There are Information Technology certifications which are used to regulate those who are being hired by someone else since are used to show that a technician has a basic understanding of certain skills. However, it doesn’t actually mean that the certified person can actually fix a computer. I have personally seen well qualified technicians who were absolutely useless while non-certified technicians were absolutely brilliant.

If you are self employed, you obviously don’t need certifications to get a job since you are your own boss. So who’s going to certify and regulate the self employed and how will it be done? Should we even regulate the computer repair industry at all?

One technician on the Technibble forums proposed a system similar to how plumbers, carpenters and electricians have to be licensed. This regulatory body would require technicians to pass a series of rigorous testing and have a minimum of 5 years industry experience that has to be on paper with the names and numbers of past employers. Similar to applying for a job, once you are all checked out and verified, you get an ID card which signifies that you are approved by your government to do business in the IT field. I’m sure you have all seen those “only used a licensed electrician” ads on TV and this setup would be the same.
To make more computer repair businesses adhere to the standards set by this computer regulatory body, the public will be made aware of this group by large scale news media, signs and public services announcements so regular consumers have the option to see the computer businesses ID card.

A third technician recommended the idea of a reputation system rather than a regulation system. There could be a website where computer businesses are listed and their clients can leave feedback on the service they received from the technician/shop. Unfortunately I can foresee problems with this system as well. How does the website know if the person leaving feedback was even customer of that technician or store and not their competition trying to give them a bad name? Also, with feedback people tend to use it to complain rather than praise. There are many businesses that I deal with that I am very pleased about, but I don’t hop on the internet posting feedback about them because its a non issue for me. However, I would go online and make it known if I was ripped off so the feedback on this reputation site would be skewed.

All three of these technicians agreed that its very difficult to setup a system that’s infallible that wont affect legitimate technicians in some way.

Now, lets say that we do find a way to regulate the industry that is fair to all technicians; the problem is that it can become over-regulated. My father is a freelance draftsman and he occasionally does some work for companies that develop medical components and this group of companies are now massively over-regulated. When this client first started up about 20 years ago he had his own work processes in developing these components.

A few years later a medical regulatory institution was formed by a small section of the government to cover the development of such components. At this point, the medical regulatory institution had very little power over the businesses but over the years laws were passed, fat politicians shook some hands and this toothless tiger began to grow some teeth. Even more laws have passed since to the point of where it is hurting the businesses.

For his medical products business to remain certified under these new regulations, he has to pass inspections of his factory every now and then by evaluators sent by this regulatory institution. He works hard at making sure he complies to everything but it has reached a point where it has become almost tyrannical. Just recently, he lost a demerit point in an inspection because he had a steel ruler in the factory that was not certified by this group and therefor it was an unauthorized measuring device. A freaking steel ruler..

I can see the computer repair industries regulations getting tighter and tighter as various horror stories arise and politicians have knee-jerk reactions and put in even more rules. Eventually we’ll have to make a hard drive image of each computer before we touch it, even if we are doing something basic, we could even be required to keep a copy of that backup for a few years, pass police checks and get our custom computer builds tested against industry standards.

So, we can have regulation that weed out the computer technician cowboys but we run the risk of being unfairly or over-regulated. What do you guys think?

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

A Look at Regulating The Computer Repair Industry

As for techies just entering the IT field, having a Apple certification is a great way to make you stand out from the rest. If you look at any business that does some sort of design work, you can bet they have at least one Apple computer, or even all of them as Macs. So what certifications are out there and how do we get them? Read on.

ACMT – Apple Certified Macintosh Technician Certification

The Apple Certified Macintosh Technician (ACMT) certification verifies the ability to perform basic troubleshooting and repair of both desktop and portable Macintosh systems, such as iMac MacBook Pro. ACMT certification exams emphasize identifying and resolving common OS X problems, and using Apple Service and Support products and practices to effectively repair Apple hardware.

