know.
And that’s how IT managers judge your ability.
Swell Guy Says:
July 3rd, 2007 at 9:32 am
I currently hold 9 IT certifications and as I look back I regret putting so much time, effort, & money into the whole game.
I am finished with the certification treadmill. They prove nothing (imvho) and provide very little (or zero) return on investment!
I have three MCSE certs; nt, 2k, 2k3. The madness stops there!
No thanks on the MCITP or whatever it is called!
Scott Skinger Says:
July 3rd, 2007 at 5:03 pm
I think this last point is a little over the top; are people really throwing out resumes because the candidate has a MCSE? If so, then they are missing out on their best candidates. “Good/Legitimate” MCSEs have taken the time to learn and understand the theoretical side of their trade. Combine this with an employee who has real world experience and good communciation skills, and you have the makings of a good employee.
This point has been made over and over again in this post; a MCSE by itself means nothing but combined with other skills is a great addition to your resume/career. MAYBE some companies turn away MCSEs (just because they are MCSEs) but the vast majority are happy to hire (and often looking for) people with the MCSE certification.
Scott
Vijaykumar S Totager Says:
July 6th, 2007 at 12:07 am
In my views blaming on Microsoft certification is wrong…In today’s world like IT infrastructure outsourcing has lot of demand of MS-Certified professional. I have seen in India many students who have just graduation passed out are successfully able to gain good jobs in IT remote infrastructure support market. And seen many customers demand MS certified professionals.
Ajmal_Bakhshi Says:
July 9th, 2007 at 6:24 am
I Really Think Microsoft Is A Waste Of Time, I Was Fooled To Follow Its Courses, But Not Any More, Red Hat & Cisco Your Certifications Are The Best & I Am Comming for Them
Phil M Says:
July 10th, 2007 at 5:43 am
Steve the point about MCSE you made is the garbage.
Most of the top professional and writers have a MCP or a MCSE … so you would throw away their CV’s in the garbage?
There are lots of jobs you can not even apply for without the MS certs.
I have worked in the banking environment which will not even look at your CV if you do not have this on there!
Is it because you have no IT qualifications yourself?
It’s not the best way of ensuring you have a professional for a job however it shows enthusiasm and professionalism. Technical questions and talking about experiences/scenarios should always be asked an interview’s whether you’re qualified or not… This is the best way to ensure the best candidates.
watsthematta Says:
July 12th, 2007 at 6:49 am
Wow! talk about being on opposite sides of the spectrum! I totally agree that the Microsoft certs r insane here in Africa the track costs almost as much as a degree program which takes 3 years! But I absolutely believe that just braindumping to pass is to your own disadvantage coz the job will require you to Know not guess so have faith and read eventually the powers that be will realise that with experience and certs you rule!
Roehampton Delius Says:
July 15th, 2007 at 1:09 pm
The BIGGEST disappointment in all this debate is that MICROSOFT have FAILED to see what they have done.. The MCSE should have been kept, not abandoned!!!!
The MCSE is an historical qualification, and the benchmark for all microsoft candidates, now it’s a simple free for all…
I have just come off an Interquad QA-IQ course for microsoft security 2003, The MCT trainer told the whole class that the MCSE was now considered a dead horse qualification, and that we should all go for MCTS. I was shocked to hear this as I’m an MCSA and wanted to complete the MCSE, but was told that there is no point to to pursueing the MCSE as it’s no longer a recognised qualification!!! :(
I had a big arguement with the MCT on this, but in the end I saw he was right, why complete a qualification and have to be phased out by microsoft the next month.
sigh, I’ve given up on the MCSE:2003, I’ll wait til 2009 and go for the 2008 MCTS qualifications. I am so bitterly disappointed with what microsoft have done. I was so looking forward to joining the MCSE ranks..
now I hear microsfot is even getting rid of the microsft exam centres at pearson que!!! what the heck is going on with microsoft!!?
right now I am so angry as I type, I have to go to another exam provider, this is ridiculous. what next?? do we all have to fly to america to take our exams in bill gates house?
Microsoft sort yourself out!! I’m going Linux if this continues.
