Courses in 'Microsoft' cover a wide variety of alternatives. To some individuals 'Microsoft' training signifies mastering software programs, and to other people it means gaining more advanced level IT certifications to operate as a professional in the I.T. sector. Training tracks and instructing methods differ greatly, so be careful not to jump to erroneous assumptions about programs. It is crucial that the training will deliver the results you're hoping for. During your IT research, discuss your plans with an industry training expert who will help you to decipher everything you need from the training at the best price & in the right learning-method for you.

Microsoft own Visual Studio, which is the fore-most 'Windows' software development environment. They offer a number of languages, with C#.Net and 'VB.Net' (Visual Basic) currently being the most extensively used. They're discussed on the Programming and Development pages on this site. The main accreditations are currently the 'MCTS' & 'MCPD' (as they have replaced the earlier 'MCAD' & 'MCSD'.)

MS Networking & Server Operating Systems control the business environment. The standard platform for about eight or nine out of every ten business networks is believed to be 'Windows' Server. It started off as 'NT' server but it has been elevated through time to 'Server 2000', Server 2003 & more recently 'Server 2008'. The majority of business establishments still use 'Server 2003', and up-dating to 2008 is unlikely for a lot of them. There are companies with NT or '2000' installations, & they are the organisations with the biggest need to up-grade to Server 2008. You will find further information on MS Networking and Server Operating-Systems under the 'MCSE/MCSA' web-pages, as well as info on the Server 2003 vs 2008 issue.

'Structured Query Language' or SQL is a dedicated language for interrogating 'Databases'. Understanding this specific 'language' is very important for everyone thinking about entering into Databases, as it underpins how information is filed & extracted. 'Developers' (DBDs) create & design databases for Administrators ('DBA's') to regulate, interrogate and create reports on the data. Quite often, a 'DB Developer' may also obtain programming certifications (in either VB or C#,) to have the full skill set required to write database software, as well as design the storage structures.

The drive towards greater professional acknowledgement & expertise for I.T. workers has been led by Microsoft for a couple of decades now. Therefore, professional MS certifications are held in extremely high regard by both IT professionals & global industry.

To the majority of PC users, the word Windows comes to mind when they think about 'Microsoft'. It may also mean Microsoft Office, which supplies us with an array of popular PC applications. 'Word' is Microsoft's word processing application, known to millions around the globe. 'Excel' is also a remarkably well-liked program for spreadsheets, along with Access which enables us to create databases. For giving presentations, 'Office' provides the software package 'PowerPoint', which completes the main packages in the suite. In reality though Microsoft have developed their Office solution much further - for example with 'Outlook' for messaging, diary formatting & e-mailing.

If we think of the core I.T. systems we're able to then look at the accreditation programs that MS has put in place. So essentially we are focusing on Programming, Networking and Databases. There are particular & different qualification groups regarding each one of these tracks; take a look at the relevant pages on this web-site for additional specifics.

Whether you are seeking to gain a starting understanding of these systems and packages, or a more complete professional understanding so you can support other people, there are lots of certifications that could help. The 'MOS' (Microsoft Office Specialist) & MCAS (Microsoft Certified Application Specialist) programs cover the 'Office' suite in depth. For a qualification that allows you to support other users, look into the Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician, or 'MCDST' for short.

There are several more specialised and advanced certification tracks if you are aiming to become a more senior I.T. professional level. The examination structure at MS has fairly recently experienced a significant over-haul. A lot of career training tracks still lead to MCP qualifications, however the direction is gradually going towards 'MCITP' and MCTS programs ('Microsoft Certified IT Professional' & Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist respectively). MCTS learning programs are usually taken as building-blocks to the MCITP.

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