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Greg Neilson
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Hey Microsoft, Slow Down! |
| It’s becoming very clear to me just how far ahead of the customer base Microsoft is pushing MCSEs to certify/recertify on the Windows 2000 platform. |
| by Greg Neilson |
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5/30/2001 -- I recently upgraded my MCSE certification to Windows 2000, and many of those on my staff are doing the same. However, only one of our clients is seriously working on a deployment at the moment, and in a couple of other cases we have some specially-built laptops with Win2K Professional as needed. That leaves us supporting a lot of Windows NT 4.0 Workstation and Server, and there is little prospect of this changing by the end of the year.
Yet look at the timing of Microsoft’s MCP program. NT 4.0 exams were no longer offered after February (remember, it was originally December 2000, but was extended because of the demands on the testing centers), and MCSEs have only the end of this year to complete their upgrade exam. As a manager planning the professional development of my staff, this is really starting to hurt -- I am being forced to educate staff in Win2K much faster than I would like so that they can retain their MCSE certification.
Like with most organizations, there is a limited amount of time and dollars allowed for education per employee, so I can either choose to blow my budget (a courageous move in these uncertain times!) or, instead, focus on MCSE education -- time I could be using to get them trained in other relevant technologies such as Oracle, SQL Server, Citrix MetaFrame, Linux or vendor server hardware. I don’t deny that I need a base of skilled Win2K professionals as it becomes more prevalent, but I don’t need my entire team skilled on Win2K right now! For most of my team it will probably be Windows 2002 where they finally get their hands dirty with in a production deployment.
I also have some younger, less experienced folk in my team who are moving from a desktop support and deployment role into server-based project work. They would be perfect candidates for NT 4.0 MCSE certification, and they could use the certification to measure the skills they had learned along the way. It is true that the NT 4.0 courses are still being taught, albeit on a drastically reduced timetable, but I really believe that by having people know upfront that they will have to (as is our department policy) pass a certification exam on the course topic afterwards, it ensures they concentrate on learning the material. I know BrainBench and others are still offering NT 4.0 certification, but my preference is for certification exams offered by Microsoft.
From the participants themselves, there also seems to be a degree of anger and resentment towards Microsoft at the hoops they are being forced to jump through to keep their MCSE. This isn’t just my guys – I notice the "Certified Mail"section in the June issue of MCP Magazine is flooded with angry people who aren’t happy about the MCSE re-certification process. I don’t think most people would begrudge having to do an upgrade exam, but it seems the majority have to do four exams (Win2K upgrade exam, design elective plus two further electives), which assumes that they pass the upgrade exam at their only attempt, otherwise they need to complete the entire seven exams in the Win2K stream.
For those of you unhappy about re-certifying at all, I understand the frustration, but I would caution you before you let this anger make your decision about whether or not you'll recertify. I’m not trying to push you either way, but you owe it to yourself and your future to consider the likely benefits and costs in keeping your certification current. Unless you plan on changing career direction in the short term, in time you are going to need to know this material anyway (and probably a great deal more, in truth) to be able to do your job when working with Win2K. Yes, the pace Microsoft set is pushing it, but in this case at least, having to prepare for and take the exams is more of an inconvenience than anything else -- you will use what you learn eventually.
Just for something different, I’ll be talking the LPI Linux Level 1 exams in the coming month (yes, I will be covering these exams for CertCities.com), so I’m looking at this as an opportunity to revise my general Unix skills plus as a structured way to improve my Linux skills. As you’ve probably heard, Windows NT/2000 and Linux are the only operating systems increasing their market share at the moment. I’m not pretending that the certification alone is going to mean anything much (especially to the hardened Linux crowd!), but I’m looking forward to getting my hands dirty and learning something new – and isn’t that why we started in this business anyway?
Is your organization facing the same situation? Post your thoughts on this column below!
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Greg Neilson, MCSE+Internet, MCNE, PCLP, is a Contributing Editor for Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine and a manager at a large IT services firm in Australia. He's the author of Lotus Domino Administration in a Nutshell (O'Reilly and Associates, ISBN 1-56592-717-6). You can reach him at Attn: Greg.
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More articles by Greg Neilson:
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There are 40  user Comments for “Hey Microsoft, Slow Down!”