Jimmy J Says:
July 17th, 2007 at 6:09 pm
If Microsoft is good at one thing, it is brain washing individuals like myself and everyone else in thinking that a “MCSE” holds true value in the IT industry when in fact they do not. I was consumed with earning my MCSE and it took me almost 2 years to complete. I started out with A+, Network+ and then the big 3 by Microsoft; MCP, MCSA and finally MCSE. After putting out 500 resumes and not even getting a handful of interviews I realized what a mistake I made.
All this certification crap cost me over 2 1/2 years pay, on top of 15,000 that I drained out of my account, on top of the materials which cost over $5,000 along with the cost of exams $125.00. Also, let me through in that no matter how good you are, you “WILL” fail close to half of the exams and maybe 2 times over. The whole system is setup for us to invest our time and life in and come away with nothing. I’ll bet my life that most MCSE’s aren’t making good money or even working in the IT industry. If your lucky you’ll get a job at Futureshop. Every job interview I have had has come down to, “How much Linux experience do you have? How good are you with Cisco products?”
I can’t tell you how frustrating this is for me. I’ll almost bet that Microsoft owns Monster and has shares in Workopoulos. If you don’t know what they are, they’re garbage fony job banks that won’t land you squat. I think Microsoft is behind a lot of “NO” good marketing strategies and that’s what they use to brain wash people into thinking there is a world of wealth waiting for them if they achieve MCSE status. What a f_cking joke!
Microsoft, you took everything I’ve had and now I’m left with nothing. I invested over 2 years of my time and all my money and made so many sacrifices for your useless credentials that have “NO” meaning in the real world. You’re very welcome!
Linux here I come. I’m not taking any certifications for Linux, however I like the free alternative. When I was hardcore Microsoft, I argued with a Linux Gooo who kept trying to tell me how useless Windows is. Think about this for a minute, with every distribution of windows from 95 and up, it has crashed every desktop that it has ever been installed on and on average about 10 times over. I’ll put this in English, Microsoft Windows has crashed every desktop on the face of this earth at least 10 times over. What a terrible stat. If Windows is a good product then I’d hate to see what bad is.
In closing I’ll say that Linux doesn’t crash, it doesn’t lock up, it does give you blue screens, nor do you get hacked or spied on and you sure as hell don’t get viruses or suffer from the wonderful world of popups. What was I thinking dedicating myself to them all those years?
Enter Windows vista, I installed it for for a day and I ended up with spyware and everything else you can think of. It is garbage. Also, I thought they separated from the past with Vista. I had no support for my Promise FastTrack controller in Vista at all and yet I installed an XP driver for my Promise Controller on Windows Vista and it worked. What a joke. Microsoft sucks!
Bill, you have done to me what you’ve done to others, you broke me. I no longer wonder why you smirk everytime you are asked a question during an interview. All you do is count your billions. Have any of you thought about going to Microsoft’s Job Bank to see how many MCSE’s they have positions for? The answer is 0. All they hire are accountants.
Jim,
P.S. I’m learning Linux but I am taking my life in a new direction. IT is a fony non existent corporate world that you get brain washed in to thinking is there throughout your training. They play us like fools.
James Beukelman Says:
July 23rd, 2007 at 5:13 pm
I’m not really a fan of changing around what’s been in place for over a decade. Like the old saying goes: “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it”.
While everyone’s spoken up about how much they dislike the new MCITP path, nobody has mentioned the MCA at all. I am totally in favor of this, and have long thought this was much needed in the Microsoft cert world.
Cicso has their CCIE in which you must pass a lab exam. The MCA sounds like Microsoft’s response. From what I’ve read, a person holding an MCA will truly be valuable. Want to hold an MS cert that means something? Then achieve the MCA.
–cheers
Avi Blogger Says:
July 24th, 2007 at 5:15 am
Wohooooo,
A lot of hatred for MS and Bill :-) … well to all those ppl who have worked hard and put in time on their MS certifications, Hearty CONGRATULATIONS !!! on achieving certifications ….
Well let me pen a couple of things that i guess we all have done so far .
1. Put in time and effort to do a certification.
2. Put in an effort to learn a technology as vast as MS servers
3. Didn’t take pride in completing the certis :-)
4. Reacting on herd mentality :-)
Now lemme come to my point….
“Let’s shift to Linux …..” — Take the effort all over again and spend some more of your time to learn new ways of implementing an OS ??? I feel if you could ulitise your MS OS knowledge, it would only add to your own value …..