Required Exams for this Certification:

• Apple Macintosh Service Exam (9L0-006)
• Mac OS X v10.5 Troubleshooting Exam (9L0-061)

Available Training:

• AppleCare Technician Training – Self-paced online program including training materials and diagnostic tools
• Apple Authorized Training Center – 2 to 5 day courses containing lectures, demonstrations and hands-on lab exercises
• Global Service Exchange – Self-paced training materials (only available to technicians employed by AASP’s and SSP’s)

ACSP – Apple Certified Support Professional

Formerly named Apple Certified Help Desk Specialist (ACHDS), ACSP certification is new for Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard. ACSP verifies an understanding of Mac OS X core functionality and an ability to configure key services, perform basic troubleshooting, and assist end users with essential Mac OS X capabilities. This certification addresses the technical skills needed by a Mac OS X specialist who works as a support professional or otherwise assists Mac OS X users with technical issues.

Required Exams for this Certification:

• Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.5 Exam (9L0-402)

Available Training:

• Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.5 Course (Mac OS 101)
• Self-Paced Apple Learning Books
• Skills Assessment Guide
• Sample Test

ACTC – Apple Certified Technical Coordinator
Apple Certified Technical Coordinator (ACTC) certification verifies a foundation in Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server core functionality and an ability to configure key services and perform basic troubleshooting of the essential Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server capabilities. The currently required exams are based on Mac OS X and Mac OS X Server v10.5.

Required Exams for this Certification:

• Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.5 Exam (9L0-402)
• Mac OS X Server Essentials v10.5 Exam (9L0-509)

Available Training:

• Mac OS X Support Essentials v10.5 Course
• Mac OS X Server Essentials v10.5 Course
• Self-Paced Apple Learning Books
• Skills Assessment Guide
• Sample Test

ACSA – Apple Certified System Administrator

Apple Certified System Administrator (ACSA) 10.5 certification verifies an in-depth knowledge of Apple technical architecture and an ability to install and configure machines; architect and maintain networks; enable, customize, tune, and troubleshoot a wide range of services; and integrate Mac OS X, Mac OS X Server, and other Apple technologies within a multi-platform networked environment. ACSA certification is intended for full-time professional system administrators and engineers who manage medium-to-large networks of systems in complex multiplatform deployments.

Required Exams for this Certification:

• Mac OS X Server Essentials v10.5 Exam (9L0-509)
• Directory Services v10.5 Exam (available mid-2008)
• Advanced Administration v10.5 Exam (available mid-2008)
• Deployment v10.5 Exam (available mid-2008)

Available Training:

• Mac OS X Server Essentials v10.5 Course
• Self-Paced Apple Learning Books
• Skills Assessment Guide
• Sample Test

Pro Applications Certification
Apple certification programs create a benchmark for assessing users’ proficiency in Apple’s professional applications.

By passing certification exams, you become an Apple Certified Pro for a chosen application (eg. Final Cut Pro). You can then follow the path to Master Pro Certification by passing additional required exams. Or become certified to deliver Apple’s curriculum as an Apple Certified Trainer or Master Trainer.

Required Exams for this Certification:

• Depends on the application you specialize in. Here is the list of the applications.

Available Training:

• Apple Pro Training Courses
• Self-Paced Apple Learning Books

How To Take The Exams:
1. Sign up for a Apple Tech ID if you dont already have one.
2. Find an Apple Authorized Training Center or a Prometric Testing Center
3. Register for your exams based on the certification you would like to attain.

Does anyone here already have one or more of these certifications? Drop us a comment.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

How to Become an Apple Certified Technician

So whats wrong with the computer repair industry?

The problem with this industry is there is a low barrier of entry. Simply register a business and off you go. Most other important professional jobs have some sort of a standard qualification they need to have, like a dentist, doctor or a vet. All of these jobs also have a governing body that enforces its standards of competency and ethics on those who are self employed.

In this day and age you cannot deny that the job of a computer technician is less important than any of these high end jobs. All of these businesses would store their most important information on a computer such as their list of clients, accounting information or bookings. Without these they would be in big trouble.

