TR: The 10 Best IT Certifications 2010

Here’s a list of the 10 accreditations with the greatest potential for technology support professionals, administrators, and managers seeking employment within consulting firms or small and midsize organizations.

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By Erik Eckel

Just as with many popular arguments — Red Sox v. Yankees, Chelsea v. Manchester United, Ford v. Chevy — IT certifications are popular fodder for debate. Except that certifications, in an IT professional’s microcosm of a world, have a bigger impact on the future. Just which certifications hold the most value today? Here’s my list of the 10 accreditations with the greatest potential for technology support professionals, administrators, and managers seeking employment within consulting firms or small and midsize organizations.

1: MCITP

This best certification list could be built using 10 Microsoft certifications, many of which would be MCITP accreditations. The world runs on Microsoft. Those professionals earning Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP) certification give employers and clients confidence that they’ve developed the knowledge and skills necessary to plan, deploy, support, maintain, and optimize Windows technologies. Specifically, the Enterprise Desktop Administrator 7 and Server Administrator tracks hold great appeal, as will Enterprise Messaging Administrator 2010, as older Exchange servers are retired in favor of the newer platform.

2: MCTS

With operating systems (Windows 2000, 2003, 2008, etc.) cycling through every several years, many IT professionals simply aren’t going to invest the effort to earn MCITP or MCSE accreditation on every version. That’s understandable. But mastering a single exam, especially when available examinations help IT pros demonstrate expertise with such popular platforms as Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Microsoft SQL Server 2008, is more than reasonable. That’s why the Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist (MCTS) accreditation earns a spot on the list; it provides the opportunity for IT pros to demonstrate expertise on a specific technology that an organization may require right here, right now.

3: Network+

There’s simply no denying that IT professionals must know and understand the network principles and concepts that power everything within an organization’s IT infrastructure, whether running Windows, Linux, Apple, or other technologies. Instead of dismissing CompTIA’s Network+ as a baseline accreditation, every IT professional should add it to their resume.

4: A+

Just as with CompTIA’s Network+ certification, the A+ accreditation is another cert that all IT professionals should have on their resume. Proving baseline knowledge and expertise with the hardware components that power today’s computers should be required of all technicians. I’m amazed at the number of smart, intelligent, and seasoned IT pros who aren’t sure how to crack the case of a Sony Vaio or diagnose failed capacitors with a simple glance. The more industry staff can learn about the fundamental hardware components, the better.

5: CSSA

SonicWALLs power countless SMB VPNs. The company’s network devices also provide firewall and routing services, while extending gateway and perimeter security protections to organizations of all sizes. By gaining Certified SonicWALL Security Administrator (CSSA) certification, engineers can demonstrate their mastery of network security essentials, secure remote access, or secure wireless administration. There’s an immediate need for engineers with the knowledge and expertise required to configure and troubleshoot SonicWALL devices providing security services.

6: CCNA

Although SonicWALL has eaten some of Cisco’s lunch, the demand for Cisco skills remains strong. Adding Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) expertise to your resume does no harm and helps convince larger organizations, in particular, that you have the knowledge and skills necessary to deploy and troubleshoot Cisco routing and switching hardware.

7: ACTC

Here’s where the debate really begins. Increasingly, my office is being asked to deploy and administer Mac OS X networks. In the real world, divorced from IT-industry rhetoric, we’re being asked to replace older Windows networks with Mac OS X client-server environments. We’re particularly seeing Apple traction within nonprofit environments. We’ve found the best bet is to get up to speed on the technologies clients are requesting, so it stands to reason that earning Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC) 10.6 accreditation won’t hurt. In fact, developing mastery over Mac OS X Snow Leopard Server will help provide confidence needed to actually begin pursuing Apple projects, instead of reactively responding to client requests to deploy and maintain Apple infrastructure.

8: ACSP

Apple Certified Support Professional (ACSP) 10.6 accreditation helps IT professionals demonstrate expertise supporting Mac OS X client workstations. If you work for a single organization, and that firm doesn’t use Macs, you won’t need this certification. But larger organizations adding Macs due to demand within different departments or consultants working with a wide client base will do well to ensure they have Snow Leopard client skills. The ACSP is the perfect way to prove mastery.

