IT Certifications|Best IT Certifications

Database IT Certifications : OCP

2008-07-24T02:39:00.000-07:00

Oracle Certified Professional

OCP is one of the coveted IT certifications from Oracle for database professionals. If Networking infrastructure is blood through which data flow in an organization, the database is the brain which allows the large amount of data that a typical organization accumulates over a peroid of time. Every company large or small depends on database systems to satisfy its storage needs. Big companies like Yahoo , Google have mammoth databases which store unimaginable quantum of data which is very complex in nature. There are millions of users who have email account on Google. In those millions of accounts billions of mails are received every day. where is all this data stored and how is this maintained for future retrieval. The simplest answer is database. Who maintains that database ? The professionals with IT certifications by the vendor of the database. There are many companies which provide both database and IT Certifications to validate the skills required to manage that database.

Oracle is the biggest company which offers database management systems capable of running huge data centres with terabytes and petabytes of data. OCP is the IT certification that proves the knowledge of a professional to handle the large amounts of data.

The database is perhaps most crucial IT asset for a company. You can replace the hardware if it malfunction, re install the operating systems, but if data gets corrupted beyond recovery , everything is finished. There can be nothing that can be done about it. That is why the demand for professionals with IT certifications. Oracle is a widely used database and so OCP is an IT certification in demand. If you want to succeed in database field , OCP IT certification will go a long way in getting you in a good company and filling the gap in the IT industry for expert database professionals.

Security IT Certifications : CCSP

2008-07-24T02:01:00.000-07:00

Cisco Certified Security Professional

With more and more organizations connecting to online world the risks are also increasing. Security has become a major issue. As the technology has advanced so have the threats to break that technology. In such a scenario , the requirement for security professionals is snowballing. Cisco is considered an elite company among networking circles. And it provides sophisticated networking equipments like routers. The demand for professionals with IT certifications in Cisco platform is high in the companies deploying costly networking equipments from CISCO.

In today's connected world there are many kind of security threats that an organization faces. Even big copporations like Yahoo and Youtube have been prey to hacker threats. This problem becomes very stark when banks face this secutrity threat as the money of millions of people get insecured and the goodwill of bank suffers. To prevent the loss incurred by networking security threats , the role of certified persons become very crucial. The person who have IT certifications in security is in a better positin to nullify the hacking attempts or the attempts to steal online data.

Candidates willing to clear CCSP have to take four exams (three required, one elective) with the introduction of the new CCNA Security as a prerequisite.

The Cisco Certified Security Professional Certification (CCSP) is one of the top IT certifications available from CISCO. Clearing this exam means that the candidate has necessary skills and knowledge required to secure Cisco networks from potential security breachs.CCSP certification trains a networking professional to secure and manage large and complex network infrastructures to protect productivity, mitigate threats, and reduce costs. Thus it is clear that if an IT professional wants to make a career in IT security industry which is growing day by day then he has to equip himself with the CCSP IT certification from CISCO.

MCSE The IT certification From Microsoft

2008-07-24T00:47:00.000-07:00

Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer

With the growth of large scale networked environments IT certifications in networking filed are becoming more and more popular. Windows Server 2003 by Microsoft is today used in many environments. Microsoft provides an IT certification MCSE which is considered one of the most popular and useful IT certification in networking industry. As more and more corporates deploy Windows 2003 Sever the demand for certified professionals is bound to grow very fast.

The professional who want to appear for this IT certification should have at least one year of experience in implementation and administration of a network operating system in large environments with 200 to 26,000 supported users. This is required because the concepts in the networking are very tough and the person who has worked in the networked environments have the necessary knowledge and skills to comprehend the terse concepts of networking from the perspective of Microsoft Windows Server 2003.

Moreover, it is desired that the candidate appearing fro this IT certification should have worked on typical network services and file and print applications, databases, messaging, proxy server or firewall, dial-in server, desktop management, and Web hosting.

In addition, an MCSE candidate should have at least one year of experience in designing a network infrastructure.

To clear this certification you have to take 7 exams:
1. Four core exams on networking systems
2. One core exam on client operating systems
3. One core design exam
4. One elective exam

MCSE is considered an essential IT certification if you want to work in a networked environment fueled by Windows 2003 server. Some companies even have made MCSE as an entry level IT certification. Whether you are a systems engineer, technical support engineer, a
systems analyst, network analyst or a technical consultant this IT certification will prove very helpful in your IT career.

