12/10/2003 -- As part of our annual reader survey we ask you to share your take on the best certifications out there. What programs are getting it right? What titles are most valuable for IT pros? What are the best resources and resource providers?

While there are many titles deserving accolades, below you’ll find your picks for this year’s best and brightest. Our congratulations to all of this year’s winners and finalists.

Most Respected High-Level Certification
Winner: Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE)
Finalists: Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE), (ISC)2 Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

Once again, Cisco’s CCIE title tops your list as the most respected IT certification, thanks to the almost legendary difficulty of the title’s grueling full-day lab exam as well as the global reach of the technology the exam tests.

"Cisco has kept the CCIE relevant and challenging to accomplish," commented Brown McFadden, a lead networking instructor in Washington, N.C. “Therefore, it remains with low numbers and is a respected cert."

Obtaining this title has been known to aspire nothing less than awe in co-workers. “For what the candidate has to go through to obtain this certification, it is, without question, the most difficult and the most challenging certification to obtain,” said reader Carl Gullang from Aurora, Ill. “Those who do succeed in obtaining it, I consider to be highly skilled, highly trained professionals, and they have nothing but my admiration and respect."

Microsoft titles may not feature a hands-on lab, but the MCSE still secured a solid second-place showing again this year. "The Windows 2000 MCSE and Windows 2003 MCSE are much more difficult than the older NT 4.0 MCSE," Curtis Spanburgh, a senior systems engineer from San Diego, Calif., said of his vote.

Microsoft’s universality also doesn’t hurt: “Microsoft has one of the highest installed user bases of any software provider, so the need for and recognition of Microsoft certification is high." commented one reader. "MCSE is their marquee certification and the one that has been around the longest.”

And we all know security is hot, which may be one reason (ISC)2’s CISSP beat out last year’s finalist, Sun’s Certified Java Architect, for the second finalist spot. Many of you cited the breadth of knowledge covered in the title’s six-hour exam as well as the stringent experience requirement (four years direct work experience, or three with a college degree) as reasons for this title’s respect in the industry.

“I feel as a network administrator that CISSP is one of the most crucial certifications one can hold,” said one reader. “Without security, nothing else is important and will soon be compromised.”

Best Entry-Level Certification
Winner: CompTIA A+
Finalists: Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA)

Last year, Microsoft’s MCP was your favorite in this category. But this year A+, CompTIA’s vendor-neutral title for hardware technicians, pulled ahead to take the winner position.

“Comptia’s A+ is without question the 'foundation stone' on which all other certifications can be built on,” commented Gullang. “A+ covers a capsule summation of both hardware and software skills, making it the very first certification anyone in IT should seek to obtain.”

“Many entering the field only know computers from an end-user perspective,” said Mary Robinson, a reader from St. Petersburg, Fl., who holds the title. “Many IT jobs require troubleshooting both hardware and software, and A+ gives the baseline knowledge for that.”

Or as Mark Gabryjelski, a systems engineer from Bedford, N.H., put it: “If you can't work with base-level hardware or even core OS revisions...how can you be good in any other part of this field?”

Despite a finalist finish this year, Microsoft’s MCP title is still going strong, in part due to the reach of Windows. “Microsoft is widely used, and the MCP gives you the basics,” said Scott Gagielo, an MCSE candidate from Poway, Calif.

Its visibility among hiring managers doesn’t hurt either. Another reader said he picked it as the best entry-level certification “because it's listed on almost all job ads. Even though a lot of people have it, it's a must-have piece of paper."

Cisco’s CCNA title also made a strong showing in this category. For those working with the company’s networking hardware, it’s the first certification to achieve.

Of course, a combination of the above might not hurt. “Actually I'd say CCNA and A+ together,” McFadden commented. “I feel these give a wide range of knowledge that an entry-level tech needs.”

Best Mid-Level Networking Certification
Winner: Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA)
Finalists: Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), CompTIA Network+

This is the second year in a row you’ve voted Microsoft’s MCSA as the best mid-level networking title to have.

“[The MCSA] gives the best support knowledge and most useful troubleshooting skills in a Microsoft network, the most popular at the moment, without having to take too many exams,” explained Nick Williams, a desktop support officer from Brisbane, Australia.

Said another reader, “MCSA requires a certain level of competence that is more difficult to fake."

As some voters pointed out, the popularity of Microsoft’s software doesn’t hurt the title’s appeal. One reader said he voted for the MCSA because, “Microsoft is so widely used. Otherwise Novell or Linux would be more valuable and may become so in the next few years.”

Cisco’s CCNP title once again made a strong second-place showing. “Infrastructure is the backbone of communication,” explained Jeffery Watson, a field service technician stationed in Osan, Korea. “The CCNP gives in-depth knowledge of the different technologies available.”

Another reader concurred, stating, “This certification is difficult to obtain. You need to know a lot about a wide variety of devices.”

Taking the third spot in this category is CompTIA’s Network+ exam. Many of you appreciated this title’s vendor-neutral approach. “This certification shows ability without regard to a specific brand of technology,” explained Larry Porter, a networking services consultant in Akron, Ohio.

Best Developer Certification
Winner: Microsoft Certified Solutions Developer
Finalist: Sun Certified Java Developer

According to your picks, if you’re looking for a top developer certification, look to Microsoft’s MCSD.

One reader said he voted for the MCSD because, “Microsoft owns the market for PCs and has a good share of the server market; so if you are going to develop applications, Microsoft products are the ones you must focus on.”

