More Microsoft Certification Changes- MOS = MCAS for Office 2007

Welcome to alphabet soup! In our latest installment, Microsoft has updated the MOS (Microsoft Office Specialist) certification to MCAS (Microsoft Certified Application Specialist) for Office 2007 products. The acronym change itself is not the only change to the actual certification.

MOS Certification for Office 2000, XP and 2003 contained three levels: Specialist, Expert and Master. In order to attain MOS Specialist Certification, you need to pass any one of the core exams (Word, Excel, Access, Outlook or PowerPoint). In order to attain the Expert level, candidates had to pass one of the expert level exams for Word or Excel. To attain Master level MOS certification, candidates had to pass three exams- the two core Master exams for Word and Excel plus one specialist exam for either Access, Outlook or PowerPoint.

The new MCAS Certification is streamlined- there is only one certification level for each of the exams for Word, Excel, Access, Outlook, PowerPoint and Vista. However, candidates can earn multiple MCAS certifications on the different office products.

People holding the MCAS and MOS credentials demonstrate advanced level of skill and proficiency on Microsoft Office Products, making this an ideal certification for business professionals.

Skills Increasing In Demand

According to a recent survey of more than 3500 IT managers by CompTIA, mobile and RF technology is the skill that is expected to increase in demand the most in the next five years, particularly in the healthcare and education industries.

Other skills expected to grow in importance in the next five years include Web-based technologies (such as Web 2.0, Service Oriented Architecture, Software-as-a-Service, Rich Internet Applications, and AJAX) and specific programming languages.

What does this mean for IT professionals? To stay ahead, and ensure a viable career, consider specializing in the skills expected to grow–mobile wireless technology, web-based technologies or specific programming languages. Good certifications to consider include CompTIA’s Network+, CWNA, and Microsoft MCTS and MCPD.

Certification and the IT Skills Gap

A recent research study released by CompTIA, the Computing Technology Industry Association, found skills gaps in several key IT areas.

When comparing reported proficiency in skills to the importance of those skills, the skill with the widest “gap” in proficiency is security/firewalls/data privacy.

The same study found that, according to respondents, the skill that is expected to grow most in importance over the next five years is RF mobile / wireless technology (39% say it will be important one year from now vs. 55% say it will be important five years from now).

What does this mean for IT professionals? Certification can fill the skills gap and prove to hiring managers that you have not only demonstrated a certain level of knowledge but have also taken the initiative to learn and get certified.

What certifications are right for you given these major skills gaps? It depends on your job function and role. If you are interested in IT Security consider the following: EC-Council Security5, CompTIA Security+, MCSE Security, MCSA Security and EC-Council CEH.

Interested in Mobile/ Wireless Technologies? Consider a certification like CWNA.

New Microsoft Certifications for Desktop Support

With the launch of the it’s next generation certifications and the Vista Operating System, Microsoft has begun what may become the gradual phase-out of the popular MCDST Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician certification, although no exams have been slated for retirement yet.

Two new MCITP certification tracks specifically for Desktop Support on Windows Vista are now available.

Microsoft MCBDA, MCAD and MCSD Exams Retiring in 2009

If you were considering it, now is the time to get your MCAD , MCDBA, or MCSD certifications. Microsoft announced on March 31,2008 that the following exams will be retiring on March 31,2009.

• Exam 70-300: Analyzing Requirements and Defining Microsoft .NET Solution Architectures
• Exam 70-301: Managing, Organizing, and Delivering IT Projects by Using Microsoft Solutions Framework 3.0
• Exam 70-305: Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET
• Exam 70-306: Developing and Implementing Windows-based Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET
• Exam 70-310: Developing XML Web Services and Server Components with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET and the Microsoft .NET Framework
• Exam 70-315: Developing and Implementing Web Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET
• Exam 70-316: Developing and Implementing Windows-based Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET and Microsoft Visual Studio .NET
• Exam 70-320: Developing XML Web Services and Server Components with Microsoft Visual C# and the Microsoft .NET Framework
• Exam 70-330: Implementing Security for Applications with Microsoft Visual Basic .NET
• Exam 70-340: Implementing Security for Applications with Microsoft Visual C# .NET
• Exam 70-228: Installing, Configuring, and Administering Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition
• Exam 70-229: Designing and Implementing Databases with Microsoft SQL Server 2000 Enterprise Edition

The MCAD , MCDBA, or MCSD certifications will not retire or be removed from your transcript when these exams do, but you will no longer be able to earn them if one of your required exams retires. This means you have one year to study and complete the exams for your certification.

For those deciding between your MCAD/MCSD or the next gen MCPD certification, keep in mind that upgrading to MCPD for .NET 2.0. only takes 1-2 exams, depending on the certification you hold and the track you decide to take. As many companies are slow to adopt the newest technologies and the older certifications are more currently more widely recognized by HR departments and hiring managers, this may be your best option.