Sure, there are many qualifications out there such as A+, MSCE, MCP and Cisco to ensure some competency, but most clients don’t even know what they stand for let alone what they entail. In my six years as a professional computer technician, I have only been asked about my certifications six times, and most of those where in my early days. The A+ certification is a sign of basic computer technician competence but there is nothing to stop you from starting a business without it; and having it doesn’t necessarily mean you are going to actually do business ethically.

On the other hand, I find in the world of being a self employed computer technician, certification doesn’t really mean anything. I have seen certified technicians who don’t know a thing, and un-certified technicians who are absolutely amazing at what they do.
Unfortunately for these amazing, yet un-certified technicians in the world of working for someone else, job recruiters use certifications to thin out the list for the potential employees so the un-certified technicians are less likely to get a job.

Something else that is wrong with the computer repair industry is the level of business ethics that are being used. Just yesterday I came across a computer that had a CPU and Motherboard failure. The client took it to the local repair shop and they installed a new CPU and motherboard. However as most experienced technicians already know, Windows rarely works after a Motherboard and CPU change so the shop did a repair install and gave it back to them.

In my experience, I have never seen a repair install work 100%, there are always weird bugs afterwards and this incident was no different. Internet Explorer wouldn’t accept any URL’s entered into its address bar, the Windows license key that the system was currently using wasn’t the same as the clients legitimate copy stuck to their case. There were many other small bugs caused by registry problems and if the repair shop only did a few clicks around the desktop they would have spotted it.

They called me to come fix it which is when the client was telling me what they did with the other repair shop. Let me just say they weren’t happy paying $800 for a non functional computer. Even though that $800 was for the parts only, one would expect the computer is working properly after they pay it. Its businesses like these that give the whole industry a bad name.

If they had asked me to replace the parts, I would have replaced the parts and charged a little more to format and patch the system. Although it would cost more, they would be getting back what they expect, a usable computer.

Now we come to the price problem. People seem to not view computer technicians as a professional occupation and try haggle us on price. Would you haggle with your dentist? would you haggle with your doctor? no! because its a professional occupation and you have to expect a fee.

I believe part of the reason why we arent viewed as a professional occupation is because most families have a cousin/nephew/colleague who “can fix computers”. This leads to a “why should I pay you $60 per hour when my cousin will do it for $20?” kind of attitude. When they decide not to pay your $60 per hour fee they often look on sites like Craigslist and call out a $25 per hour technician. When this inexperienced technician does a bad job, suddenly the client thinks that all the people in the computer repair industry are scammers!

Sure, there are also expensive technicians who don’t do a good job because these stores hire inexperienced teenage boys to work on the clients computers which gives the high cost computer repair shops a bad name.

So we have cheap technicians and big expensive ones giving the industry a bad name. Our services are undervalued because their cousin thinks he “can fix computers”. Competent and experienced technicians often have trouble getting jobs because the employment agencies use certifications as a filter and instead hire certified but inexperienced technicians. Many of these technicians take low paying jobs in the corporate world so they can get their foot in their door, which further devalues the our services in the eyes of employers… that’s whats wrong with the computer repair industry.

What do you guys think?

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

The Problem with the Computer Repair Industry

So, do I need to be qualified? Well, that depends on what you want to do. If your goal is to climb up the corporate ladder and become the head technician for some large school like Technibble’s friend Robert Gail, then yes, you need to be qualified.

Unfortunately, many employment agencies use official qualifications as a way to filter out candidates. If you arent qualified then they dont forward your resume onto big businesses much to the annoyance of some techies who are highly experienced, but not qualified. So if you want to get noticed, get qualified.
However, if you have your own business (or plan to start one) then that is a totally different issue. In my 6 years of having my own business I have had only about 6 people ask me what my qualifications are. People aren’t going to buy computers from you because you have a A+ or MSCE certificate. Hell, most people dont even know what they are. They are going to buy computers from you because you showed up and sold it to them.

