TeamREES

Many companies are already chomping at the bit to take advantage of many of the features Windows Server 2008 offers, such as improvements to Terminal Services, Server Virtualization and security enhancements including bitlocker and read-only domain controllers for branch-office type installations. 

Many of the services and features included in Windows Server 2008 will be able to replace software and applications many companies pay for currently.  While this is certainly going to be a welcome addition by many IT departments, it also creates opportunities as well.

Training and certification will continue to play a big part in securing higher paying jobs, opening doors, being considered for new opportunities, changing careers, earning the promotion, etc.  Some of the Top IT Certifications for 2008 will continue to be the perennial favorites, including CompTIA A+ Certification and Cisco CCNA Certification. 

Networking and Support are Key Components

One of the most sought after certifications is Cisco’s CCNA certification.  Virtually every business, regardless of industry, needs qualified people to design, configure, troubleshoot and maintain their networks.  This isn’t going to change for 2008.  In addition, these same companies need people to troubleshoot hardware and software issues, provide desktop and desk-side support and rollout new machines; along with refreshing existing ones.  For these reasons, CompTIA A+ Certification training, and Microsoft’s MCDST Certification training will continue to be offer an excellent return on investment.  If you are looking to either get into the information technology field, or increase your current level, then A+, MCDST or CCNA certification is definitely a worthwhile endeavor.

Project Management

According to a recent Gartner survey, project management is another area that will continue to be a high-paying profession that will be in demand in 2008.  Project Managers manage the project lifecycle, from conception through design, testing and implementation.  They coordinate with the various individual contributors involved in the project, and make sure timelines, deliverables and budgets are met.  They also are able to determine when things are getting off-track and adjust accordingly to ensure timely completion of the project.

As a result, Project Management related certifications like CompTIA Project+ and the Project Management Institute’s (PMI) Project Management Professional (PMP) certifications will be in demand, along with technical certifications and training centering around enabling project management and collaboration, such as Microsoft’s SharePoint 2007.

Security

Perhaps one of the biggest areas for new growth is the security sector, just based on the fact that so many companies are now realizing the need to secure their environments.  Hacking is becoming easier to do, as new tools are released and information is quickly disseminated.  Every company has, or should have, a need to secure their environments from being compromised both physically and virtually.  Even companies that feel they don’t have anything that necessitates additional funding to secure their networks, should understand that failure to do so opens them up to not only being attacked; but also to being used as an intermediary step in a larger attack against other targets (i.e. Denial of Service attacks against remote targets).

Virtualization

As word grows of how great server virtualization can be for a company’s bottom line, not to mention how it improves adminstration, fault tolerance and reduces hardware expenditures, certifications centering around virtualization technologies will be in high demand.  The two dominant players in this field currently are VMware and Microsoft.  Of the two, VMware’s ESX Server platform is a more mature technology and can enable some organizations to consolidate 30 or more hosts onto a single ESX server.

Get Certified and Get Ahead

The bottom line is, if you want the maximize your opportunities for 2008, continue to educate yourself, broaden your skills as much as possible, and stay ahead of the curve.  By keeping a step ahead and learning the skills that companies need to maintain their businesses, you’ll keep yourself marketable and in demand.  If you’re not already certified, you should definitely be working on:

• CompTIA A+ Certification
• Microsoft MCDST Certification
• Cisco CCNA Certification

Those three certifications provide an excellent body of knowledge that forms the foundation of a successful and prosperous IT Career.  From there, you can grow in many directions and specialize in any one of a dozen or more areas.

Best of luck in your Training and Certification Endeavors!!

Palaestra Training has just released a new training series: Microsoft Outlook 2003 Training. This is an exciting series, from our new instructor, Sid Miller. Sid is an Office expert that really makes it easy to learn all of the features Outlook has to offer.

Whether your a home user or business user, chances are you’re only using a fraction of the functionality Outlook 2003 has built-in.

With this training series, you’ll be given in-depth coverage of all the features and functionality found in Outlook. It’s so much more than just an e-mail client, it’s full-featured personal productivity tool that does calendaring and scheduling, e-mail, tasks, to-do lists, journals and more.

This series is over 7 hours of in-depth coverage in a format that’s easy to understand and packed full of information that you will be able to use immediately to boost your productivity.

For free full-length samples from this series and others, or to find out more about the training visit www.palaestratraining.com

Palaestra Training’s CCNA Certification Training video on Frame Relay has gotten over 20,000 views on YouTube in just over 6 months time.

Jason Emerson, Palaestra Training’s Cisco CCNA instructor has a great conversational style, and makes learning technically advanced concepts fun.

That’s an amazing amount of interest for a technical training video, and a testament to the quality of our training. We create technically-accurate training that is both educational and highly-entertaining.

In addition to IT certification training for Microsoft, Cisco and CompTIA, Palaestra Training also created an Internet Safety training series designed for parents to help keep their children safe while online.

Several recent surveys, including the recent article by Computer World shows that demand for IT workers is growing at the highest rate in several years. 