Top IT Certifications In Networking From Red Hat

2008-06-11T00:49:00.000-07:00

Red Hat Linux has affected the open source industry like no one. Today Red Hat Linux is considered one of the most robust and reliable operating system for complex networks involving hundreds of computers as well as an operating system of choice for large data centres. The demand for for Red Hat Linux is high so is the demand for professionals with IT certifications in Red Hat Linux. The big companies look for persons who are certified and experienced in maintaining huge networks running on Linux. Red Hat offers many IT certifications which are considered some of the best IT certifications available for networking. These certifications are considered very tough and there is a dearth of certified persons . So the value of these certifications is very high. Red Hat offers following certifications suitable for professionals aspiring to work of different domains.

Red Hat Certified Technician (RHCT)
This IT certification from Red Hat is the first towards competency in Linux and is an ideal certification for those who want to want to make networking career in Red Hat Linux.

Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE)
Large corporations have complex network of many computers and there computers may be running of different platforms like Unix or Linux. Configuring and maintaining such networks is a momentuous task for anyone. Corporations using Red Hat Linux generally look for RHCE professionals.This perhaps the best IT certification from Red Hat. CertCities.com named it the hottest IT certification. It is a performance-based test that measures actual competency on live systems. RHCE tests your ability to configure networking services and security on servers running Red Hat Linux operating system.

Red Hat Certified Datacenter Specialist (RHCDS)
Almost all of the big websites have hundreds and thousands of web pages and these maintain the large database of their customers which may amount to some terabytes to petabytes. To maintain such database and make it easily accesible these corporations have established their datacentres. The reliability of these datacentres is very crucial as the whole databse which is accumulated over a long period of time resides on these datacentres. Companies require these data for research work and to maintain the historical records of their customers. So their is a need for datacentre specialists who have both technical skills and relevant IT certifications. RHCDS fulfills this gap for datacentres powered by Red Hat Linux.

Red Hat Certified Security Specialist (RHCSS)
Security is perhaps the most nagging concern day in and day out for websites and networks. Companies spend millions of dollars to ensure that their networks are secure.RHCSS is one of the most popular security IT certifications that tests advanced skills in configuring security features of Red Hat Enterprise Linux, SELinux, and Red Hat Directory Server in enterprise environment.

Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA)
RHCA is the most mature IT certification from Red Hat. The Enterprise Architect course ids for senior and seasoned networking professionals who want to get credentials in configuring and maintaining all the major aspects like security, reliability, accessibility of large networks. The emphasis in more on administration of Red Hat Linux.

So one can see that Red Hat offers a wide array of IT certifications which a invaluable for professionals who want to make career in networking. And there is a great demand for these certified professionals. Anyone with these IT certifications can enhance his career prospects.

I found some good blogs

RHCE - What does it mean for me?

IT certifications Significance

2008-06-08T08:41:00.000-07:00

IT certifications are very important from the point of view of getting job in an IT company. A good certification can do miracles to anyone's career. Although, doing a certification is tough, it is worth clearing a good exam. An exam that is relevant to the industry you are in.

Clearing an IT certification proves your expertise in a technology. For instance, if someone clears MCTS certification for web applications , it is a clear proof that one who passed it has the thorough knowledge in the web applications developed in Microsoft technology on .NET Framework 2.0. Likewise, if one clears SCJP certification, it is an evidence that one is thorough in his understanding of fundamentals of Java technology and language and further he can start learning J2EE technologies.

IT certification is enough to prove that one knows a particular technology. The companies look for professionals who clear IT certifications because they believe in technology vendors. Getting IT certifications is like getting credentials of the vendors themselves. The certificate that one gets after clearing IT certifications bears the official seal of the technology vendors which further increases its value. Some of the vendors list the name of the candidates who clear their IT certifications on their website and this tremendously increases the self-esteem of the candidate. Moreover, the HR of the companies regularly visit these websites of software vendors, so that they can find out the recent persons who cleared their IT certifications. This is very significant from the point of view of getting the job for the person who clears the certification exam. And it also helps corporations identify the right professionals for themselves with right certifications.

