When it comes to your company’s information assets, few things are more important than your servers. Whether it’s email, file storage or applications, your Microsoft servers form the backbone of your information infrastructure.

You need to make sure that your IT staff are qualified to maintain those servers in order to ensure the integrity and security of your data. The Microsoft Certified Systems Administrators' (MCSA) certification is one important indicator that your staff members know what they’re doing when it comes to administering your company’s servers.

You can provide MCSA training to your employees in a variety of ways:

1. Utilize computer-based MCSA training for ultimate flexibility.

2. Rapidly bring your IT staff up to speed with an MCSA boot camp.

3. Consider formal educational opportunities that include Microsoft training as a component.

Action Steps
The best contacts and resources to help you get it done

Provide study and reference materials to your staff to help them earn the MCSA certification

You may not be able to spare your computer personnel for two weeks at a time to send them off to a boot camp training session for the MCSA. You might not have the resources at your disposal to send them to a formal educational setting, either. If this is the case, consider computer-based training for a self-paced an inexpensive way to help your staff get the MCSA certification.

I recommend: Self Study Store offers a package of computer-based training products that can help your IT personnel prepare for the MCSA exam at their own pace. K Alliance, which used to be called CBT Planet, also offers a similar CBT product for the MCSA test.

Give your staff an intensive learning experience with MCSA boot camp programs

Boot camp training is intensive and full-time. MCSA boot camps typically run for two weeks, and students have the opportunity to take the MCSA exam at the end of the course.

I recommend: Unitek and CDi Communications' Netwind Learning Center are two excellent sources for MCSA boot camp training, and each provides an opportunity for your employees to get all the MCSA information they need to more effectively manage your company’s servers.

Integrate MCSA training into degree-based educational opportunities

More and more, colleges and universities are recognizing the value of Microsoft certifications such as the MCSA. If your company has an educational reimbursement policy, this method of education provides benefits to your employee and to your company beyond just certification.

I recommend: Kaplan University is a regionally accredited university at which your IT professional can earn the MCSA online. Excelsior College also offers IT programs that can lead to the MCSA certification.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  While the MCSA certification is ideal for server administrators, consider Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer (MCSE) training for your higher-level IT staff and CCNA (Cisco Certified Network Administrator) for your network staff.