Spanburgh agreed.” Microsoft is making big changes in the development field...Microsoft is now providing modifiable business products that developers can work with.”

But there are also a lot of Java fans out there, pushing Sun’s title once again to the finalist spot.

“Java is everywhere these days. Knowing Java really helps in the long run, especially when developing network based applications and applications that are Web-based,” said Daniel Harbour, a web developer based in Thorton, Colo.

Other titles were in the running for this honor, but none garnered enough votes to take a second finalist position.

Best Database Certification
Winner: Oracle Certified Professional DBA (OCP DBA)
Finalists: Microsoft Certified Database Associate (MCDBA), IBM Certified Specialist DB2

One of the most common questions we get asked at CertCities.com is, "Which title should I choose -- Oracle OCP or MCDBA?" According to your votes for database certifications, Oracle remains top dog.

Purvesh Vora, a software engineer from Mumbai, India, said he voted for Oracle’s OCP DBA because, “Oracle is widely used in IT industry. Job searching is easy for the entry level candidates.”

Jim Adcock, a project manager from Austin, Texas, agreed that the high demand for Oracle certification is high. “I have been seeing more Oracle requirements in the help wanted [ads] than SQL,” he explained.

Or as Roman Diaz, president of San Diego-based MountainSky Solutions, put it: “Oracle is everywhere.”

But, of course, the MCDBA voters feel just as strongly about SQL Server. “Microsoft is king in the business around us," commented one reader. "Oracle is closing right behind, but Microsoft inches them out, especially in areas where users graduated from large Access databases to SQL."

And as another reader pointed out, “All future Microsoft products will be integrated with SQL,” said another reader.

Although that doesn't mean the issue has been decided. One reader who voted for the MCDBA said, “Oracle would be a very close second -- in fact, a lot of employers salivate if you have both.”

Coming in a distant yet respectable third is IBM’s Certified Specialist DB2 title. “DB2 is the most stable of all the database products, and having an IBM certification couldn't be bad,” remarked Ferdinand Spucci, a reader based in New York City.

Best Web/Internet Certification
Winner: Prosoft Certified Internet Webmaster (CIW) Professional
Finalists: Macromedia Dreamweaver MX Developer, CompTIA i-Net+

ProsoftTraining.com’s CIW remained your pick for the best Web/Internet certification to hold, thanks to its “well rounded and vendor-neutral, focusing on logistics, configuration and skills in the working environment,” as one reader stated.

Even those not in this specialty appear to have respect for this title. Said another reader, “This is not my area, but my colleagues say CIW...”

Macromedia’s Dreamweaver MX Developer came in a close second. “I feel that Macromedia is widely used and is probably a bit more user friendly,” said Glenda Simmons, a network systems engineer from Fresno, Calif.

i-Net snagged the second finalist position thanks to its coverage of Web fundamentals. As Harbour explained, “There's more to the Internet and the Web than just programming. You have to know the servers and how the Internet runs. Having a good foundation is vital to anything you do with the Internet.”

Best Security Certification
Winner: (ISC)2 CISSP
Finalists: Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP), Microsoft MCSE: Security

Last year, this category was dedicated to the best overall security certification program, and not an individual certification. This year, to encompass all the individual titles that emerged from non-security programs in the last year, we changed the award to Best Security Certification. And it’s a good thing we did, because the specialty security certifications from programs like Microsoft and Cisco appear to really be taking off.

But first to the category winner, (ISC) 2’s CISSP. As mentioned above, this title’s six-hour exam covers an extensive body of vendor-neutral security topics, and its recognition in the industry was cited by many of you as the reason it deserves the top spot.

But there were those who disagreed for the same reasons. “The specialty tests require more ‘nuts and bolts’ security information,” commented another reader. “It allows you to know how and why to implement security rather then just know theoretically what you're supposed to prevent. Much more practical knowledge.”

And this may be why Cisco and Microsoft’s new security certifications, despite debuting just this year, swept in and took both finalist positions, narrowly beating out titles from SANS and Check Point.

One reader commented that the “CCSP appears to be more of a practical, real-life title.”

Another reader cast his vote for Microsoft’s new MCSE: Security, citing its market value. “Combining security with the known quantity of MCSE creates a certification that businesses view as solid (MCSE) and responsive to current needs (security),” he wrote. “The best combination is MCSE: Security earned using Security+ as one of the electives.”

Best Overall Certification Program
Winner: Cisco

Once again, there can only be one best of show. And once again, you’ve picked Cisco.

While there are other great programs, there appears to be no doubt in your minds that this accolade is well deserved thanks to Cisco's exam design and the program's reputation in the industry.

“Cisco exams are very good at testing very specific knowledge,” said Roy Hegge, a lead security tech from Lake Forest, Calif. “I have never heard anyone refer to a 'paper' CCIE!”

“My impression is that the Cisco certs are the best ones to have,” explained Williams of his Cisco vote. “If you have several of these certs you are highly respected and have the best opportunities for advancement.”

So those are your picks for the best in certification for 2003. If you don’t see your favorite here or know of another title or provider who deserves kudos, let everyone know by posting your comments below.

More articles by Becky Nagel:

• CertCities.com’s 10 Hottest Certifications for 2006
  
• 10 Hottest Certifications for 2005
  
• CertCities.com's 3rd Annual Readers' Choice Awards
  
• Q&A: Novell Certs Go Linux