Some IT certifications are very costly which may cost you a bomb. Some of the certification exams are very lengthy. Most of these exams are very tough to clear. But this only adds to their value.

IT certifications like RHCE from Red Hat, OCP from Oracle Corporation have a great value and adds immense value to the resume of an IT professional.

IT Certifications SCEA

2008-06-05T07:43:00.000-07:00

Sun Certified Enterprise Architect is the highest level of IT Certifications from Sun Microsystems. And this is the toughest one too. This certification is for professionals who have fairly long experience in developing enterprise applications. The analysis and designing part is more prominent here.

This certification is divided into three parts. The first part of the exam consists of multiple choice questions and checks the candidate for architecting and designing Java Platform, Enterprise Edition technology-compliant applications. The applications that are scalable, flexible, and highly secure. There are 64 questions and 57% is minimum passing percentage. The duration is 120 minutes.

Application Design Concepts and Principles
Common Architectures
Integration and Messaging
Business Tier Technologies
Web Tier Technologies
Applicability of Java EE Technology
Patterns
Security

The second part of the exam is an assignment in which you have to architect a working software system and scoring is on the basis of class diagram,component diagram,deployment diagram,sequence/collaboration diagrams,risk and mitigation list. This part of certification exam costs 250$. Pass percentage is 71%.

The third part of this IT certification is an essay which describes your programming assignment. This exam costs 200$ and is of 90 minutes duration.

This is a very costly certification exam so the people with ample knowledge and experience should opt for this exam.

It is not mandatory that a person taking the SCEA exam has already passed the Java technology programmer and Java technology developer certifications. This IT certification is highly valuable for the professionals who want to make career in J2EE technologies.

IT Certifications SCMAD

2008-06-05T07:42:00.000-07:00

Sun Certified Mobile Application Developer is the certification which is getting popular day by day due to surge in mobile applications. Mobile phones are ubiquitous and the demend for mobile applications is ever higher. This fact gives boost to the aspirants of this IT certification.

Clearing the SCMAD exam proves that one has the required skills in developing mobile devices applications on Java mobile platform. This IT certification aims at providing credentials to the developers who develop applications for mobile devices and smart devices.

Clearing SCJP exam is a prerequisite for appearing this exam.Passing this exam certifies that the candidate has achieved a standard level of proficiency with mobile Java technologies, as well as with the Java Technology for Wireless Industry (JTWI) specification, including the Wireless Messaging application programming interface (API) and Mobile Media APIs.

the exam objectives are as below

JTWI (JSR 185) and Overview / JTWI-compliant Wireless Applications
CLDC 1.0/1.1
Security (both CLDC and MIDP)
Networking
Application Model/ Delivery/Lifecycle/Provisioning
MIDP Persistent Storage
Push Registry
MIDP UI API
MIDP Game API
Media using MIDP 2.0 and the Mobile Media API 1.1 (MMAPI)
Wireless Messaging API 1.1 (WMA)

This IT certification costs 200$ . The exam has a time limit of 150 minutes. The passing score is 55% . There are multiple choice and drag-drop questions. This one of the best IT certifications through which you can gain entry into the world of wireless technology. Moreover, clearing this IT certification proves your expertise in developing mobile applications on Java platform.

IT Certifications SCDJWS

2008-06-05T07:40:00.002-07:00

Sun Certified Developer for Java Web Services is the IT certification from Sun Microsystems which assess your skills in developing web services in Java technology. This is one of the best IT certifications available for developing web services.

Web services are web applications which are executed on the web server and they allow communication in XML form so that the inter communication between web services developed in different platform is smooth. There is much complexity involved in developing a platform web services and Java is already popular language to develop web services and many web services are already running successfully on the internet so SCDJWS becomes a natural choice for programmers and professionals who want to get their technical knowledge validated from Sun Microsystems.

