PC's & 'Microsoft' are virtually the same thing to most people! Each time we start our PCs, most of us are greeted with a Microsoft Operating System, and most of the software in use comes from their source. At schools everywhere, MS education packages are plentiful. Founded in nineteen seventy five, by Bill Gates, it very quickly dominated the domestic operating-system sector over the 80's, delivering the very first versions of Windows. This 'software' has grown into all the many flavours of 'Windows' Operating Systems that individuals now use these days. Microsoft have basically always produced a home and a professional version of their operating-systems, with their server operating systems performing in parallel. Windows server 2000 replaced the original 'Windows' NT Server. After that came Server 2003 and the most up-to-date offering: Server 2008. Ever since the dawn of Microsoft professional accreditation, we have had training-tracks devoted to Professional management of the Windows Server Operating systems.

Nowadays, there are actually very few 'Windows' 'NT' server installations left, yet you'll find still quite a number remaining at server 2000. It's actually still early-days yet for 'Windows' server '2008', with 2003 continuing to be dominant. Because this is actually the case in the commercial world, the bulk of Microsoft's certifications remain based on the '2003' Operating System. Whilst the MCSA and 'MCSE' certifications have been in existence for a number of yrs now, (keeping up with Windows server through it's evolution,) the 'MCSA' 2003 and MCSE 2003 are the mainstay of present day Microsoft Network certification. Since up-grade coaching for Server '2008' is actually readily available though, it's a good idea to cover this too.

With the correct quality of training-materials & twenty four hour support, and also an authorised examination simulation software, an 'MCSA' should take close to three hundred to maybe 350 hours to finish, & the MCSE all over 500 to 550 hrs. Assuming you have some experience you could reasonably study part time & obtain your qualifications within a year. Then again, if you are entering the marketplace without former accreditation, then your typical starting point is the 'Comptia' 'A+' and Network+. You'll find details of these training tracks on the CompTIA section of this web-site. Add-on somewhere around 200 hrs of training time, which is likely to take no less than 6 months part-time.

A couple of specialities also exist in the 'MCSE' track; they are Messaging & Security. Dependent on which preliminary seven MCPs are selected, this could necessitate an extra one or two more MCP exams. If you are interested in either of these specialities then it is smart to consider this at the start - as it then means only eight exams are needed, rather than 9. 'Microsoft' have in addition released a Server 2008 'MCTS' ('Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist') update examination for the MCSA (exam 70/648) and the 'MCSE' (exam 70/649.) We would suggest you seriously consider adding the relevant update into your training program. Not only should this future-proof you to some extent, it will equally make you qualified to apply for extra jobs.