I am sure most of you have had a “professional” come to your house and hook up your internet, install a light fitting or fix your plumbing and you never asked him what his qualifications are, its enough that he arrives on time and gets the job done properly.

What does matter much more than any qualifications when you are dealing with the public is how you look. You may be unqualified and on your first day as a freelancer but if you look the part, they will think you are a pro. I personally go to jobs with neat short hair, tightly trimmed beard (I don’t shave it totally off because I look too young), collared work shirt, work pants and dress shoes. If I combine that with my technicians bag of goodies then I really look like I know what I am doing regardless of whether I actually do or not.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Do I need to be Qualified?

Now as the use of Linux has grown so much, and there are millions of IT professionals across the world trained in its use and programming. The industry has realized the need for introducing Linux certification, in order to validate the skills of a Linux professional, much on the lines of other popular certifications such as CCNA and MCSE.

There are quite a few certifications in vogue being offered by various Linux vendors and some non-profit organizations. A candidate has to make a careful choice considering factors such as the nature of Linux environment deployed, and also the cost of certification.

In terms of vendor-neutral certifications, Linux certification can be broadly classified into the following categories:

LPIC-1
This certification is designed for junior-level Linux administrators. The skills tested under this certification are basically the installation, maintenance, and configuration of Linux systems. LPIC-1 professionals possess reasonable Linux expertise that enables them to configure a stand-alone PC or a workstation.

LPIC-2
The LPIC-2 certification is designed for professionals who can administer small to medium sized sites. They possess skills that enable them to maintain and troubleshoot heterogeneous networks. These networks are a blend of Microsoft and Linux operating systems, added with various server components such as the Internet Gateway. LPIS-2 professionals are also able to supervise assistants and provide valuable systems information to the management.

LPIC-3
This certification is designed for professionals who have the capability to configure Linux systems for multi-site enterprises. They are expected to possess the following additional skills:
• Project management
• Schedule management
• Team handling
• Management reporting

Another popular vendor-neutral Linux certification is the CompTIA’s Linux+. CompTIA is highly popular for its range of foundation-level certifications. On the same lines, the Linux+ certification offered by CompTIA is also an entry-level certification for Linux professionals. It is intended for candidates who have around six months experience in installing and maintaining Linux systems. The main topics covered in CompTIA Linux+ certification include:
• Planning and Implementation
• Installation, configuration and administration
• System maintenance
• Troubleshooting
• Maintenance of system hardware

Outside the preview of vendor-neutral certifications, Red Hat, the popular vendor of Linux, also offers a series of Linux certifications that are:

• Red Hat Certified Technician (RHCT): This certification tests the skills of a professional in installation and maintaining Linux systems. It also checks the ability to manage a corporate network.
• Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE): This is a Senior Administrator level certification designed to test skills such as network security and services.
• Red Hat Certified Architect (RHCA): This is the highest level of Linux certification offered by Red Hat. It tests advanced skills such as systems management, performance management and advanced network concepts.

Despite the initial hesitation of the IT industry in adopting Linux as an operating system, it is now amply clear that Linux is here to stay. The power and flexibility of Linux is encouraging more and more companies across the world to prefer it to other commercially successful operations systems such as Windows and Unix. Moreover, since it follows an open-code system, the flexibility offered by Linux is unparalleled.

So if you are already into the use and application of Linux, it is highly advisable to go in for a certification. Certification provides valid assurance to a potential employer about the actual skills and ability of a candidate. If a candidate is already Linux experienced, then with a little help from the plethora of online tutorials available on the net, a Linux certification exam can easily be cracked.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Linux Certification – Way to Go

In the field of networking, Cisco is a company well known for its hardware equipment. Cisco systems form the backbone of many a computer networks across the world. Cashing in on this expertise, Cisco has also devised a system of certifications. CISCO certifications test an individual on various aspects of computer networking.

The basic certification level in Cisco is CCNA, which is an acronym for Cisco Certified Network Associate. This certification is designed to check skills such as installation and configuration of Cisco products. This is the basic certification that a candidate needs to acquire before progressing to CCNP and finally the CCIE.