SCDJWS certification exam objectives are

XML Web Service Standards
SOAP 1.1 Web Service Standards
Describing and Publishing (WSDL and UDDI)
JAX-RPC
SOAP and XML Processing APIs (JAXP, JAXB, and SAAJ)
JAXR
J2EE Web Services
Security
Developing Web Services
General Design and Architecture
Endpoint Design and Architecture

You have to secure 68% marks to clear this IT certification. This certification exam costs you 200$. There is a time limit of 150 minutes.Exam questions are multiple choice, drag and drop type. Apart from enhancing your career prospects , the benefit of this exam is that this certification gives you formal recognition for your professional expertise and experience. You gain knowledge about intricacies of Web Services.

IT Certifications SCBCD

2008-06-05T07:40:00.001-07:00

The programmers and professionals who want to get certified for their programming skills for Enterprise Java Beans should clear Sun Certified Business Component Developer exam. This is a very popular IT certification among the professionals who want to get their EJB expertise validated.

EJB is a very popular technology for data persistence. This technology is used to saved data safely and securely in the enterprise scale softwares. There is an EJB container in the EJB capable application server which is used to host EJB applications. EJBs can be invoked by web components like servlets and java server pages. This is a very complex technology to grasp if you do not know about RMI. Even ejb fundamentals are considered very tough. That is why Sun Microsystems has made it mandatory to clear the SCJP exam before clearing the SCBCD certification.

This IT certification is for advanced programmer and developers with extensive job-role experience in designing, developing, testing, deploying, and integrating Enterprise JavaBeans EJB Edition 3.0. The exam includes multiple-choice, scenario-based questions and drag-and-drop questions and requires extensive knowledge of EJB Edition 3.0.

This certification costs 200$. There is a minimum pass percentage of 59% and the time limit is 145 minutes. The exam objectives are as below :

EJB 3.0 Overview
General EJB 3.0 Enterprise Bean Knowledge
EJB 3.0 Session Bean Component Contract & Lifecycle
EJB 3.0 Message-Driven Bean Component Contract
Java Persistence API Entities
Java Persistence Entity Operations
Persistence Units and Persistence Contexts
Java Persistence Query Language
Transactions
Exceptions
Security Management

EJB technology is widely used in the industry and this IT certification adds skill sets for RJB technology. This is one of the IT certifications which is beneficial to get better jobs. Earning the certification demonstrates a thorough understanding of the EJB 2.0 features, architecture, and APIs and also the development, deployment and integration life cycle of EJB applications.

IT Certifications SCWCD

2008-06-05T07:38:00.000-07:00

Java Server Pages and Servlets are the popular J2EE technologies which are used in server side programming. The developers who want to get certified from Sun Microsystems for their skills in these technologies are required to clear SCWCD certification exam.

Servlet is a regular java class except that this class executes on an application server like Java Application Server or Weblogic Server. Servlet is executed in a container environment which provides the runtime environment to Servlet. Java Server Pages or JSP as they are more popularly known, are like servlets in that execute on server and require runtime environment and JSP pages are different from servlets in that the scripting and html codes are in the JSP page itself . All this and more is tested in this certification exam.

SCWCD is mainly focused on server side programming technologies like servlets and JSP . Those who want to appear for this IT certification have to clear the Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP) exam first. Like most other Sun certification exams this exam too is delivered at Prometric centre. There are multiple choice questions and drag-drop objective type questions in this exam. You have to secure 70% to clear this IT certification. There is a time limit of 180 minutes for this exam.

SCWCD Exam objectives are as below :

a) The Servlet Technology Model
b) The Structure and Deployment of Web Applications
c) The Web Container Model
d) Session Management
e) Web Application Security
f) The JavaServer Pages (JSP) Technology Model
g) Building JSP Pages Using the Expression Language (EL)
h) Building JSP Pages Using Standard Actions
i) Building JSP Pages Using Tag Libraries
j) Building a Custom Tag Library
k) Java EE Patterns

The cost of this certification is 200$. As for preparation of exam,Head First has some really good books on the topic and a lot of matter is available on the Internet to clear this expensive IT certification. The software developers or students who plan to make a programming career in web applications and server side programming will find this certification very helpful.

IT Certifications SCJD

2008-06-05T07:37:00.000-07:00

Sun Certified Java Developer is a landmark IT certification for the Java developers who want to get their advanced programming skills validated. The main prerequisite for appearing in this exam is the SCJP certification.

