MICROSOFT CERTIFICATIONS YOUR BLUEPRINT TO SUCCESS Visar Ramajli MS Department Manager Company: CACTTUS

1. MICROSOFT CERTIFICATIONS YOUR BLUEPRINT TO SUCCESSVisar RamajliMS Department ManagerCompany: CACTTUS

2. Agenda • Customers value certification • Why certify? • Certification leads to higher productivity • Microsoft certification paths • IT Professional certifications • Developer certifications • Microsoft Skills Assessment and Practice Tests • Learning cycle for success • Steps to certification

3. CUSTOMERS VALUE CERTIFICATION • “Preparation for certifications requires that you cover all aspects of the product or technology you're studying, and this often means that you cover things that you didn't know existed in the product or technology. For new technologies, it is also often difficult to determine what you should be looking at. This is where the exam guidelines are crucial, because they ensure that you concentrate on the right things.” • Jonathan Blair, MCSD for .NET • Edinburgh, Scotland “Becoming certified on Windows 2000 really helped turn things around for me. It meant I was being taken more seriously by employers and colleagues alike. It’s a true measure of your skill, of what you know—it’s not just a ‘paper’ certification. And from a financial standpoint, Microsoft certification is gold; it helps you to get great financial rewards.” Jamie Barry, MCP Manchester, England “Microsoft certification has helped my career; it has given me credibility and opened doors. I am using my certification to teach classes, to do IT consulting for companies, and to publish articles.” Leticia Banffy, MCSA, MCSE, MCT Sao Paulo, Brazil

4. WHY CERTIFY? Improved project delivery Less unscheduled downtime Less external support Higher end user satisfaction

5. Helps you assess, acquire, and maintain job-relevant skills Structure Recognition Enable and advance your career with proven job-role expertise with the most industry-recognized, job-relevant certifications Community Be a part of a worldwide community of experts where you can participate and learn in newsgroups, Web chats, and other events Benefits Special access to reference and learning tools, and other special offers MICROSOFT CERTIFICATIONPROVIDES VALUE TO INDIVIDUALS The most effective, efficient way to prove the skills you have gained.

6. Higher Productivity Improves project delivery, reduces downtime, and improves satisfaction Provides a reliable benchmark for hiring, developing, and retaining talented staff Skills Validation Reduces external support costs through greater self-sufficiency Reduced Support MICROSOFT CERTIFICATION HELPS YOU PROVIDE VALUE TO ORGANIZATIONS The most reliable way to know that your IT staff is qualified.

7. BRING HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY TO YOUR ORGANIZATION 70% of partners consider certified staff more productive IDC Study, December 2002

8. BRING HIGHER PRODUCTIVITY TO YOUR ORGANIZATION As the percentage of Microsoft Certified staff within the IT organization increases: More projects are deployed on time and within budget Unscheduled downtime decreases End user satisfaction increases Source: Value of Microsoft Training and Certification, Burlington, April 2003

9. YOU CAN SUPPORT YOUR ORGANIZATION As the percentage of Microsoft Certified staff within an IT organization increases, a smaller percentage of the annual IT budget is spent on ad-hoc external IT support Source: Value of Microsoft Training and Certification, Burlington, April 2003

10. MICROSOFT CERTIFICATION PATHS

11. IT PROFESSIONAL CERTIFICATIONS

12. TECHNOLOGY LIFECYCLE:WHERE DO CERTIFICATIONS FIT IN? PLAN DESIGN IMPLEMENT MANAGE MAINTAIN SERVER / NETWORK CLIENT / DESKTOP

13. MCDST, MCSA, OR MCSE: WHICH CERTIFICATION IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

14. FOCUS ON MESSAGING WITH SPECIALIZATIONS • MCSA: Messaging • Identifies systems administrators who implement, manage, and maintain a messaging infrastructure using Microsoft Exchange Server. • MCSE: Messaging • Identifies systems engineers who design, plan, implement, manage, and maintain a messaging infrastructure using Microsoft Exchange Server. • Candidates typically have at least one year of experience deploying a Microsoft Exchange Server environment on the Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 operating system.

15. FOCUS ON SECURITY WITH SPECIALIZATIONS • MCSA: Security • Identifies systems administrators who specialize in managing, maintaining, and implementing security on the Windows platform and as part of a secure computing environment. • MCSE: Security • Identifies systems engineers who specialize in designing, planning, and implementing security on the Windows platform and as part of a secure computing environment. • Certification candidates are systems administrators and systems engineers who typically have at least one year of experience in a security-focused job role.