9: CISSP

Unchanged from the last 10 best certifications list, ISC2’s security accreditation for industry professionals with at least five years of full-time experience is internationally recognized for its value and validity. The Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) title demonstrates expertise with operations and network security, subjects that will only increase in importance as legal compliance, privacy, and risk mitigation continue commanding larger organizations’ attention.

10: PMP

I fear organizations begin cutting project managers first when times get tough. Management roles and responsibilities often get passed to technical staff when layoffs occur. Even in challenging economic times, though, IT departments require staff familiar with planning, scheduling, budgeting, and project management. That’s why the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) accreditation makes the list. The cert measures candidates’ expertise in managing and planning projects, budgeting expenses, and keeping initiatives on track. While there’s an argument to place CompTIA’s Project+ certification in this slot, PMI is a respected organization that exists solely to further professional project management and, as such, deserves the nod.

Honorable mentions: MCSE, ITIL, RHCP, Linux+, VCP, ACE, QuickBooks, Security+

In the previous version of this article, readers asked where NetWare certification stands. It’s not on the list. That’s not a mistake. It’s gone the way of BNC connectors, in my opinion. Microsoft owns the market. MCSEs have more value.

ITIL has its place, particularly in larger environments. RHCP (or Linux+) and VCP have roles within enterprises dependent upon Red Hat/Linux and VMware virtualization technologies certainly, but those organizations remain hit or miss.

Acronis’ ACE deserves a look. With some 3 million systems being backed up now by Acronis image software, it would behoove technology professionals to learn how to properly use the software. I think it’s fair to say there’s still some confusion as to the software’s tremendous potential.

SMBs are also demonstrating a surge of interest in QuickBooks technologies. From QuickBooks Point-of-Sale to QuickBooks Enterprise platforms, there’s strong, growing demand for QuickBooks expertise in the field. The company’s growth is impressive. There’s no other way to describe it. In a crappy economy, Intuit’s growing.

Security+, really, is a no brainer, but I’ll get lit up if I include nothing but CompTIA certifications in the top 10 list. However, my advice for anyone entering the industry or even veterans seeking their first accreditations would be to load up on CompTIA certs. How can you go wrong with the manufacturer-independent certifications that demonstrate mastery of fundamentals across a range of topics, including project management, hardware, networking, security, and voice networks? You could do much worse.

A word on the methodology

There’s no double-blind statistically valid data analysis run through a Bayesian probability calculus formula here. I’ve worked in IT long enough, however, and with enough different SMBs, to know what skills we need when the firm I co-own hires engineers and sends technicians onsite to deploy new systems or troubleshoot issues.

Sure, I could have thrown in ITIL to satisfy enterprise professionals, included RHCP to sate the rabid open source crowd, and added VCP to look hip modernizing the list with a virtualization element. But I’m just not seeing the demand for those skills in companies with up to several hundred employees. My firm’s been asked to deploy exactly one Linux server in almost seven years. And we’ve virtualized maybe a dozen systems. Therefore, I feel it would be a disservice to readers to include such accreditations when I see, on a daily basis, vastly greater demand for these other skill sets.

Erik Eckel is president of two privately held technology consulting companies. He previously served as executive editor at TechRepublic. Read his full bio and profile.

Small-business social media adoption lags, and that’s a shame

if at least one-quarter of your customer prospects are spending their time using social media or social networks, SMBs owe it to themselves to be experimenting with these platforms.

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Something like three years ago, I was asked to speak about social media best practices with a group of very tech-savvy small-business owners. The good news is that most of them clearly understood the role that social networks and social media sites could play in the world of marketing. The bad news is that very few of them actually had any formal marketing plans that used social media services.

Fast forward three years later, and I’m sorry to say that this group isn’t exactly alone. Two different studies point up the fact that few small businesses are making active use of technology platforms such as Facebook, Twitter or even the LinkedIn social business network to promote their products and services.