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Page 2 of 4
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| 6/8/01: Pete says: |
I can't believe I am about to be faced with losing my NT4 MCSE certification, after all the time, sweat, and money I put into it. I'll have to work my tail off to get certified by DEC 2001, even though my organization plans to skip 2000 and go straight to XP. (Believe it or not the majority of MCSE's actually have full time jobs supporting organizations.) Does the December 2001 decertification mean that Microsoft no longer plans to provide any support for NT4 and that all those NT4 systems will cease to function on 1 January 2002? Can we expect the same for 2000 shortly after XP hits the streets? Microsoft is way out of touch if it thinks for a minute that I'll go through this again soon for XP or whatever they come up with next. UNIX and LINUX get more appealing every day. The good news is that I've had plenty of practice, as most of the network tools I use are LINUX based anyway. Can't convince budget folks to spring for SMS, so the open source world has been providing my network tools. I'm getting real good at PERL. |
| 6/11/01: Rob says: |
F*ck Microsoft!!! I am an MCSE NT4 since 2000. My company isn't going to migrate to W2K in the next year, in fact, we are thinkin about Novell for our serverpark. I've worked my ass of to become a NT4 MCSE and now microsoft tells me it isn't worth a dime after december 31 2001. Well in that case, NOVELL here we come!!!!!!!!!!!! |
| 6/11/01: Current MCSE says: |
I agree that our MCSE NT 4 certs should remain effective. But the point I missed for so long is that Microsoft specifically is using that as part of The Plan to Force Obsolesence of its products. They don't make money from correcting old bugs and issues in NT, they make money by convincing buyers that they need the latest thing. If there is not adequate compelling reason to convince people to buy the newest, Microsoft will quit selling, fixing, supporting and certifying for the old. It is time for all of us to tell Microsoft that we don't agree and the only way to do that is to quit funding their agenda. Go open source!!! |
| 6/12/01: Peter says: |
My corporate & consumer customers really do NOT want to spend money to simply entertain the up-coming quarterly profit statements of Microsoft Corp. They have their own rightful budgetary concerns & constraints. The latest print/TV/Media ad campaigns simply piss them off. *smile* For them, Win/95 or NT4 servers or whatever WORK...it is tried & proven, and they just want to get on with producing widgits. Introducing W2K, then W2K01 or XP or XP02 or whatever, into their currently stable environment becomes professionally questionable - especially when we then have to cost-justify replacement hardware boxes to run this wonderful software! (DUH!) Yesssss - I acknowledge the many fixes & goodies added to W2K...etc. (and it is VERY kewl to not have to reboot the server/workstation after Protocol changes!) Howeverrrrr - Novell has been eon's ahead of Microsoft with stable "directory services"; - third-parties have developed stable products that have worked well with, and enhance the value of, Win/NT; - uhmmm...what are Service Packs/Patches/fixes for ? [SP6a has introduced some incredible stability into several "problem" NT servers that I have dealt with] On a heterogeneous network that I am tackling...it is the "NEW" Apple G4's that are dropping Unix connections several times a day - hmmmmmm, the old 9600's are rattling along just fine! Newer is not necessarily "BETTER"...it just adds more complexity into an already crazy equation....sorry, I am digressing... Personally, if I could create a "Toilet Flush & Maintenance Certification" series to generate a pile of bucks, I would do it! [Do you know how many PhDs out there are helpless when confronted by the operation of a toilet?] The marketing premise of Microsoft to push the certification packet to "help seed the corporate community with new product" should eventually explode in their fiscal faces. The end consumers and customers are not necessarily biting. As for me...I've got the "freebie" upgrade voucher - will it be worth it to jump through yet another Microsoft hoop...only to find out that W2K is retired in 2002 for the XP1, XP2, etc series? Dunno yet: a pile of limited $$$ and a huge chunk of my limited time...both "invested" into something that is adding questionable value into the quality of people's lives for the period of a year or two maximum? I'll think about it. Cheers, Peter K PS - I have read the other postings here and am grateful for the expression of "mutual M/S disillusionment"...otherwise, the world would be painted with cute M/S happy-slogans! Besides, I actually feel sorry for the company...they are trying to be & do everything for everybody - a tragic flaw for all parties involved. |
| 6/14/01: Dan says: |