The CCNA certification exam is designed in such a way that it attempts to test all basic aspects of networking specifically in respect to Cisco networks. The exam is a combination of various theory and practice-oriented questions. The CCNA exam generally covers concepts such as:
• TCP/IP
• LAN Technology
• WAN Technology
• OSI Model
• Communication Protocols

Just as other certification exams, the CCNA exam is an online exam, consisting of a set of multiple-choice questions. The result is declared immediately on completion of the exam. The minimum passing percentage is 84.9%, which means the candidate must get 849 questions right out of a total of 1000.

In the arena of computer networking, CCNA is a highly sought after qualification. Individuals possessing the CCNA certification are able to manage lucrative positions for themselves. Cisco networking equipment is use very widely across the world; hence there is a huge requirement of professionals trained on their use and operation. Moreover, the holding of CCNA by a candidate provides the potential employer a reasonable level of assurance that the person in question has a sound knowledge of Cisco networking devices.

CCNA even provides a tremendous scope for individuals planning to start up their own Network support services. There are millions of small companies around the world who do not employ full-time network engineers, but have a high dependence upon networking. These companies prefer to engage CCNA certified professionals to manage and support their systems on requirement basis.

Once a candidate clears the CCNA exam, he/she becomes eligible to appear for the next level of Cisco certification, i.e., Cisco Certified Networking Professional (CCNP). The CCNP certification exam tests the networking professional’s ability to install and configure large networks typically covering 100 to 500 nodes. It covers technologies such as Broadband and VPNs.

The number of professionals holding CCNP is comparatively less, which is one reason that employers aggressively hunt around for them, and pay them handsomely. The major reason for this hot demand for CCNP professionals is that they possess demonstrated knowledge about high-end concepts such as routers, switches and even wireless networking applications.

The last and the most prestigious level of Cisco certification is the CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetworking Expert). It is an Expert level certification provided by Cisco. Although there are no formal prerequisites, it is recommended by experts that the candidate must have around 3-5 years of networking experience before attempting the CCIE exam. As of September 2006, there were only 13,756 CCCCIE qualified individuals in the world.

Though it is quite a challenge to clear the CCIE certification exam, it is indeed very rewarding. Owing to the high level of complexity of the CCIE exam, it is assumed by the industry that a CCIE certified professional has an in-depth and expert level knowledge about the networking concepts. It is therefore not surprising that the salary levels of CCIE professionals often cross the $100,000 mark.

Besides the ones detailed above, there are some more certifications that fall under the Cisco brand:
• Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP): This certification is designed to test advanced knowledge of Cisco devices and network design.
• Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP): This certification is designed to test advanced knowledge of Cisco network security issues.
• Cisco Certified Internetwork Professional (CCIP): This certification is designed to test the use of protocols covering large networks.
• Cisco Certified Voice Professional (CCVP): This certification is designed to test all aspects of Internet telephony.

Since it is not easy to acquire a Cisco certification, experts recommend that the candidate must take adequate coaching and guidance before appearing for any such exam. Equally important is a fair amount of practical exposure to the networking industry. Cisco certifications undoubtedly provide a valuable boost to the career of any individual who is involved the computer-networking field.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

CISCO Certification – a Great Career Option

A candidate for MCSE certification is required to take four networking exams, plus a client operating system exam, a design exam, and an elective exam. The topics covered include, “Managing and Maintaining a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Environment,” “Installing, Configuring and Administering Microsoft Windows XP Professional,” and, “Designing Security for a Microsoft Windows Server 2003 Network.” The course content and the tests are upgraded regularly in keeping with the pace of technological advances and matching requirements in the industry.

