Microsoft Announces New Desktop Cert: MCDST
10/13/2003 -- Today Microsoft announced a new title, Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician, aimed at desktop support personnel whose main job role is to troubleshoot user desktop machines.
The MCDST requires passing two new Microsoft exams:
- 70-271, Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Windows Desktop Operating Systems
- 70-272, Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Applications on a Windows Desktop Operating System Platform
Microsoft has yet to release any details about the exams, but the requirements guide (click here) provides clues to Microsoft Learning courses and self-study training kits that will be available. Microsoft was unable to comment in time for this story.
While the new title's initials come as a surprise, the offering isn't unexpected. Judith Morel, with Microsoft's Strategic Certification Program, told CertCities.com Editor Becky Nagel in May 2002 that the company was researching a separate desktop support title. According to Morel, the impetus for the research was the result of a worldwide Job Task Analysis survey of MCPs worldwide. "What we learned is that MCSAs and MCSEs don't function too much on the desktop," she said at that time. (To read "Microsoft Considering Desktop, Security Certs," click here.)
In July 2003, MCP Magazine Senior Editor Keith Ward confirmed from reliable sources that such a certification was under development and would include two completely new exams. (To read Ward's article, "Desktop Technician Cert on the Way?" from the July 2003 issue, click here.)
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| Microsoft targets its newest title, Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician, at Tier 1 personnel (the grayed out bottom layer), whose job tasks primarily encompass daily operating systems troubleshooting. MCSA and MCSE fill Tiers 2 and 3, respectively. Microsoft has yet to reveal plans for a certification for the top tier. (Source: Microsoft Corp.) |
The new title fills out the bottom tier of an IT infrastructure pyramid (see figure above), which Microsoft has shared in public talks about its certification program plans. Directly above the first tier resides network administration (MCSA) and network design (MCSE). A top tier consists of an architect layer, which Microsoft has currently announced no plans for.
We will bring you more information on the MCDST and its exams as it becomes available.  -Michael Domingo, courtesy of MCPMag.com
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There are 28  user Comments for “Microsoft Announces New Desktop Cert: MCDST”
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| 10/16/03: poopspray says: |
hey |
| 10/16/03: Becky Nagel from Editor, CertCities.com says: |
LINK FIXED: Sorry about that -- "p" accidently left off the .asp. Thanks for catching that mrobinson52! |
| 10/17/03: Tom says: |
Becky....Do you know when the exams will go live ...thx |
| 10/19/03: Desksiiiid from NY says: |
Only for Indians, do you even think? Yes deskside can be outsourced but never remotely, hence the work deskside, always be needed! |
| 10/19/03: Anonymous says: |
The question is: when will they go live? It should be quite easy to get those both once I completed my MCSE and CCNP and it's never a bad thing to get more certs while you can. I still see many, I really mean MANY, companies on job search sites require MCSE, CCNA, CCNP, etc as one of the requirements to be considered. So for you whinners, wake up and go look for yourself before you say companies don't look at certs anymore, they always say: experience AND certifications, crystal clear! |
| 10/19/03: Anonymous says: |
Waaah, I sux so I'll just complain that all the jobs are taken by Indians, even though it's my own fault that I can't get a job. Waaah! |
| 10/20/03: Becky Nagel from Editor, CertCities.com says: |
Hi Tom-- Not yet, but I know we'll do a news story on it as soon as we get word. We'll write it up as soon as possible. |
| 10/20/03: Anonymous says: |
Thanks Becky, can't wait to know when they'll go live and hopefully some study materials will be available soon too. This is just great, another framed cert will be on my wall. |
| 10/21/03: Why does it seem like there's no hope says: |
Honestly, I've been hearing a lot of talk on this site and a ton of others. The consensus I get is that things will never change around, that IT careers are short-lived at best, and that there's really no point in studying for vendor-specific tests because no-one can really confirm which ones will land someone a job. Experience, education, certification...and the mice keep running around the track. Do lawyers, accountants, nurses, doctors, insurance reps, or even teachers have this much stress in their careers? If not, where do I sign up. There was a time when I enjoyed learning IT skill sets...but now it seems like whatever you learn doesn't really mean a damn thing. Is outsourcing really the big negative impact everyone claims it is...or do companies simply not care about IT? Now that companies have their equipment in place, is there any benefit in upgrading? I just want to know, is IT completely dead now? I'd love to hear some honest answers.............especially before I waste more time on another perceived "useless" certification exam |
| 10/22/03: The Truth (MCDBA) says: |
To: "10/21/03 - Why does it seem like there's no hope" Stress is perceived. There is hope as long as you believe. The rapid curve for IT Pros has leveled off, and now, like most every other profession, it is as much about whom you know as well as what you know. A certain certification got my foot in the door on at least 4 separate occasions, but that alone won't work for everyone. I am completing a masters degree, and this too shall not work for everyone. You may hear/read varying opinions out there, and many are well founded: jobs are going elsewhere, certs are a dime a dozen, etc, but it is up to you to make of life what you dare to. We need to wake up and realize the dotcom boom, Y2K and the dotcom shake-out have come and gone; a new reality faces us all. At the end of the day, a balance of education, certification, contacts, personality and drive will usually see you through. Good hunting to us all. |
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