I agree MS has made a lot of money but it has also given you a chance to make your mark in the field of CORPORATE solutions … now instead of cribbing over what can’t be done, think in terms of what can be done and “Just Do IT” like Nike says ……
A profesional with ample knowledge and a certificate to boot is more valuable than 1 without a certificate ……
IMHO — a certificate is just a piece of well made paper, it’s value appreciates only when the person who owns it makes gud use of it — -else it will remain a piece of paper and u’ll have a bitter taste like the rest of MS haters here …..
I am a MCSA (Security + Messaging) and i fully intend to complete the MCSE track, which i know is still valid and then maybe take the new certs later in life ……
Have u uys noticed, when u get certified it says certified from …..2005 .. which means 10 years down the line you have 10 years of practical hardcore experience, which is extermely valueable…..
So guys stop cursing your bad luck and MS and make a resolution to use the certifactes that you have earned with all the hard work …..
Cheers :-)
I’m off to take the next paper to the MCSE
Sean Says:
August 13th, 2007 at 8:03 pm
Bear with me…
I spent the weekend hacking into my old Sun Rocket gizmo and configuring my new free voip setup with FWD + IPKALL + GC since Sun Rocket went bust. 10 years ago when nat was very problematic for gamers I was experimenting with ipmasquerade & linux or microsoft proxy server to get some quake or half life game server to bridge the local and internet. I have maintained the occasional web site and am knowledgeable in php, css, mysql, flash, etc. When flash was first released several years ago I was in front of my computer for days at a time creating what seemed like the coolest intro movie at the time. I have maintained my own debain, nt, & win2k servers in my house. I only stumbled on this thread by accident because I am looking for Promise Fast Track 100 raid drivers so I can install the windows 2008 enterprise beta 3 DVD I just received in the mail on this spare computer I just built, on a raid 0 array.
What can I say the thread caught my attention because I am not now, nor have ever been employed in IT. Nor do I have a college degree. I DO HAVE an innate ability to learn, read and comprehend technical manuals, and apply it to a problem for a solution. That is a skill set they can’t teach you in the class room.
You’d think I have an easy time getting into some IT job yet I can’t get an interview. The few companies I have ever interviewed with turn me down because either 1) I have no formal education 2) I have no certifications or 3) I have no on the job experience.
If you have the same passion about technology that I do, I would not fuss about certifications. Instead keep in mind that you get paid $$$ to do what you enjoy. Surely you have days where you can’t wait to get out of bed and go to work for the next challenge!
Take it from this IT outsider if I had some of your credentials I would be making big $$$ because I enjoy IT so much I sit here and do it at home for free, just to learn. If companies ever start interviewing for raw ability and test me while I am sitting in front of a computer instead of asking questions… I might get your job because I will figure it out!
-Sean
seanatwork@cfl.rr.com
Russ Austin Says:
August 18th, 2007 at 12:49 pm
Qualifications are cool, use them to increase your knowledge of a subject, the rewards follow your knowledge.
Whatever the name of a qualification, it’s all about enhancing your skills for the IT market.
ram82 Says:
August 24th, 2007 at 12:13 am
hey guys i am planning on taking the MCSA/MCSE 2003 track. after seeing the posts on this site i am confused as hell :((
what do you personally suggest for me? i am already CCNA and MCDST…
Thanks!
AJ Says:
August 24th, 2007 at 11:08 am
About you saying it is too complicated to say I am MCITP: Enterprise Server Admin, MCTS: ISA, MCTS: Exhange, etc… isnt that what the Application Platforms exam is going to cover? — so you will already have that knowledge by obtaining your MCITP: Enterprise Admin. Getting your MCTS in those areas would just be more in depth or specialization IMO. I think they are cool.
William Voss Says:
October 9th, 2007 at 10:04 am
Hi,
I started the Microsoft track along with Cisco and CompTIA some 9 years ago. The problem with MS certs is that by the time you get them or nearly get them, MS devalues them in some way and jumps to the latest product. For the active learner immersed in an up-to-date server environment this is fine. If actually have some other focus in your life (like income, family, sleep etc.), continually jumping on the next MS bus can be nearly impossible. The crux of the situation is that you have to get and keep continual access to a Windows network that you can experiment on. That means you will break it at sometime. This is not good if your job depends on it. Mine does!