In addition to the regular MCSE certification, Microsoft offers another set of exams for endorsing two areas of specialization, namely, MCSE: Security, and MCSE: Messaging. These certifications too demand “on-the-job performance” by the candidates who are also required to solve problems and accomplish tasks in a simulated workplace environment. The MCSE Messaging certification qualifies the candidate for the position of a Systems Engineer which requires capability to design, plan and implement an exchange infrastructure on the Windows operating system. For taking the MCSE Messaging exam, the candidate needs to have two years experience in implementing and administering desktop and network operating systems, and designing network infrastructure in a simulated environment of a medium-to-large organisation. In addition, he has to have at least one year’s experience in administering an Exchange Server environment with units located in different places, having diverse connection protocols, and Internet messaging.

The MCSE Security specialization calls for comprehensive knowledge and skills related to Windows 2000 or Windows Server 2003 security. Microsoft holds elective exams to test the candidate on his security skills on these platforms. A candidate who has obtained MCSE Security certification is also equipped to handle Internet Security and Acceleration (ISA) Server 2000, Enterprise Edition, besides being qualified to attempt the Computer Technology Industry Association’s CompTIA Security + certification exam.

Specialization is always advantageous for the IT professional. And the industry too welcomes it. By specializing in any technical field of the IT spectrum, the professional gets to excel in the chosen field, besides distinguishing himself from those who have the broad MCSE certification. The industry welcomes a candidate with specialization in a chosen area because it is always easier to match him or her closely with a technical job slot. With more and more MCSE certified professionals coming into the job market, the task of hiring a person for a specialized field thus becomes easier for the industry as it can readily identify the candidate for the available job, and save precious time and effort. But it should be borne in mind that despite Microsoft offering the specialized MCSE certification, the value of the regular MCSE certification is not diminished in any way. The MCSE continues to be regarded as the ultimate credential of a professional’s high competence.

In addition to the Messaging and Security specialization in the MCSE, Microsoft offers two other certificates: The Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST), and the Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA) which are qualifications that the industry accepts as suitable for customer-service workers and administrators respectively. Candidates without the required experience can consider these two certificates as opportunities for acquiring the knowledge and skills needed for attempting the tougher MCSE certification exams which focus on experienced IT professionals with expertise in designing and implementing Microsoft solutions.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

MCSE Certification Introduction

• It helps an individual gauge his/her own level of knowledge and expertise
• It helps potential employers in finding the right candidates for the various IT positions

On the same lines, CompTIA, an industry organization, has established a highly successful and popular certification known as the A+ certification. A+ certification, offered by CompTIA, is a vendor-neutral certification that focuses on computer troubleshooting skills of the candidate. It is basically meant for individuals who intend to make a career as a service technician. It is, however, not very relevant for other professionals such as programmers or systems analysts.

With the help of A+ certification, an individual becomes a highly sought-after employee for the large number of technical support companies across the world. In fact, A+ certified professionals are often hired by computer manufacturing companies also for providing installation and after-sales support to their customers. Besides, on successful completion of the A+ exam, one also has the option to establish one’s own setup offering computer-troubleshooting solutions, and with A+ certification, it becomes easy to establish a sense of trust over the customers.

The A+ certification is designed to test some specific skills required in a service technician, that include:

• Installing of computers
• Installing of operating systems
• Diagnosis of malfunctions
• Preventive maintenance
• Basic networking

The A+ exam can be given through Pearson VUE and Prometric testing centers all over the world. This is an online exam that includes two modules, one on hardware concepts and the other on operating systems. Before appearing for the A+ exam, it is required that the candidate has 500 hours of hand-on experience as a service technician. This is important because the focus of the exam is practice, not theory.

It is estimated that 800,000 people across the world are A+ certified. Major IT companies such as IBM have made it mandatory for their service technicians to obtain the A+ certification. Besides, in a number of IT companies, A+ certification is a pre-requisite to apply for any opening that involves computer troubleshooting.

Although there are a number of programs, being offered by various computer institutes, for the preparation of A+ exam, it is broadly felt within the industry that no such program is essential. The A+ examination questions are practical in nature and are based on the multiple-choice format. An individual who has completed the statutory 500 hours of industry exposure would be in a comfortable position to answer those questions. Moreover, there are a number of books available that help a candidate to crack the exam.