SCJD is quite different in nature as compared to other Java IT certifications. Whereas SCJA and SCJP exams were based on objective multiple choice and drag-drop questions , this certification exam includes an programming assignment and an essay. Likewise this certification exam is costlier than its lower counterparts.

In programming assignment the candidate is supposed to implement a working software solution which is fairly complex in nature. And grading is done on the basis of correct solution of the given problem. The solution may contain somewhere around 3500 lines of code. For scoring following criteria is specified on Sun Microsystems' site :

1) General Considerations: This category covers criteria that deal with how easy it is to use and maintain your code.

2) Documentation: This includes your user instructions, Javadoc tool, and comments.

3) Object-Oriented Design: This covers the quality of your object-oriented design, especially as demonstrated in the structure of your classes and your use of variables and methods.

4) GUI: In this category you are graded on how well your GUI conforms to specification, and how easy your GUI is to use.

5) Locking: This category covers your implementation of the locking scheme which is described in detail in your assignment documentation. This part of your assignment deals with multi-threaded coding.

The maximum passing marks is 400 and minimum 320 is to be scored. Apart from this Sum imposes limitations on how you go about solving problem . In other words, there is a limitation on which APIs can and cannot be used. Sun allows following APIs :

a) Thread handling and synchronization
b) Swing (and AWT to the extent necessary to support Swing)
c) Standard file IO (java.io, not java.nio)
d) Either: Socket-based network programming and serialization _or_ Java RMI (Java Remote Method Invocation) (your choice of one or the other, not both).

The following APIs cannot be used as they form the focus of other certifications :

a) Enterprise JavaBeans
b) Servlets, JSP technology, or any other web-oriented APIs
c) NIO, the New IO facilities
d) Java DataBase Connectivity (JDBC) and SQL
e) Java IDL API and CORBA
f) Third party software libraries or tools (such as browsers)

This first assignment alone costs 250$.

The other assignment is an essay which costs 200$ and delivered at Prometric centres worldwide. There are four questions for this part of certification. Exam objectives for essay :

a) List some of the major choices you must make during the implementation of the above.
b) List some of the main advantages and disadvantages of each of your choices.
c) Briefly justify your choices in terms of the comparison of design and implementation objectives with the advantages and disadvantages of each.

SCJD is one of the most tough IT certifications available. But it has utmost value for professionals who want to prove their skills in advanced Java programming.

IT Certifications SCJA

2008-06-05T07:35:00.002-07:00

SCJA is the most popular IT certification after Sun Certified Java Programmer which sought after among engineering students and software development companies alike. This IT certification is an ideal way to gain entry into the world of Java programming language.

Among the IT certifications available from the Sun Microsystems SCJA is very special in the sense that it is the most fundamental level of certification and it is centered around the theoritical concepts of Java programming language and Java Technologies. Many software companies require that the candidate be a SCJA before recruiting them on the premise that once the candidate is recruited he has to go through rigorous training in Java Technologies. If he is aware of all the technologies and how those technologies work together ,he will be able to complete the training to the desired level of standard.

This IT certification puts a seal on the candidate's basic knowledge of Object-Oriented Concepts, UML representation of OO concepts, the Java programming language, and general knowledge of Java Platforms and Technologies. Like Sun Certified Java Programmer this certification also has some objectives as below

Section 1: Fundamental Object-Oriented Concepts
Section 2: UML Representation of Object-Oriented Concepts
Section 3: Java Implementation of Object-Oriented Concepts
Section 4: Algorithm Design and Implementation
Section 5: Java Development Fundamentals

Section 6: Java Platforms and Integration Technologies : This section covers the various platforms of Java including Java Mobile Edition, Java Standard Edition, Java Enterprise Edition. Moreover , it contains Remote Method Invocation and Java Database Connectivity.

Section 7: Client Technologies : Client side Java components like Applets, Swing , HTML , Javascript are covered.

Section 8: Server Technologies : This section covers Enterprise Java Beans, Servlets, Java Server Pages , Java Messaging Services, Java Naming and Directory Interface, Simple Mail Transfer Protocol, Java API for Xml- Remote Procedure Call, Web Services (including SOAP, UDDI, WSDL, and XML) and JavaMail.

