WinInfo Daily UPDATE, February 21, 2007: No IT Angle on Office 2007 Certifications

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==== IN THE NEWS

- No IT Angle on Office 2007 Certifications
- IAF Success at Forefront of SMB Segment's "Startling" Opportunities

by Karen Forster, [email protected]

No IT Angle on Office 2007 Certifications

Microsoft recently announced two new certifications--Microsoft Certified Application Specialist and Microsoft Certified Application Professional--focused on end-user career advancement and salary potential. Lutz Ziob, general manager of Microsoft Learning, said, "For people looking to advance their careers, certification is a proven benefit." Citing the Robert Half International "OfficeTeam 2007 Salary Guide," Microsoft's announcement stated that information workers could earn as much as 10 percent more if they have Office Specialist certification.

Application Specialist certification covers the skills necessary for using a single application, including individual Microsoft Office applications or Windows Vista. Application Professional certification measures a user's ability to use multiple products--including Microsoft Office SharePoint Server 2007--to accomplish four key business tasks: managing budgets, managing presentations, managing team collaboration, and supporting organizations. However, Microsoft's announcement doesn't address IT's concerns about the support costs associated with users learning about Microsoft Office 2007's UI and functionality.

For more information about how these certifications or the pretest skills assessments can help your users transition to Office 2007, see the following URL:

http://www.microsoft.com/learning/mcp/msbc/datasheet/default.mspx

IAF Success at Forefront of SMB Segment's "Startling" Opportunities

In a recent announcement, Microsoft touted the success of its Infrastructure Assessment Framework (IAF), signaling the beginning of Microsoft's focus on the small-to-midsized business (SMB) market. This focus will culminate in 2008 with Microsoft's launch of its new midmarket server, code-named Centro. According to internal Microsoft surveys, IAF's free tools, best practices, and guidance can help solution providers boost their deal-close rates to between 70 and 90 percent.

Microsoft launched the first version of IAF in July 2006 and launched Phase II of IAF in December 2006. Phase II includes 12 new tools and an updated tools matrix. In January, Microsoft introduced the Business and Technology Assessment Toolkit, which is part of IAF, and an expanded version of the Small Business Technology Assessment Toolkit. This step-by-step guide can help users evaluate the business and technical needs of SMB prospects.

Microsoft's IAF announcement emphasized that the SMB market segment represents "a startling level of opportunity" and quoted Janet Waxman of IDC, who said, "During the five-year period from 2005 to 2009, over 600,000 servers will be installed in businesses with fewer than 100 employees in the United States alone. Globally, well over 1 million installations are expected. The market opportunity represents more than ample opportunity for \[Microsoft\] partners." For more information about IAF, see the following URL:

http://www.assessmentframework.com/What-Is-IAF/Pages/Default.aspx#

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