The New Microsoft IT Pro Certifications and Exams
Introduction
f you have been in the IT field for any length of time, you are more than
aware of the plethora of certification providers and their certifications.
Trying to fathom what each certifications means; the worth of a certification,
and how a certification from one vendor compares to a certification from other
vendor (where applicable, ofcourse – having a certification on MS SQL cannot
readily compare to having a certification with Juniper Networks). One question
that is asked repeatedly by both employers and IT pros is whether there is value
or worth in obtaining a certification. This question comes from a number of
different quarters. To answer the question succinctly: yes, certifications are
valuable, to both employers and for IT pros. This white paper will address why
certifications are valuable. It will also cover the new Microsoft certifications
in general and the MCSA/MCSE Windows
Server 2003 to MCTS/MCITP Windows
Server 2008 upgrade path specifically
Microsoft Certifications
Reasons Why You Should Get Certified
There are a number of valid reasons why an individual should certify, and
why companies should encourage their employees to become certified and hire
certified individuals. Several studies show that companies that hire certified
individuals and encourage their employees to earn certifications do prosper
better than companies that don’t.
Top Ten Reasons To Hire a Microsoft Certified Profession (MCP)
1. Improve Project Deployments
Independent research1 has shown that organizations with a majority of their
teams certified by Microsoft reported significant improvements in delivering
projects on time and within budget.
2. Increase Customer Satisfaction
Certified staff help to increase customer satisfaction through improved
service, higher productivity, and greater self-sufficiency.
3. Improve Support Costs
Independent research2 has shown that organizations with certified staff
experience less network downtime and lower dependency on unplanned support.
4. Validate Vendor Qualifications
When outsourcing projects, certification provides assurance of vendors’
technical qualifications.
5. Gain a Competitive Advantage
Employees who hold Microsoft certifications bring more advanced skill sets
to provide higher levels of service and productivity, giving your business a
competitive advantage.
6. Benefit by Investing in Your Staff
Organizations that invest in certifying internal technicians generally
attain successful revenue results 3. 7. Increase Employee Satisfaction Employee
satisfaction and retention are higher when management facilitates employees’
career goals.
8. Objectively Benchmark Your Staff’s Talent
Certification serves as a reliable benchmark for hiring and promoting staff
employees, and ensures your organization is built on top-quality technical
talent.
9. Reward Employee Expertise
Certification recognizes and rewards productive employees by validating
their expertise. Certification also provides re-training opportunities so
existing employees can work more effectively with new technologies.
10. See Objective Results of Your Training Investments
Certification provides an excellent return on training and certification
investments by providing a standard method of determining training needs and
measuring results.
A November 2006 IDC study found that team performance increases when each new
team member becomes certified—every time.
• For each new team member who becomes a Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP),
team performance increases every time.
• The skill level of a team is directly responsible for how an organization
performs in several key IT functional areas.
• When you increase the concentration of Microsoft certified team members on a
team, you directly affect team performance.
• On average, MCPs make up 40 percent to 55 percent of top performing teams.
• Seventy-five percent of managers believe that certifications are important to
team performance.
• Sixty-six percent of managers believe that certifications improve the level of
service and support offered to customers.
• "…for each additional member of a team certified, team performance increases.
Whether the increase is
from 37 percent to 38 percent of the team being certified or from 60 percent to
61 percent of the team, the team performance increases overall." IDC, Value of
Certification: Team Certification and Organizational Performance, November 2009
MCITP Online Training –
MCITP Online Certification –
MCITP Online Exams