Microsoft's MCSA will be the next big certificatio. Review on Microsoft MCSA

Bookstores should make room on their shelves for Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator(MCSA) texts. They’ll need it. The MCSA accreditation’s popularity will surpass the MCSE’s. If operating systems are to be rolled out every 18 months, which appears to be Microsoft’s goal, IT professionals will abandon the seven-exam MCSE track. It’s not that they’ve lost interest in a comprehensive certification.

The costs, measured in time and money, are simply too high. Earning an MCSA will require that candidates prove a wide range of expertise on a platform. It’ll also demonstrate that if MCSAs run into an issue they don’t understand, they likely possess the wherewithal and knowledge to obtain and implement a solution. After all, you have to be self-motivated and trainable in order to pass four certification exams. Network administrators constitute one of the largest segments of IT professionals. To earn an MCSA, IT professionals must demonstrate expertise implementing, managing, and troubleshooting existing networks and systems. Candidates are required to pass four exams, all of which are also offered in the MCSE track. Thus, the credibility of the MCSA exams will be instant.

As far as electives go, candidates can choose among a host of Windows 2000/XP/.NET exams as well as Back Office product exams. The demand for network administrators is going to continue to grow. Microsoft, understandably, is going to keep introducing new OSs every couple of years. It doesn’t make sense to me to continue grinding away toward an MCSE when you can prove essential and critical skills with an MCSA. I believe others are going to agree. So much so that I won’t be surprised when MCSAs surpass MCSEs within two years.