Allaying MCSE anxieties
Computerworld technology evaluations editor Robert Mitchell last month spoke with Anne Marie McSweeney, Microsoft Corp.'s acting director of certification skills and assessment, about those changes and how they'll affect IT professionals and their managers.
Q: Some aspiring MCSEs say they can't finish their MCSE NT 4.0 track in time to make the deadline. NT 4.0 MCSE candidates are also rushing to complete at least three NT 4.0 core exams so they can qualify for the accelerated exam. Do you feel that extending the deadline to Feb. 28 addresses those concerns adequately?
A: I believe that it does. We believe that it addresses a good portion of those people because it gives you two more months. Even people who had five exams to go were really planning on finishing. So we think this two months' extra time will alleviate some of that.
Q: With the introduction of Windows NT 4.0, many previous core requirements and electives still counted toward the MCSE. With Windows 2000, this isn't the case. Couldn't this change have been more gradual?
A: Our biggest driving factor in all of this is, how can we make this credential relevant in the industry? [That's] because the credential is only as valuable as hiring managers see it. And at this time, hiring managers see value in keeping up-to-date with technology. As well, we looked at a lot of forecasts as to when people were going to implement Windows 2000. So it's those things that [moved] us in this direction. We considered [a parallel NT 4.0 track], and one of the things our customers are telling us is, keep it simple.
Q: Some MCSEs have been reluctant to move to the Windows 2000 track. They say they don't want to find themselves in the situation where they have to retake most of the exams again in another year or two. How do you respond?
A: The MCP [Microsoft Certified Professional] program is going to try to keep pace with the industry. If the industry slows down, we'll slow down, too. It's unlikely that the industry or us would make people update the technology in one year. When we announced this change, people really had 18 months. So there's been a pretty long life span on NT 4.0.
Some people are a little bit worried about Whistler, and I think that might be driving some of that uncertainty. The two tracks will run in parallel, so that people who have taken the Windows 2000 exams will not have to take the Whistler exams in order to keep their certifications up-to-date.
Q: Some IT managers have complained that with the MCSE program changes announced in 2000, Microsoft was trying to force them into migrating to Windows 2000.
A: I have heard that from individuals. I have not heard that from managers. The response to Windows 2000 has been overwhelmingly positive. We don't want certification to force their hand. We anticipate that they will move to Windows 2000 . . . for business reasons.
Q: Microsoft estimates there are 350,000 MCSEs out there today and expects the changes in the current program will halve that number. How do these changes benefit the hiring managers?
A: Remember that there's the MCP credential. We don't expect that [drop] on the MCP side. If you take just one Win 2000 exam, you are an MCP, so that will help hiring managers [find] someone who can install Win 2000 Professional.
» posted by abennett
Computer World
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