The Tekblog

2008 is going to be one of the biggest years for change that technology professionals have yet faced; changes that are certainly going to rival in magnitude, the forced-shift that technology providers had to make to stay alive several years back when retailers and lower-tech providers died out. The Hampton Roads area has seen so many technology providers “die”.

Comp-u-Zoo
Micro-Max
Galaxy-Computers
Memory Bank
Lynnhaven Custom Computers
East Coast Computers
III

The list goes on…It’s going to get harder and harder to “fake it” as the advancements in technology are growing so fast, a fundamental understanding of how everything is “put together” is requisite. A shift to the Microsoft Live services that will be bundled with SBS 08 and Windows Essential Server move people closer to truly “working from the cloud”.

Why am I saying this? Well, I met some MCTs this afternoon (Microsoft Trainers) and they were telling me about the “Next Gen” certifications that Microsoft is offering. One of the problems that the Microsoft certs have had in the past are that they don’t address the reality that there is a HUGE difference in administering a network of 1,000+ users and a network of 10 – 700 users or being an Exchange Administrator vs. an infrastructure or “routing guy”. Check-out the following website; I think this training could seriously benefit any technician or technical organization. You will notice that the new “top tier” certification is MCSA or Microsoft Certified Systems Architect. They also retain specific job-role targeted certifications.

I think this is a step in the right direction for Microsoft Certifications and an indicator of the obvious, coming changes.