The cost of SCJA exam is 100$. Like SCJP exam the questions are of multiple choice and drag and drop type. Minimum pass percentage is 68%. Time limit is 115 minutes. There is a practice software kit available from Whizlabs software so that the questions can be practiced before appearing for this IT certification. Like most of the IT certifications this exam too is delivered at Prometric centres. SCJA certification provides a unique opportunity for Java programmers and students to validate their skills and their knowledge in Java technologies.

IT Certifications SCJP

2008-06-05T07:35:00.001-07:00

Sun Certified Java Programmer (SCJP) is by far most popular of the it certifications available to anyone who wants to prove his abilities in Java Programming language.

Although, mostly the students doing engineering decide to go for Sun Certifications, anyone is eligible to go for the SCJP. Sun Microsystems , as such, does not impose any eligibility criteria for this certifications. Currently , this certification is available for three versions of Java J2SE 1.4, J2SE 1.5 and J2SE 1.6 . As newer versions of Java programming language are released , more and more certification exams will be available.

Minimum passing marks for clearing SCJP certifications is 59%. The exam is of 175 minutes and anybody can appear for this IT certification. There are objective type questions ans drag and drop questions. SCJP is a premier certification which is demanded by most of the companies trying to recruit suitable candidates for them. SCJP certifications is gaining more and more important as rejection rate of B.Tech and MCA candidates is getting higher by the every passing semester.

The exam has several objectives on which the examinees are tested. Exam objectives are as below according to Sun certification website

Section 1: Declarations, Initialization and Scoping
Section 2: Flow Control
Section 3: API Contents
Section 4: Concurrency
Section 5: OO Concepts
Section 6: Collections / Generics
Section 7: Fundamentals

The SCJP certifications does not test you for the advanced programming uses of Java , but this IT certification is used to test the language fundamentals and the intricacies of syntax of Java programming language. Although one can clear this certification exam studying on his own, it is definitely better option to take expert guidance of a person who himself has cleared this certification. There are many books available for this exam. Sum Microsystems publishes its own book for the certifications. I found the book by Kathy Sierra and Bert Bates to be very good and comprehensive.

But there are many things to be kept in mind before taking exam because this exam is very costly. It costs 200$ to appear in this certification exam. And every time you appear for the exam you have to pay the 200$ . This must be a big deterrent for taking this exam. So unless you are sure that your preparation for exam is complete , do not rush to take the exam. Moreover , reading books alone is not going to make you clear the exam. There is some practical programming is involved too.

Sun Certified Java Programmer is by far most sought after IT certification available in the industry if you want to make your career in Java Programming language and there is no dearth of jobs available. I have known a person who was a simple arts graduate with no technical degrees. He cleared the SCJP through self studying and now he is in UK in a top reputed company. All that is required is the persistence and dedication to clear the exam . Add expert guidance and you have the perfect recipe for passing this reputed certification.

IT certifications

2008-06-05T07:32:00.000-07:00

Information technology is an ever growing industry and there are jobs for thousands of professionals. With the growing opportunities the competition for the IT jobs is also on the rise. In such a scenario only getting a degree is not enough for getting suitable jobs. IT certifications have become must for anyone desiring to get jobs in software development. The reason being if the vendor who itself has invented a technology or programming language is in a better position to judge the capability of a particular person in that technology. That is why IT certifications.

There are as many IT certifications available in industry today as there are fields like software development, hardware and networking. Some of the most popular IT certifications are from big vendors like Microsoft, Sun Microsystems ,Cisco, Red Hat .

There is no single criteria according to which best IT certifications can be found out as it depends on the technology one is working on and also whether one is working in software development or in hardware or in networking. So there is no single answer to the question "What it certifications should i get" . It all depends on your abilities and interest.

If you talk about software development Sun Microsystems offers some of the best IT certifications in the industry that can put your career in the fast lane. Sun Certified Java Programmer , Sun Certified Java Associate and many more have become the industry standard today. Companies have started making these IT certifications a basic qualification before recruiting anyone.

Microsoft has its own basket of IT certifications like Microsoft Certified Technology Specialist which is the most popular certification available today for .Net framework 2.0. MSCD , MCAD have already lured many in the past. The main idea behind International Certifications remains same. The big giants put a seal on the the capability of employee which validates their skills in a particular technology.