The first set of concrete evidence can be found in research from Hiscox, which is an online insurance company. Its survey found that only 12 percent of small businesses believe that social media promotion is a “must” for their marketing program. Almost half of them don’t have any presence whatsoever, at least for business purposes. Of the ones that do use social media, here’s how things break down:

19% use Facebook
15% use LinkedIn
4% use Twitter

Of those small businesses that DO use social media, close to 30 percent rank a Facebook company page as their most important social media channel.
Back to the tech crowd.
A different study conducted by CompTIA, a technology trade association that includes many IT solution providers and services firms in its membership, found that roughly 35 percent of the small and midsize businesses that it survey about technology adoption are using social media. Another 30 percent said that they plan to begin using it in the next 12 months.
So, the technology industry continues to be on the leading edge of early adoption, which isn’t all that surprising.
Here are the most common uses for social media among the roughly 208 U.S-based small and midsize businesses using social media within CompTIA’s survey:

Communicate special offers (68%)
Build brand awareness (62%)
Respond to customer questions (57%)
Respond to customer complaints (52%)
Solicit customer input (34%)
Understand market dynamics (24%)

The fact is that small businesses using the Internet for marketing activity should be paying very close attention to social media trends. Just this week, Nielsen released its new Social Media Report, which showed that the time that Americans spend on social networks and blogs now represents approximately one-quarter of the total time spent on the Internet. The growth is coming most quickly from mobile Internet users over the age of 55.
There aren’t any hard and fast rules with what succeeds — or fails — in terms of social media best practices. So perhaps that is one reason why some small businesses are staying away in droves. Or perhaps it is simply because many small and midsize businesses don’t have well developed or well resourced marketing programs. Either way, the tendency to overlook social media technologies as a cost-effective way to drive sales, promote brand reputation and spread the word is a shame.

Microsoft bringing Office apps to rival phones?

Exclusive: ‘Not unreasonable to expect OneNote on other platforms’

Microsoft has confirmed to TechRadar that it is evaluating taking other apps from its Windows Phone Office suite and bringing them to other platforms 70-640 Training ..

We spoke to Chris Adams, product manager for Office 2010, on the subject of the Office apps as the iPhone OneNote app is finally released in the UK today.

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Version 1.2 of OneNote for iPhone brings a raft of new features, including searchable notes and the ability to view shared projects on the Apple device.

Not eating itself

However, Adams doesn’t think pushing OneNote further on the alternative platforms will cannibalise the nascent Windows Phone platform:

“I think we’re a while off OneNote being the differentiating factor in mobile product platforms. We want to make sure the [Office] experience fits with the users choice of phone, so if you have an iPhone you get the iPhone experience.”

Adams wouldn’t confirm that platforms like Android or BlackBerry will be getting the same service, but pointed to the like of ActiveSync being offered in rival operating systems as proof Microsoft will push out what the user wants:

“We’ve already got the [Office] partnership with Nokia, announced well before the Windows Phone tie-in, and we’re moving in the direction where we want to help users be more productive – it’s not unreasonable to expect to see OneNote on other platforms.

“We’re evaluating things like adding in editing functionality for Word and PowerPoint documents – working based on user feedback, it could be more about minor edits and tweaks to allow commenting or spelling correction rather than creating a whole presentation on your phone on a train.”

The Microsoft OneNote application is available for free from the App Store for a limited time now, so grab it while you can if you’re a fan of putting pictures and words together in a virtual scrapbook.

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Don’t underestimate work productivity credentials of consumer tablets

Tablets are almost always a supplemental device for SMBs, helping employees stay more closely connected to work issues. The downside is that few companies protect tablets adequately.

The use case for supporting tablet computers within a small or midsize business is increasingly compelling from a productivity standpoint. I can say this with my gut because I rely on one myself to pare down my email frequently throughout the weekends and in the evenings, but I also happen to have backup evidence from two different surveys that I skimmed over the Labor Day weekend.

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It makes me wonder how many thousands of those Hewlett-Packard TouchPads that have been on fire sale for the past few weeks have been purchased by small businesses that — given the rock-bottom purchase price of $99 — don’t really care what happens when they break down. I don’t want to suggest that they are “disposable” but they sure are cheap at that price, so what do you have to lose?

