certification

What software developers need to know about product safety and other hardware compliance certifications.

Do most IT workers think it's unethical to study for a certification exam with stolen exam questions (so-called brain dumps)? Is it OK to buy used gear from an unauthorized dealer? How about new gear? What about gear falsely sporting a brand name (fake gear)? And what is the one professional area where IT professionals "cheat" the most?

Microsoft certifications are dropping in value and provide a smaller pay boost than IT skills related to Cisco, Oracle, EMC, VMware, IBM, SAP, and Red Hat technologies.

Choosing a professional to manage your company's network, hardware, and software is no easy task. How can you tell whether the skills listed in a person's résumé reflect the tech expertise your business needs?

Interest in IT security certifications is booming, as more U.S. companies tighten up the protection surrounding their critical network infrastructure and as a growing number of employees view security expertise as recession proof.

My column "Certifications Are No Longer Optional" generated emotional responses on both sides of the issue, split roughly 50-50. I agree that certs aren't worthwhile if you're well respected within your company, close to retirement or employed by a company that doesn't value certification. But if you might change jobs in the next few years (voluntarily or not), certifications will strengthen your résumé.

Bart Perkins thinks the word "certified" is going to become synonymous with "employable."

The Computing Technology Industry Association survey of 1,500 IT workers found that majority intend to pursue security and related certifications in the coming years.

Employers want Linux skills, but they don't care much about certifications -- and for some, it is a red flag.

Microsoft has a new certified professional in its ranks -- and she's 9 years old.

The Ontario-based triOS College announced last week that it will be the first Canadian academic institution to implement the new BlackBerry certification program.

Would you compromise your personal integrity for $80? How about risk your IT career for $200? Of course not, you say. But you already have -- if you've ever used certification-examination "study materials" from TestKing, Pass4Sure or hundreds of test-preparation Web sites just like them.