Absolutely everyone who has a PC today knows the name Microsoft. Few people haven't been touched by Microsoft software and operating-systems, & with the MS world-wide educational and school programs, it is likely that no-one from now on will be able to evade them even if they wanted to. Now thirty five years of age, 'Microsoft' came to prominence in the 1980's by dominating the home marketplace for Computer Operating Systems with first versions of 'Windows'. The operating-systems that people use nowadays are a result of numerous 'evolutions' of Windows between now and then. Through the years 'Microsoft' have developed 'parallel' server-systems - one to use in the home-market, & a corresponding professional edition for commercial use. In network terms, Windows 2000 replaced 'Windows' NT. Next came Server '2003' and the most up-to-date offering: Server 2008. Training on the 'Windows' server Operating-systems has consistently been on offer for the same time that MS have been producing professional qualifications.

With the appropriate quality of training-materials and 24 hr help and support, and also an authorised exam simulation software, an 'MCSA' ought to take approximately 300 to 350 hrs to finish, and the 'MCSE' about 500 to 550 hours. This makes it feasible, when you have experience, to complete all of them through part time learning within eight to twelve months. Without any IT experience it would be unwise to leap straight in. The 'Comptia' A+ & 'Network+' should be viewed as the starting place. Aspects of these qualifications are available on their specific sections on this website, however this should add 200 hrs or six months of part-time study into the mix, maybe even longer.

To be able to accomplish the full MCSA you must pass 4 individual 'MCP' exams ('MCP' stands for Microsoft Certified Professional). Three of these are core examinations that must be taken, and one is what's known as an elective. An extra 'elective' within the range is the 'Comptia' Security+ , which is actually increasingly selected by many trainees instead of a 4th MCP. The MCSE involves 7 MCP examinations, which reflect the increased emphasis upon organisational security, systems-planning & network-design.

There are in addition 2 specialist subjects within the MCSE track - security & messaging. Depending on which initial 7 MCP's are selected, this might call for an extra one or two more MCP exams. This means you should think about exactly which seven you choose with care if you're probably going to specialise in Messaging or Security - appropriate choices will mean 8 instead of 9 examinations. Microsoft also have brought out a Server 2008 MCTS ('Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist') up-grade examination for the MCSA (exam 70/648) and the 'MCSE' (exam 70/649.) We would suggest that you should consider adding the relevant update into your training-package. This won't only future proof you to some extent, but will also offer additional job prospects.

'Windows' NT Operating-systems have become very few and far between, though quite a lot of Windows '2000' are still around. It's actually still early days yet for Windows server 08, with '2003' continuing to be dominant. Since Server 2003 continues to be the top dog in commercial environments, the company's principal qualifications are still based around 2003. The 'Microsoft' 'MCSE' & Microsoft MCSA training programs have changed as time has passed in accordance with the Servers. Currently, both MCSE '2003' & MCSA 2003 are Microsoft's most significant network qualifications. It should though be remembered that upgrade training to server '2008' is imminent, and desirable where attainable.

Despite the fact that the MCSA and the 'MCSE' are frequently discussed within the same career-path, they're genuinely rather different. The 'MCSA' ('Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator') is a certification specially designed for those who plan to get a job in server-administration, networking and senior support work. Mainly the accreditation is an excellent starting point for a Technical Systems Administrator, who will deal with the inner workings of running a small to medium office network. The job is actually perfect for someone who likes working on technical-challenges, as there is certainly a good deal of problem solving with this work. You have quite a lot of variation during the working-day, & because the role necessitates giving support to the network users, there's equally a large amount of connection with colleagues.

The 'Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer' ('MCSE') will prepare you to get a rather more senior management position in project-work, planning & design. This qualification ought to be seriously considered if you have ambitions to be a manager of a network, a project manager, a technical or senior administrator, or a senior IT Security professional. Several less apparent features of a successful MCSE are both leadership and creative skills, because the job can frequently entail large scale problem-solving & personnel together with resource management.