Here’s the thing: Even though the latest generation of tablets have been around roughly 18 months since the introduction of the Apple iPad, almost 40 percent of small and midsize businesses have begun to adopt them, according to annual research on technology adoption trends by CompTIA, a technology trade organization. The research, which was released in July 2011, listed the following as the Top 6 uses:

Light work while traveling (68 percent)
Capture notes during meetings (54 percent)
Making presentations, in lieu of laptop (52 percent)
Point of sale transactions (50 percent)
Demo a product (47 percent)
Communications, in lieu of a smartphone (44 percent)

The base for the CompTIA data is interviews with 390 small and midsize businesses planning to use tablets.
The CompTIA research dovetails with data from Staples Advantage (which sells technology to business accounts) showing that approximately 80 percent of tablet users report having a better “work/life balance” as a result of using a table. There were approximately 200 tablet users surveyed for these results. Here are the primary purchase motivators:

Increased productivity (60 percent)
Staying connected to colleagues or clients (40 percent)
Easy to use because of its portability (90 percent)

Almost all of those surveyed are using tablets in conjunction with another device, not as the primary device.
The downside of tablets, of course, is security. When I chatted with Ed Ludwigson, vice president and general manager of Staples Technology Solutions, he said only about one-third percent of tablet users apparently are taking adequate steps to back up the data on the device. Fewer than 15 percent of them have either encryption or antivirus software on the device, he said.
SMBs need to pay more attention to tablet access control; Staples advocates using cloud-based applications so that data actually isn’t downloaded to the device itself. That way, if it is lost, the potential damage is minimized, Ludwigson said.
The other downside to tablets, in my mind, is that you wind up working around the clock instead of during predefined hours. Then again, that’s probably what most SMBs hope. As someone who MUST keep up with email, I am willing to live what that tradeoff.
See also:

The 10 hottest tablets of 2011
Lenovo to launch the IdeaPad A1, a 7-inch Android tablet for $199
Has HP done a “New Coke” with WebOS and tablets?
HP TouchPad: The calm before… a really long calm
Here come the ultrabooks: Evolution or revolution?
When disaster strikes your PC
Technology is the ultimate SMB leveler and enabler

Windows 8 will run from USB thumb drive

Windows 8 will include a new feature that lets IT administrators provide workers with a portable Windows environment on a USB thumb drive.

Called "Windows To Go," the feature seems aimed at enterprises that want to equip employees with "complete managed Windows images" that they can use to turn a PC into a doppelganger of a secured in-house machine.

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It's not known whether individuals will be able to use Windows To Go for the same purpose, or if the feature is enterprise-only. It's also unclear whether Windows to Go comes with a price tag: One report, based on a briefing with reporters at BUILD on Monday, said that the feature will cost about $50 per seat.

Microsoft declined to provide more information about the feature, which was among those demonstrated to analysts earlier this week, according to Michael Silver of Gartner. Instead, a spokeswoman referred to the short summary of a session at the BUILD Windows conference, which kicked off Tuesday in Anaheim, Calif. with a two-and-a-half-hour demonstration of some of the operating system's key components and changes.

"Windows To Go is a new feature in Windows 8 that enables enterprise administrators to create USB drives containing complete, managed Windows images that users can use to boot and run Windows on any Windows 7 or Windows 8 capable computer," the session summary stated. "Windows To Go makes it possible for employees to use a managed device whether they work from home, a client office or in a free seating environment."

The session will be held Thursday, and will be led by the feature's development lead, Arvind Padole, and its lead program manager, Steve Silverberg.

Padole holds several patents on software licensing technologies. His participation makes sense: Microsoft's emphasis on fighting piracy and its practice of locking a copy of Windows to a specific piece of hardware means the last thing it would want is for the feature to be abused by counterfeiters.

While BUILD attendees get first crack at learning about Windows To Go, others will be able to view a video recording of the session on Microsoft's Channel 9 website, probably by Friday.

Microsoft unveiled the most information so far about Windows 8 during a keynote presentation yesterday by Steven Sinofsky, the president of the Windows division. BUILD will also host more than 270 individual sessions for developers on various aspects of the new operating system.

How to get oracle sql certification?

Every occupation requires some sort of education and training. Whether it’s being a physician, attorney, dentist or engineer, people need to complete some sort of training in order to get into and start working in the occupation. The computer and technology field is no different 70-640 Training .