16. DEVELOPER CERTIFICATIONS

17. PRODUCT DEVELOPMENT CYCLE TIMELINE DESIGN ANALYZE DEVELOP TEST DEPLOY MAINTAIN

18. MCAD OR MCSD: WHICH CERTIFICATION IS RIGHT FOR YOU?

19. www.microsoft.com/assessment ASSESS YOUR SKILLS What is Microsoft Skills Assessment? • Objective, test-based diagnostic learning tool. • Free, online, unproctored delivery • Tells you if you’re ready to implement or manage a given Microsoft solution • Determines skills gaps, recommends learning plans with Official Microsoft Learning Products, along with other content suggestions

20. Evaluate Secure Migrate Deploy Evaluate Analyze Communicate Evaluate Develop for Windows Develop for Web Evaluate Deploy Manage Implement ASSESSMENTS AVAILABLE TODAY See more information at www.microsoft.com/assessment

21. PRACTICE TESTS • Practice tests help you determine if you are ready to take a certification exam. • Microsoft Certified Practice Test Providers (PTPs) help MCP candidates select the highest quality products and services. • Microsoft performs quality reviews on all PTP practice tests, and only approved PTPs bear the Microsoft Certified Practice Test Provider logo. • In addition to practice tests, PTP services include: • Exam results reported by objective. • Feedback for each question, with study suggestions. • Large question pools with random presentation of question and answer choices. • For more information, visit:http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcpexams/prepare/practicetests.asp

22. LEARNING CYCLE FOR SUCCESS

23. STEPS TO CERTIFICATION……AND YOUR SUCCESS! • Decide which certification is right for you • Gain hands-on experience with Microsoft products and solutions • Supplement your experience with training • Review exam preparation guide • Take a practice test • Register for an exam www.microsoft.com/learning/mcpexams/prepare

24. Certifications in depth.

25. GAIN NEW SKILLS WITH OFFICIAL MICROSOFT LEARNING PRODUCTS • Microsoft Official Course • Microsoft Official Workshop • Microsoft Official Clinic • Microsoft Official Seminar

26. LEARN AT YOUR OWN PACE WITH MICROSOFT PRESS BOOKS • Microsoft Press books provide an additional way to learn technology skills. • Self-paced training is a good take-home solution for reference and supplements classroom learning. • For information on certification book titles, visit www.microsoft.com/mspress/certification

27. Tier 4 Tier 3 Tier 2 Tier 1 IT PROFESSIONAL AUDIENCE TAXONOMY Windows Core Audience Focus Tier 4, Architect - Strategic: Analyzes, designs enterprise as a whole. Budget and purchase decisions. Collaborates with business departments. Tier 4 Tier 3, Engineer - Tactical: Analyzes and designs within single technology. Implements technology. Handles complex troubleshooting, escalations from Admins. Tier 3 Tier 2, Administrator - Operational: Day to day Server and software troubleshooting. Performs operating system management and support. Tier 2 Tier 1, Help Desk- Support: Day to day client OS, application, hardware troubleshooting. Follows prescriptive guidelines. End user phone support Tier 1

28. Duties Technologies JOB TASK ANALYSIS:JOB TASK MATRIX NOTE: The above matrix directly defined exam and course assignment

29. Productive Dependable Connected Best Economics WINDOWS SERVER 2003 DELIVERS Easier to deploy, configure and manage End-to-end securitygreater reliability andincreased performance Quickly build and deploy connected solutions Leverage extensivepartner solution resources to maximizing business opportunity

30. CERTIFICATION REQUIREMENTS AND LEARNING RESOURCES

31. MCDST

32. Target audience: Job role represents an entry point into a career as an IT professional. Candidates work in small- to medium-sized computing environments Support end-users that use Microsoft Windows XP Professional or Windows 2000 Professional as a desktop operating system. Typical job titles for MCDST: Help Desk Technician Customer Support Representative PC Support Specialist Technical Support Representative Experience: MCDST is an entry-level certification Have completed technical training on supporting Windows XP Professional and Windows 2000 Professional ORHave a minimum of six months of experience supporting and trouble-shooting any desktop operating system in a workgroup or domain network environment. Exam requirements: 2 core exams MCDST AT A GLANCE