Quite simply, Microsoft has the most functional product out there. Unless you are willing to train all your users, the Linux track can represent just as much effort. Companies NEED MS people! If you want to work in this field, you NEED to understand MS products. You can use MAC/Linux products as well.
I have actively supported networks, designed networks, and advised management and users for the last 8 years. I have NOT been able to maintain the “guru” credentials that it is supposed that we all need, but have always been looked toward when there was a network needing support. The thing that got me here was certification in Cisco, Microsoft, and CompTIA. I fondly remember sitting through numerous interviews where I listened to HR flatly state that certs were not very important and then quickly ask “What certifications do you have?” The certs get you in the door and allow you to be viewed with respect. We must understand that some certs are just there as a sales tool for Microsoft. If there is a MS cert that directly addresses a need for knowledge that you have - GET IT! Groupware is where its at, you need Exchange, Sharepoint and SQL to name a few. Cisco certs are comprehensive and help with understanding the WAN/LAN side of things. CompTIA is just general computer knowledge and sort of shows a well rounded understanding.
As previously indicated, an MS cert got me here. The things that keep me here are an ability to listen and formulate a solution that I can implement, an interest in what new technologies can provide to my environment, a smile, and a good work ethic. I can rant and rave at MS with the best of you, but I don’t hate them. It would be nice if they were’nt continually reinventing the wheel and/or the acronym. They do seem to have the idea that we all work for enterprise companies and have the budget (time AND money) to replace the proverbial bus every time a new tire is needed, but sometimes WE just need to replace/fix the tire. New certs are the spare tire, and YOU need to decide how many you need. Don’t blame the guy who owns the garage for trying to sell you something.
Bobiolo Says:
October 12th, 2007 at 2:11 am
I’m interested to see one of the exams. I see a lot of assumptions that these exams will be easy since there are less to take compared to the MCSE and MCSE + tracks. That doesn’t mean the quality is the same or less. In fact, it probably means quite the opposite.
I too have acquired alphabet soup after my title, but will likely have to take this so my consulting firm can retain their partnership with MS, so as much as I’d like to dump it…
I do recommend CISSP, CISSP+, CISSA if your in the InfoSec arena.
I find the perfect balance is to have a mix of vendor provided and agnostic certs coupled with experience.
Mr. X Says:
October 14th, 2007 at 10:02 am
I happened to stumble upon this thread by accident looking for information about the new track. Personally it’s been a struggle for me to reach here. I started out at the age of 18 and moved on from software to hardware, microsoft and then networking. I spent all my money and time in IT, and haven’t made it. Today at the age of 27 i have MCSE 2000 and CCNP. I work as a network technician and really don’t have anything to do with Windows administration. I trained on cisco pix, sun solaris 10, Redhat , wireless but at the end of the day you need to be focused and the mastery of one area and one area only. So the technology that you don’t use is really a waste of time and effort.
I don’t need to upgrade to Win2008 but I have a genuine interest in it. I probably will upgrade my technical abilities just for my knowledge. I don’t think that anyone wants to whose spent over 5 years in the Microsoft domain wants to be left out in the dark.
As far as Cisco certification is concerned reaching a CCIE requires a lot of gear, equipment, time and money like a Ph.d and it’s a painful struggle. The choices are Voice, Wireless, Design, Routing and switching, Security. However Cisco technology is also evolving rapidly it is hard find material and support for voice, wireless.
Well we have evolved a long way since the days of the main frame. We have jobs in IT because of Microsoft, the role of It depts., of support staff, call centers, service centers , help desk , networks, ISP’s exists because of Microsoft.
As (Jimmy J- 37) quote “with every distribution of windows from 95 and up, it has crashed every desktop that it has ever been installed on and on average about 10 times over. I’ll put this in English, Microsoft Windows has crashed every desktop on the face of this earth at least 10 times over. What a terrible stat. If Windows is a good product then I’d hate to see what bad is.” If the damn thing didn’t carsh we wouldn’t have these jobs and im sure the Multi corporation would happy putting 10 people to support 10,000 desktops. As long as microsoft makes crappy software there always will be an Enterprise level company or Corporation stupid enough to buy it and there will always be jobs to support it . Live and let live.
kakato Says:
October 30th, 2007 at 5:55 am
HI
I am mcp on xp and i planed to take mcsa 2003 but now i m confused
ccna (cisco) or waiting for 2008 server
help me please
JonathanKrull Says:
November 5th, 2007 at 4:27 am
This is getting long.