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There a some steps that a person must complete and get through in order to work in the field. In most cases people who want to become a systems analyst, programmer, developer or database administrator they usually need to complete a degree and/or on the job training. However there is another thing that they can acquire to make themselves more marketable in the job market and that is getting certification. One of the best types of certification is Oracle SQL certification.

Oracle SQL software is primarily a form of database adminsistration software that is quite widespread in many orgainzations. Like other software certification there are steps a person must take to get certified. First an individual needs to determine what particular type of certification they need to satisfy their employers requirements.

Next they need to acquire study materials and go over the books and manuals as well as practice the applications over time to get familiar with the material. Then you need to take the exam through Pearson Vue. During the process you will need to answer matching, filll in the blank and multiple choice questions. The scoring is on a 200-800 scale and you need to get a score of 620 to pass.

Depending on what your objectives are you need to take the right type of exam. Oracle Certifiec Associate is the lowest level and that allows people to be a junior level worker in database administration and applcation development. The highest level is Oracle Java Developer which allows people to be developers and manage larger projects and more demanding tasks. In order to maximize your chances of success in passing the exams, it is very advantageous to take hands on courses through Oracle University Microsoft Free MCTS Training and MCTS Online Training.

Getting certified in Oracle SQL can be a challenging and demanding process but if you get through it you will be on track for much career advancement and higher salaries. Although the process can be tough at times it can also be worthi it as you will have more options and more credibility to employers. It will also make you much more marketable as a professional in many ways.

Google+ Tips: 4 Tools to Boost Your Social Networking Experience

Getting the hang of Google+ and looking for more? Check out these four Google+ tools that let you easily upload photos in bulk, find new people to follow, translate posts and more.

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CIO — While rumors continue to swirl about when the Google+ API will be released to developers, that's not stopping some people from getting in on the Google+ action.

Whether you're just starting out on Google+ or consider yourself an advanced user, more and more Google+ enhancements and add-ons are popping up across the Web.

Here's a look at four new ones that do everything from streamlining bulk photo-uploading to helping you increase your network reach.

1. Google+ Photo Importer for iPhone
If you store your photos on multiple sites such as Facebook, Flickr, Instagram or Photobucket, there's a new download available in the Apple App Store that lets you upload 100 photos in less than a minute to your Google+ account. This tool is especially handy if you plan on shifting your social networking focus to Google+.

The Google Plus Photo Importer by Dropico costs 99 cents, and while uploads I tested generally took longer than the advertised 60 seconds, it was still impressively fast.

10 Google+ tips for Beginners
Google+ Privacy: 5 Settings You Need to Know

2. Find People on Google+
Looking for more connections on Google+? While its own search feature only lets you find people by name, you can dig a bit deeper to find groups of people with certain characteristics at FindPeopleOnPlus.

Here, you can not only search for people by name, but you can also search by profession, location, relationship status, gender, education, employer, occupation and more, which makes growing your network and tailoring it to your needs a lot easier.

You can also choose to add yourself to its directory. This will keep your FindPeopleOnPlus profile updated and in-synch with your Google+ profile.

3. PlusClout
Akin to Klout.com, a site that measures your social media influence, PlusClout measures the influence a user has on Google+ and rates it from 0 to 100.

When you visit the site, PlusClout will ask you to insert your Google+ ID in order to generate your score. Your ID is the string of numbers that appear in the URL of your profile page.

PlusClout says that while its formula is still evolving, right now it calculates your number based on 15 million public Google+ profiles and items shared, such as posts, comments, +1s, the number of followers you have and the frequency and volume of information sharing.

You can also browse people with the highest PlusClout in categories such as bloggers, designers, entrepreneurs and the most-followed users on Google+. Click on any of these names and you will see their current PlusClout score, a graph of their score over the last five days, and websites associated with that person.
4. Google Translate for Google+

If you want to connect with people from around the world but find that language is a barrier, this is a must-download Google Chrome extension.

Google Translate for Google+ is a powerful tool that inserts a button into your Google+ streams, letting you quickly interpret a chunk of foreign text.