As a result, salaries are also on the rise.  Why?  Companies need talented, motivated Information Technology professionals and many companies report difficulty in finding those people.

Additionally, as with any asset, IT infrastructure has a life-cycle that necessitates upgrading and/or replacing every 3-5 to stay current with new and emerging technologies.  For may companies, utilizing current technology is a competitive advantage.  For others, it’s a necessary evil, but either way, those companies need IT professionals who know how to install, migrate, maintain and support their infrastructure.

So what does this mean to you?  It means that if you’re already an IT professional, brush up on new skills and reassess your qualifications relative to the job market.  Are you making what your worth? According to a recent Robert Half salary survey, salaries for all IT roles will rise an average of 5.3% for 2008!

If you are thinking about changing careers and getting into IT or perhaps moving to a different area within IT, again get the training you need to take you there quickly.  Spending a year or two casually learning new skills on your own will eventually enable you to acquire those skills, but the rest of the world will have passed you by.  Staying ahead of the curve, and constantly expanding your skillset is what sets you apart from the competition.

If you’re great at hardware, consider learning networking and acquiring Cisco skills.  If you’re already proficient at networking, consider brushing up on your hardware skills, or systems administration skills.  A well-rounded IT professional that can do it all (and specialize in one or two areas) is a very attractive employee to most companies.

The great thing about IT is that it constantly changes, and there are always new technologies to master, new industries and new opportunities. It all starts with training and getting the skills to take you there.

Palaestra Training released an updated version of their best selling Cisco CCNA Certification training this week.

The updates covers the new material in the 640-802 exam, including Cisco’s Security Device Manager (SDM), Wireless Communication, Access List enhancements in Cisco’s newer IOS versions, and IPv6.

Jason Emerson, Palaestra Training’s Cisco CCNA instructor does an excellent job conveying the information you’ll need for the exam.  You’ll finish the series with a thorough understanding of how to install, configure and maintain Cisco routers and develop a solid foundation to build a networking career upon.

Jason’s CCNA videos are some of the most viewed technical training videos on YouTube!  Check out Palaestra Training’s site for yourself, and get your CCNA certification today.

Cisco CCNA Training - Frame Relay

What is the DoD 8570.1-M?  It’s part of a directive that’s part "Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program" which mandates that every full- and part-time military service member, defense contractor, civilian and foreign employee with privileged access to a DoD system, regardless of job series or occupational specialty obtains a commercial certification credential that has been accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Palaestra Training (www.palaestratraining.com) has created a CompTIA A+ certification series that will prepare personnel for CompTIA A+ Certification.  CompTIA A+ certification meets the T1 requirements of the directive.  CompTIA A+ Certification is the cornerstone of any IT career and allows a student to secure a position in a wide variety of industries.

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Something a lot of people who are new to website development, and SEO (Search Engine Optimization) overlook is how effective is their website? After all, a website is a collection of individual pages, and typically we want people to move from one page to another, right?

However, often times the navigation of the site is confusing, or non-existent. There is no clear route for the visitor to go from one page to another, and no clear direction of what you want them to do (your “Call to Action”)

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When I teach class, especially to beginners or when I’m talking with parents about Internet Safety, a question I’m often asked is “How does the Internet actually work?” Well, in reality it’s obviously a complex topic, but we can certainly break it down into familiar terms. When you type in a web address, like www.palaestratraining.com, your computer actually does some work behind the scenes to translate that human readable name into an IP address. Just like if you wanted to call your friend Susy’s house, you would translate that (in your head probably) from her name into her telephone number, and you’d contact her by her telephone number.

Let’s use the concept of directory services (think of the yellow pages for your town). Let’s say there is a directory service for each city, for each state, and one master directory service for the whole country.
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A question often asked by people starting out in the IT (Information Technology) field is “What is the BEST entry-level IT certification to get started with”? That’s an excellent question and one that I’m sure garners a variety of responses. For the most, it’s generally agreed that CompTIA’s A+ Certification Training is an excellent way to get started in IT. It exposes to the student to a wide variety of hardware and software, and ensures they have a thorough understanding of not only how a PC works, but how it fits within a company’s infrastructure. In essence, it provides a person with the basics of hardware, software, networking, troubleshooting and customer service.

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Palaestra Training is excited about the addition of Bill Ferguson to their team of seasoned technical trainers. Bill Ferguson is a world-class instructor who brings a great deal of experience and professionalism to the table.

Bill is currently working on Microsoft MCDST training, which will be released sometime in October. Palaestra Training’s MCDST Certification Training will prepare students for both the 70-271 and the 70-272 exams.

When it comes to being an expert on MCDST, Bill literally wrote the book having authored the Microsoft MCDST Certification Training Study Guide for Sybex.

Bill Ferguson is also one of only a handful of Microsoft Certified Trainers in the world to be featured on Microsoft’s website, so Palaestra Training is excited to be able to bring Bill’s expertise and engaging delivery style to Palaestra’s customers worldwide.