I earn a ton of money thanks to Microsoft. I will continue to do so. I love their products. I will continue to certify.
Here in East London, South Africa, they are ‘crying’ for MCSE’s, and in a year (or 2) from now they will be crying for whatever other MS certification is relevant and current.
Personally MCSE NT4.0, 2000, and 2003, along with Linux and other CompTIA, CIW etc.
It is possible to pass your exams first time, as I have shown. 21 international exams, not one failure yet, and no braindumps. Hope this helps anyone reading this thread who has any spark of hope of improving themsleves.
bhaskar saxena Says:
November 16th, 2007 at 1:25 am
what i think is certification is diffrent thing and knowledge is diffrent thing. so its not like if you are certified then only you have knowledge so the thing which matters is Knowledge you gain. Getting certificate is a easy but implementing these things in Practical is Diffrent thing.
I am Looking for the Exchange 2007 and Wants to upgrade my MCSE Certification from Windows Server 2003 to 2008.I Am Microsoft Lover and have Worked For Microsoft.
Thanks
Bhaskar Saxena
India
Sam Dale Says:
December 2nd, 2007 at 12:51 pm
I wish microsoft had kept the MCSE as the title of their new exams, so far i’ve not met one person that has a favourable word for the new naming convention. It’s too complicated.
Who knows, maybe Microsoft will see the light and bring the MCSE back.
Matt Says:
December 9th, 2007 at 1:40 pm
Personally I think MS are way off with this one, seem to be getting more and more out of touch.
From an employer’s point of view, they have more important things to do than repeatedly researching MS’s overly-complicated, short-lived qualification structures. Any sensible employer hires someone based on their judgement of the canidate’s skills and experience (+personality); as long as they can see some related quals to back it up. They’re rarely concerened that it has to be in that exact field and bang up to date. As we all know being MS certified in a particular area is by no means a guaruntee that someone will be good at their job!!
From a technician’s point of view you get sick of wasting your time studying for an exam that’s only going to last you another few years. It’s a lot of hard work and you can direct it at something that will benefit your career much more… I think someone earlier said “CCNA here I come”? That will be my next stop! Oh after some Linux quals. Not wasting any more time on MCSABCDEFGHIJs and the rest!
Jonathan Smith Says:
December 24th, 2007 at 6:08 pm
I put my heart and soul into the last round of Microsoft certifications spending about five months of intense study. When I finished all the exams, I realized that Microsoft had lowered the bar such that anybody could pass. I felt cheated and soon quit the certification path.
Drilling deep into Microsoft technologies pays in the long run and the certification curriculum is a good way to structure those studies. I just wish MS test standards would tighten up to the degree necessary to give those credentials credence.
Hrishi Says:
January 16th, 2008 at 6:17 am
Hi Everybody,
I was going thru the various points above and seems funny. As far as I know,there is always a demand in Market for certified professionals in all streams. Its all about you to take the choice,whether it is MS ,Redhat and so ……Anyways,we have to spent some from our pocket……
Whenever a product is launched in market,its the responsibility of a professional in the respective field to acquire knowledge on that.So defenitely,a certification on that would be an added advantage, atleast till you are shortlisted for an interview.
Rest upon You…
najeem Says:
March 3rd, 2008 at 4:15 am
I have completed M.Sc( Computers) . Which course i will join please inform me.
i am interested in networking so which course i join advise me.
thanking you
mikemurph Says:
March 17th, 2008 at 3:41 pm
Just my opinion, in looking at a business and how they take applications; it seems to me when I studied what a company wants in a person is some very specific knowledge.
As a business I say, I have a business and I need an expert in AD; so if I look for that person, how do I find that person without a special certification?
Most of the time, I think, business will look more at the cert, so to find a better match of the skills they need to do the job.
To me, for good or bad, Microsoft is cartering to this need, not the person getting the certification. With systems so complicated, how cannot a business operate this way?
If I take a MCSE, but I need a AD guy, I can’t afford to train him when they said that they had the skill to do the job??!!
As a developer of Microsoft products, I can only imagine what they are going to do with the certs, but from the business side they now can get more specific on what they need to do a job.