33. MCSA

34. Target audience: IT professionals who manage and maintain networks and systems based on the Microsoft Windows Server operating system. Typical job titles for MCSA: Network Administrator Systems Administrator Information Technology Engineer Information Systems Administrator Network Technician Experience: An MCSA candidate should have sufficient, hands-on experience with: Implementing, managing, and maintaining a desktop operating system Implementing, managing, and maintaining a network operating system Managing and maintaining a network infrastructure Exam requirements: 3 core exams 1 elective exam MCSA AT A GLANCE

35. MCSA: SECURITY

36. Target audience: Experienced systems administrators who are responsible for managing, maintaining, and implementing security on Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 and as part of a secure computing environment. Typical job titles for MCSA: Network Administrator Systems Administrator Technical Support Engineer Information Systems Administrator Network Technician Experience: Candidates should have at least one year of experience in a security-focused job role. Exam requirements: 3 core exams 2 security specialization exams MCSA: SECURITY AT A GLANCE

37. MCSA: MESSAGING

38. Target audience: Experienced systems administrators who are responsible for implementing, managing, and maintaining messaging on Exchange Server on Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003. Typical job titles for MCSA: Network Administrator Systems Administrator Technical Support Engineer Information Systems Administrator Network Technician Experience: Candidates should have at least one year of experience in administering an Exchange Server infrastructure. Exam requirements: 3 core exams 1 messaging specialization exam MCSA: MESSAGING AT A GLANCE

39. MCSE

40. Target audience: IT professionals who analyze the business requirements and design, plan, and implement the infrastructure for business solutions based on the Microsoft Windows Server System integrated server software. Typical job titles for MCSE: Systems Engineer Technical Support Engineer Systems Analyst Network Analyst Technical Consultant Experience: MCSE candidates should have at least one year of experience planning, implementing, and analyzing business solutions with Microsoft products and technologies. Exam requirements: 6 core exams 1 elective exam MCSE AT A GLANCE

41. UPGRADE FROM MCSE ON WINDOWS 2000 Two exams required Exam 70-292: Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSA Certified on Windows 2000 Exam 70-296: Planning, Implementing, and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment for an MCSE Certified on Windows 2000 UPGRADE FROM MCSE ON WINDOWS NT 4.0 Six exams required Elective exam requirement satisfied with MCSE on Windows NT 4.0 certification UPGRADE FROM MCSA ON WINDOWS 2000 Four exams required Exam 70-292 Exam 70-293 AND Exam 70-294 Exam 70-297 OR Exam 70-298 EXAM UPGRADE PATHS TO MCSE ON WINDOWS SERVER 2003

42. MCSE: SECURITY

43. Target audience: Experienced systems engineers who are responsible for designing, planning, and implementing security on Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 and as part of a secure computing environment. Typical job titles for MCSE: Systems Engineer Information Technology Engineer Systems Analyst Network Analyst Technical Consultant Experience: Candidates should have at least one year of experience in a security-focused job role. Exam requirements: Windows 2000 track 4 core exams 3 security specialization exams Windows Server 2003 track 5 core exams 3 security specialization exams MCSE: SECURITY AT A GLANCE

44. MCSE: MESSAGING

45. Target audience: Experienced systems engineers who are responsible for designing, planning, and implementing an Exchange Server infrastructure on Microsoft Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003. Typical job titles for MCSE: Systems Engineer Information Technology Engineer Systems Analyst Network Analyst Technical Consultant Experience: Candidates should have at least one year of experience administering an Exchange Server infrastructure. Exam requirements: Windows 2000 track: 5 core exams 2 messaging specialization exams Windows Server 2003 track: 6 core exams 2 messaging specialization exams MCSE: MESSAGING AT A GLANCE

46. MCAD

47. Target audience: Developers who create and maintain department-level applications, components, Web or desktop clients, or back-end data services. Typical job titles for MCAD: Programmer Programmer/Analyst Software Developer Experience: MCAD candidates typically have at least one to two years of work experience in software development. Exam requirements: 2 core exams 1 elective exam MCAD AT A GLANCE

48. MCSD

49. Target audience: Advanced developers who design and develop leading-edge enterprise solutions with Microsoft development tools, technologies, and the Microsoft .NET Framework Typical job titles for MCSD: Software Engineer Application Analyst Software Architect Consultant Experience: MCSD candidates typically have at least two years of experience. Exam requirements: Visual Studio 6.0 track: 3 core exams 1 elective exam Microsoft .NET track: 4 core exams 1 elective exam MCSD AT A GLANCE

50. DATABASE ADMINISTRATOR CERTIFICATION