I tell you, I don’t know where I’ve been lately, but I came pretty close to missing out on this one. Today is the launch date for Windows Server 2008!

Also included in this launch is SQL Server 2008 and Visual Studio 2008. Microsoft is hosting launch events all over the World, and I’ve heard they usually give out some decent swag there too.

If, like me, you just can’t get away for one of these events, you can visit the launch web site, titled “Heroes happen {here}”. They have a “Virtual Launch Experience site, where you can see key notes and other neat things.

I’ll have to admit that, like Vista, I wasn’t really waiting for Server 2008 to come out. I didn’t have a whole lot of anticipation built up, and although I’ve installed it a couple of times, mostly release candidates, I just haven’t had much time to play with it. It doesn’t help Server 2008′s cause that I’m really a big fan of Windows Server 2003, and to be honest, it works extremely well. So I’m in no hurry to replace it.

Wait a Second, did I mention the Virtual Launch experience?

Yes, I sure did (third paragraph), but that was before I took a look at it. Holy Cow did Microsoft go to a lot of trouble to set the Virtual Launch Experience site up. Not only is the site really slick looking, almost like a virtual tour, all of the sessions are viewable from the site, including the keynote. You can bookmark sites, and even put content into your “BackPack”, which you can then download later. Pretty neat!

Does this mean anything for Microsoft Certifications?

If you are one of those types who goes chasing certifications, then this is also a milestone for you, since the products that will enable you to get the new Microsoft certifications are now available. Now you can get some hands on experience with them.

If you already hold a Microsoft Certification on Server 2003, then you can upgrade, or keep going with other certifications, but in my book, this is a good time for those who don’t currently hold any Microsoft Certifications.

Once you take and pass one of Microsoft’s tests, the clock starts ticking. When the product you are certified on goes away, you have to take an upgrade test, or take a totally new test. Either way, that means you have to start studying again.

With 2008 just being released, then that should mean you have a bit of time before you have to worry about it. Since Microsoft has re-structured their certifications, I was waiting for Server 2008 to finally be released until I considered doing anything.

As with any product release, I’m really curious to see what the word is about compatibility, and if anyone runs into issues with it.

Posted in Certifications, Development, Microsoft, Server 2003, Server 2008, Windows No Comments »

  Ok, maybe this is a cheesy way to get a post out, but I have a awful lot of links that I wanted to mention, and I spent much of the weekend hip deep in my Jeep, replacing a valve cover gasket. Doesn’t sound too hard, except that a small portion of the engine in under the firewall (not a computer security device). But enough of my woes… 

- Phil over at Thought Sparks, started posting a CSS tutorial. This week he posted Part 1 – The Body Tag and Part 2 – Horizontal Tabs. Really good stuff.

- I also joined Pownce this week, and I really like it. Combination mini-blog meets chat meets email. Really a cool idea. If you are on Pownce, let me know.

- Yesterday, I found Secure Cyber. What a great site! The author commented on my post about chasing Microsoft Certifications, it turns out he has been in the IT field just a wee bit longer than me, and he has really written some great stuff. Great resource for IT pros.

- I found out about Free Remote Access with Log Me In. They give away the free remote access so that you’ll want to buy their other products. Always a winning deal for me. I saw it in Redmond Mag.

- I spent a little bit of time looking for an online To Do list service, I settled on “Remember the Milk“, but don’t take my word for it, check out these “25 to do lists to stay productive“. Going through the list should prove an excellent way of dodging work.

- If you worked your way through that list of to do lists, here is another one over at Tech Crunch. Use it as an excuse to procrastinate some more.

- All right, this is the last “to do” list for this post. If you have your own server or hosting account, you can always install “Task Freak“. It’s open source. It’s GTD.

- Redmond Magazine released their 12th Annual IT Salary Survey (registration required for the full report), and it looks like the IT sector is still doing well. It got me a little curious about some Microsoft certifications though.

I run across a whole bunch of good stuff that I just don’t have to time to do full fledged posts about, but I still want to share it, so I think I’ll start making these roundups a regular feature.

Posted in Certifications, free stuff, How To, Microsoft, Tech-News, Web Tools 2 Comments »

I really liked this picture, it’s from the Microsoft Certification site.

I have been guilty in the past of chasing Microsoft Certifications, heck, any certifications. Today I was looking at Redmond Magazine’s 12th Annual IT Salary Survey (Registration required to view the whole survey), and I didn’t recognize many of the Microsoft Certifications that were listed. Sure, I knew the products that they were talking about, but not the titles.

To be perfectly honest, I haven’t looked at the certification tracks since Microsoft introduced Windows 2000.

So I figure maybe it’s time for me to look at them again. I have already been giving it some thought, because it seems like this would be a really good time to start a certification.

This is because Microsoft just released a new operating system (Vista), and will soon release a new Server Operating System (Windows Server 2008). Not to mention the fact that their product releases have been happening so fast now that they will make your head spin.

So, Why get certified?

Many people like certifications because they can:

- list the titles after their names in their signatures

- find new jobs

- have better job prospects

- show that they have proven themselves on a particular technology

The reason I like them is that you actually have to learn something in order to get certified. Sure, you can memorize test question answers, but that’s only going to get you so far. If you really want to make sure that you are going to pass an exam, you should learn the material.

I am also a huge believer that anything that you learn in a technical discipline, will one day help you understand something in another technical discipline. Really.

In studying and learning for the Windows NT certification, I learned so much, but much of it I had already learned when I was working with Banyan Vines. I bet most of you haven’t heard of Banyan Vines.

Do I need to be Certified?

No, you don’t have to be certified. Currently I’m not. I actually have never had a certification at the time of my hiring for any of my jobs. I do see certifications listed as being required, or at least desirable, in many job postings. Same goes for technology degrees.

The Paper Tiger and a change in the industry

Back when I was getting certifications, the industry was flooded with people who memorized answers, and became certified. When they were hired, their employers, employees, and co-workers soon found out that they did not have any idea of what they were doing. This made certifications less desirable to employers.

This is not to say that everyone who has a certification is a sham.

Over time, the vendors started making their certifications harder to achieve. Questions were really difficult, and tests became adaptive. On some tests, if you answered a question wrong, then you were asked more questions about that topic. I believe that certifications have gained back their credibility.

Danger Will Robinson!

Now there is one tactic that I would not suggest. In this particular salary survey, the top dog expertise is “Identity Integration Server”. I’m sure there are a lot of people out there who are thinking that they would like to earn $104,333 dollars a year.

Guess what, there are a lot of people out there who are thinking that.

Don’t run out and base your career on that technology. I really don’t suggest doing that.

Posted in Career, Certifications, Microsoft 9 Comments »