Networking has not remain untouched from this certification wave. Today , you have numerous certifications available which anyone can do to validate his skills in a particular networking technology. Cisco is one of the most popular name in the field of networking hardware and consequently in certifications. Microsoft offers MCSE. Even Sun has its share of certifications in Solaris.

Even IT certifications for operating systems is available. If Microsoft has its certification exams in Windows Server 2008, Sun offers Solaris and Red Hat offers certification exams in Linux operating system. Cisco offers CCNA which sells like anything. Cisco offers various tracks in certification exams like routers and switching,network security and service providers.There is a company EMC which offers exams for storage technology.

Database giant Oracle offers Oracle Certified Professional , an IT certification which is both coveted and dreaded. Coveted because if one gets certified as OCP company are lined up for him and dreaded because it is very tough to get through. You can count on fingers , the number of OCP professionals. Microsoft too offers database certifications in SQL Server technology. Here, certification objectives range from create a database to maintaining it.

Comptia offers short certifications in hardware and networking like A+, N+. These course are entry into the world of hardware and networking. These certifications create a win-win situation fro companies and professionals. Companies easily can identify the capable professional and professionals can improve their job prospects by getting certified.

The reason behind the success of certification exams is the goodwill of big corporations. Once you get the IT certification you have the company behind you , supporting you . Most of the companies give exclusive privileges to the certified professional. Sun Microsystems provides an identity card to the certified person and the right to print the word "Sun Certified" on his letter pad. Moreover, Sun puts the person's name on its website among the persons who have cleared the certifications. The more critical area of operation , the more is demand for qualified and certified professionals.

For instance take database administration. Big corporations like Airtel and Reliance and many more have to maintain the list of their subscribers and the quantum of data is so huge that the size of database reaches to terabytes and petabytes . In such a scenario, the company cannot rely on a novice with no experience and certification to manage the large database. The company is more likely to hire database professionals who have cleared certifications in database. That fuels the ever snowballing demand of persons who have done IT certifications. Same can be said about networking. Large corporations have big networks with hundreds of nodes or computer attached to it. And the failure in anyone of them can bring a critical activity to halt . It becomes the responsibility of network administrator to ensure that network is up 24 X 7. This is a very tough task which can be done only by the qualified person. And IT certifications go a long way in proving that you have necessary skills to accomplish your task with accuracy.

Among the vast array of IT certifications available in the industry , networking certifications are considered very tough . Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) is one of such certifications. This top IT certification is centered around the Linux operating system and the intricacies of maintaining a huge network running over Linux servers.This certification is much sought after in the networking field. The reason is that the servers of some really big websites are fueled by linux operating system as it is considered a very secure operating system which cannot be hacked easily. Now a certified professional can manage this network easily because he knows the nuts and bolt of the system. A certified person knows the intricacies of the whole system. Credentials provided by the vendor in form of IT certifications is a big reason companies have while hiring professionals.

I have worked in a software development company. We had a client of which a time was on the brink of disaster just because the database it used to store the records was not managed. Basically this client of mine was in medical business and I employed around 100 employees . It had software system in place which maintained large records of patients . One day when employees arrived and switched their machines on there was no data showing in the software reporting system . I dawned upon them that database had gone belly up . It got infected by a virus. The virus erased all the records and rendered the database non functional. It was realized that the there was no system of database backup. Had the client realized the need of database professional , this disaster would not have striked. Now this client decided upon to recruit a trained professional as a database administrator. From a long list of clients it selected two candidates. First person who was an engineer and had experience of around 1 year as a database administrator. And second one was an engineer with IT Certifications in database.The former one was selected because he of the experience he had.This new person ,we will call him Bill, started to take care of database administration. For nearly two months nothing undesirable happened. Then the disaster striked again. This time too the database got corrupted and the last backup was 7 weeks old. So the data loss was there because of the stale backup of database. This time the client realized that it had to hire certified person who may cost more but was adept in his field.

Thus everything ultimately cools down to one thing. The IT certifications make it easy for companies to hire a competent person and that the person with relevant top IT certifications finds it easy to get a good job. IT certifications are almost a necessity these days if one wants grow in the field of Information Technology. And the answer to the question What IT certifications should i get is that it depends on which sector of technology do you want ot work in.