My cost of doing business just increased alot. The Microsoft exams are a real PITA, pain in the ****, and the effort is many times diluted with general certs.
To bad they could not think of a better roads to meet business and people taking the certs.
Max Donald Says:
April 11th, 2008 at 12:17 pm
The 2008 exams are rolling out, no-one seems that interested in attaining any microsoft qualifications from my organisation, those already certified in microsoft, have mostly called it a day.
Shame, wonder why no-one likes microsoft qualifications any more?
wages are going down for them too. can’t believe that adverts are only giving 19,000 GBP for them.. what the heck happened?
Cisco certs are going up though.
Microsoft: Your days are numbered!!!
sanjay sukhadia Says:
May 12th, 2008 at 3:32 pm
Hi, All IT floks….. let me tell you my 2 years of IT Recruitment Experience…
I was the lead IT recruiter working form India for US client since 2005. I completed my Masters in IT and I started working as IT Recruiter…
in my recruitment assignments I saw many certified guys….then I did my certification along with the job ccna and mcse 2003…
but it never paid me or land me in the job of system admin or network admin….
cause I was a IT recruiter or head hunter….
now real insight into IT world when any MNC looks for hiring IT professional they look for technical term in Resume or CV and experience… so if you fake your resume..
It can lead you to the interview but inperson technical interview will test your real skills. certification can give you entry but experience will give you edge over others so don’t look for more certification… but look for hardcore experience on new technology…so see train signal or any good technical video upgrade your skills and just apply for the job rest of the things depends on your real world simulation and understanding of server roles and Ip understanding (example ip subnetting with ipv4 like class a , class b, class c subnetting) and ipv6 understanding as well….
ip v4 is dying and ipv6 will change the world…so how many of you truly understand IPV6 supported in windows 2008 server and in windows 2003 server… this will be the base point where certification will never test you but your real world skills will test you and second is vmware virtualization…. or any virtualization technology…..
in USA right now economic crisis is there but virtualisation is booming in IT…
so think to become either vcp or vmware professional…..with mcts
………….:)
or san (storage area network specialist)……….
IT will start to boom from 2009………………2010………………….
till that time windows 2008 might reach to its peak…. and it might be the adopted system in whole world …then microsoft will say be ready for windows 2011 or 2012…….. a real picture of the microsoft technology lies here….
windows 2008 server is going to be in the market for coming 3 years this cycle will end in 2011…so be ready once again…after MCTS
Dharmandra Rai Says:
May 14th, 2008 at 8:49 am
I beleive the MCSE should not expire . Since half of the companies are still on 2000 and 2003 platform . So changing the certification will not make any diffrence . Also if some is professional in something enhancement in knowledge is ok .but dont phaze that out completely
MikeW Says:
May 19th, 2008 at 6:53 pm
It seems as though Microsoft’s claim to fame was the fact that it created an E-Z to use Operating system (i.e. GUI interface etc.) as opposed to the old CLI based OS’s. Now it seems as though things are working their way backwards. You need a certification to properly and effectively harness this computing power once again. Did I hear someone mention KISS? If you are a software vendor, do you want to pride yourself on a peace of software that only a select few can take advantage of implement, maintain etc ? Are companies going to want to implement a system that requires the skills of a brain surgeon to maintain? Does Microsoft really care about a technicians job security? Seems like Microsoft is going to be focused on providing a business with a powerful IT solution that is E-Z to maintain and inexpensive. With this in mind, what does the future really hold for IT? Seem like MS certs are just another way for MS to make money. The more people there are skilled in maintaining MS related products, the less businesses have to pay for their support. Perhaps Microsoft sees it as a good thing the market is flooded with people claiming MCP’s, MCSE’s, MCITP’e-i-o-u, sometimes Y. Seems like the best thing to do is get a college degree and stay as current as possible with what ever technology is in demand at the given moment.
MSguy_India Says:
June 23rd, 2008 at 7:15 am
Microsoft’s all products have bugs and loopholes but we have no option except using them..
Same way Microsoft’s certification also has bugs and loopholes but we have no option except getting certified!!
Josin Says:
July 2nd, 2008 at 5:42 am
Microsoft certifications as said earlier is just a door which might give you an entry. As an IT Manager I would consider a person with Microsoft certification to an entry level post if he has a good Educational track record and communication skills. But for senior post I would prefer people with certifications like ITIL.