Like I have been saying ever since Microsoft first came out with the announcement about retiring the NT4 MCSE certification, it's all about the money! Microsoft doesn't really give a damn about professionalism. All they care about is making the almighty dollar! Remember, Microsoft gets a cut of the testing fee for EVERY exam taken. If we can all be forced to take more exams, that's more money in Microsoft's bank account. As far as I'm concerned, Microsoft can go piss up a rope! I will not be taking any of their certification exams. |
| 6/14/01: Anonymous says: |
I MCSE 4.0,, and I refuse to let microsoft push me into upgrading. I work for the Govt, and we still have 95 on most desktops..No one wants to pay for the new Licenses. So I am learning UNIX,(solaris/Linux) If i have time to study for MS exams,,then I will..but Knowing Exchange..with Server and TCP/IP Is more than enough to function in todays environments. Why should I take 4 more exams..Then Exchange..maybe SQL...Then upgrade when XP finally comes out. I think MS is blowing this one big time. If i am Solaris certified,,,I will recommend Solaris products..etc. You can be a great General... but if you don't command the respect of you soldiers YOU are DONE..FOR...If you are working in the (real world)market Most IT managers want to know that you can do the Job...A MCSE or Any degree proves nothing.. except that you can READ. Most IT divisions have a particular way they run things,,and they train you from Ground Zero..you barely have time to keep up with all the changes they make...and most run multiple OS platforms..AIX,,OS/2,,QUNIX , Netware , So I guess the real question is ? What makes microsoft think that they can demand 100% of my time? I fell for Microsofts Line once...It will not happen again.. I guess there is only one GOD and his name is Bill Gates *****Yeah! Right |
| 6/15/01: Bill says: |
I had just finished my certs for NT4.0 then 2000 came ur. Now it is WinXP. I have worked very hard and spent a ton to get where I am at now. Now you want me to press for XP. Like many of the other submitters, I also work for the Govt on contract and am having a hard time moving to the latest and greatest. Is it necessary? Bugets are getting slimmer and harder to come by. Talents in new hires are even harder to come by. I hate to say it but Microsoft is only looking at the $$$ and not the impact on the many business that use their product. I for one am recommending to switch products if the present pattern does not change. I may only support 500 or so systems but word of mouth travels fast in these days and tiems!!! |
| 6/15/01: BRYAN says: |
This whole certification rat race has gotten out of control.There are still a lot of companies out there that still use NT 4.0,many of them are beginning to get comfortable with it.I am not happy with Microsoft making MCSEs' feel that by the end of this year that certification status is no longer valid.One thing that they can't take away from us is the knowledge that we've gained.I will sure as hell call myself an MCSE after December 31st.As far as Windows 2000 goes,I will take the accelerated exam,but if I fail it I will just take the Windows 2000 Pro to at least certify me as an MCP and I'll take my time upgrading my skills to Windows 2000. |
| 6/15/01: Anonymous says: |
I think the changes help improve the quality of MCSEs. As a matter of fact I think the MCSE 2k exams should also cover NT materials as well. Cisco requires CCIEs to recertify with a written test every two years per CCIE specialization which includes current changes in technologies as well as the older technology. I get tired of interviewing people with MCSE4, and finding they have no experience or retention. I think Microsoft should make the exams more difficult and include documented experience to become Certified or a very challenging lab. A Professional Engineer must have so many years of documented experience before he or she can even take the exam for a P.E. I also think Microsoft should disqualify all people who use/buy from sources like TroyTech and Braindumps, etc. After failing one of my exams a friend showed me her Troytech study guide. It was too close to the actual test not to considered it as cheating. The bottom line is that Microsoft had to do this to retain it reputation and slow down the abuse with the certification, it could be much much worse. My 18+ years of experience and college degree gets in the job, but my certifications open the door. |
| 6/15/01: Mohammad says: |
Suppose that it is 2002, and you are a company with NT4 systems in place. You intend to hire an admin for your network. What if you hire an MCSE (2000 track) who started with win2k and did not have experience in administration of Windows NT? So i think that whenever a new OS/Service/Programming language comes out, the previous certifications should remain in place, just with another title, say "NT 4", "Windows 2000", "Windows 2002". Another important aspect is the PHILISOPHY OF CERTIFICATION. Does certification mean that you have read the exam guides, used test samples and paid for the exams? I do not agree. I think that it is a proof for your knowledge and experience. Knowledge and experience is not something that you have it on Dec 31th 2001, but loose it on the next day, Jan 1st 2002. |
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