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Microsoft Announces New Desktop Cert: MCDST
10/13/2003 -- Today Microsoft announced a new title, Microsoft
Certified Desktop Support Technician, aimed at desktop support personnel
whose main job role is to troubleshoot user desktop machines.
The MCDST requires passing two new Microsoft exams:
70-271, Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Windows Desktop Operating
Systems
70-272, Supporting Users and Troubleshooting Applications on a Windows
Desktop Operating System Platform
Microsoft has yet to release any details about the exams, but the
requirements guide provides clues to Microsoft Learning courses
and self-study training kits that will be available. Microsoft was
unable to comment in time for this story.
While the new title's initials come as a surprise, the offering
isn't unexpected. Judith Morel, with Microsoft's Strategic Certification
Program, told CertCities.com Editor Becky Nagel in May 2002 that
the company was researching a separate desktop support title. According
to Morel, the impetus for the research was the result of a worldwide
Job Task Analysis survey of MCPs worldwide. "What we learned
is that MCSAs and MCSEs don't function too much on the desktop,"
she said at that time.
In July 2003, MCP Magazine Senior Editor Keith Ward confirmed from
reliable sources that such a certification was under development
and would include two completely new exams.
Microsoft targets its newest title, Microsoft
Certified Desktop Support Technician, at Tier 1 personnel (the grayed
out bottom layer), whose job tasks primarily encompass daily operating
systems troubleshooting. MCSA and MCSE fill Tiers 2 and 3, respectively.
Microsoft has yet to reveal plans for a certification for the top
tier. (Source: Microsoft Corp.)
The new title fills out the bottom tier of an IT infrastructure
pyramid (see figure above), which Microsoft has shared in public
talks about its certification program plans. Directly above the
first tier resides network administration (MCSA) and network design
(MCSE). A top tier consists of an architect layer, which Microsoft
has currently announced no plans for.
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