Certification Magazine - February 2008 - (Page 23) area to do consulting for small businesses on a host of IT issues. He is judge, jury and IT executioner of many small businesses, a task that requires what has become one of the modern pillars of the industry: outsourcing. “We’re living in the small business world, and small businesses run on Microsoft, so you’re definitely dealing with a Microsoft Certified Professional as far as certifications go,” Walker said. “The name of the game, however, is to be certified in the core needs and then outsource the other services that are not.” According to Walker, it can be beneficial to go beyond the basic certifications and qualifications to run IT for a small business. Walker comes from a business-based perspective, where he can’t quit his job for a few months a year to attain the certifications that might help him with his clients. Even a small business goes through technological advances at a rate that can make even the most advanced IT pro’s head spin. “The key to it is to understand that with technology you are definitely not going to be able to do it all. It is too much and it changes too rapidly,” Walker said. “The thing you want to do is [establish] partnerships that enable you to [be proficient] in areas where you don’t have that expertise, but you’ll be able to provide a service by utilizing partnerships that you create. A big example is phone systems; they now have become part of your data network via voice over IP. What do you do? You align yourself with the players in that industry. You reach out and utilize their expertise and their workforce to help you have a bigger workforce as well.” In baseball terms, Walker would be a player-manager, someone who not only runs the logistics of a team but bats for them as well. The less he has to think and spend time on his managerial duties, the more he can concentrate on batting and making an immediate impact. This is another way Walker stays up to the task of being a jack-of-all-trades IT pro with a number of different small businesses. “With managed services now, it really makes a two-man IT operation able to compete more in the market,” he said. “Because now you are able to do more remote work and monitor the different networks that you may be supporting. [This] cuts down on a lot of the time on the road, and that’s Managed services are increasing the capability of the IT field. To learn more, enter the phrase ‘managed services’ into CertScope to read 66 CertMag articles and link to more than 200 Web sites covering the topic. a beautiful thing right there. Managed services is definitely going to be the standard; it cuts down on a lot of problems.” There’s really no one way to be a definitive jack-ofall-trades IT professional. Attempting to attain every certification that one could use is impractical, as is trying to outsource them all as well. The key is finding a balance between the must-have certifications, yet also having one or two to make you desirable, or possibly indispensable. The latter aspect is something that really depends on who the client is and what their needs are. While pursuing opportunities, if the business requires security and you have experience or training in that, make it known. Estes, Meinhardt and Walker, while coming from different backgrounds, all can agree that consolidation and having extra assets in key areas play a big role in the overall picture. Too many tools and too many processes or programs just add confusion and distract from the basic needs IT pros should be paying attention to, such as security or maintenance. Estes, conscious of the fact that more will always be wanted out of an IT person in this position, suggested having one or more supplementary certifications. Walker agreed, but his jack-of-all-trades consultant business model dictates him working with outsourced partners, since it doesn’t make much business sense to spend time getting certified in something that is likely to quickly change. All three have their own perspective and situation, but Meinhardt summed it up best when recalling the findings of his survey. “A lot of these companies are looking for ways an individual can provide the basic troubleshooting, network and security needs for the peace of mind that their companies expect.” 8 – Ben Warden, bwarden@certmag.com February 2008 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE 23 http://www.CertMag.com
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