It is broadly felt among the technicians who have already cleared the A+ certification, that besides the industry recognition, it provides the much needed sense of prestige as well. Employees that are A+ certified are even given preference in promotions.

It appears that the concept of computer certifications such as A+ is here to stay. Certifications make it possible for IT professionals to validate their skills and knowledge, and it provides potential employers a wonderful mechanism to select the right resource. Certifications have indeed proved a boon for the IT industry.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

A+ Certification Introduction

This salary chart has been divided into various levels of employment positions which are each defined as.

Entry Level:
Someone who has 0-3 years experience, relies on instructions and pre-established guidelines to perform their job and does not typically require the exercising of independent judgment.

Mid Level:
Someone who has 2-5 years experience, relies on judgment and limited experience perform their job.

Senior Level:
Someone who has at least 4 years experience, relies on judgment and experience perform their job. They may also be in charge of others.

© Technibble - A Resource for Computer Technicians to start or improve their computer business
To get started with your own computer business, check out our Computer Business Kit. If you want to learn how to repair laptops, check out these narrated, high definition videos. These would pay for themselves in 1 repair job.

Computer Maintenance Technician Salaries – USA 2006

-Servicedesk (Handels questions & complaints)
-Incident Management (Repairs incidents)
-Problem Management (Repairs incidents that happen more often [also called a problem])
-Change Management (Handle changes)
-Configuration Management (Document IT-sources)
-Distribution & control Management (Distribute hard/soft-ware)

I’ll get back on these later this article, because by now, you’re screaming.. WHY DO WE NEED THIS!? And I’ll tell you why.

Businesses that don’t have ITIL implemented into their company are one pack of chaos. ITIL is used to guide Changes, complaints, incidents and all other problems into an organised mill, which will do their best to solve all these problems. Coming back to the basic groups, I’ ll tell you how they are used.

Configuration Management is the implementation of a database which holds information like Hardware storage, who uses what software etc. Depends on how big your company is, because nobody needs an index about all the mouses they have.
Without CM you’d be lost. All information is retrieved from this database.
Without this information items can be moved, stolen or misplaced. Also unauthorised items can be used. This could result into conflicts with the OS, or security breaches.

Incidents Management is implemented to handle incidents and solve them, the incidents Management is either converged as Helpdesk/Incident Management, or as a stand-alone group.

Problem Management is implemented to handle incidents that happen more often, also called Problems.

Change Management is implemented to make usefull changes, guide these changes, and make sure there is a back up plan whenever needed. It’s very important to make a good plan of how to implement changes, large companies like banks can’t handle these in 1 day. Plans Change Management would makes would likely be like, first change small groups to test the software (I’m using a software example because this is often the case) and when things roll like they should, larger groups will be changed.

Servicedesks are often the first point of contact for users when they have a question or problem. There are 2 kinds of servicedesk; the ones that only log these incidents and escalate it to more experienced personnel, or servicedesks that have technical knowledge themself, and handle these incidents on their own. None-problem-solving helpdesks are called unprofessional servicedesks, while incident-solving Helpdesks are called professional servicedesks.

Distribution & Control Management make a Definitive Software Library (DSL) which holds the master copies of all software. From here out they are distributed.
D & C is very important, they keep track of how many licences they distribute and buy. This is so important because (especially in large companies) you could get a visit from someone who’s going to check if you have any illegal copies of software running in your business. If you don’t have a list of who uses what, but do have legal copies, they won’t take your word for it. They need hard facts, so make sure you have a list prepared.

So, to put 1 and 1 together, here’s the whole setup. CM has the whole database. When users report incidents to the Servicedesk, servicedesk logs these in the database, and escalates the incidents to the incidents Management. If the incidents keep coming, problem Management handles them. Change management uses the inventarisations from the database to put changes together. Distribution controls logs the soft/hard-ware they distribute to configuration Management and that’s all, nothing to it, now is there?

And remember, these are not rules, but guidelines.

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