subject: The Gold Certified Consultant – IT's Special Forces [print this page] The Gold Certified Consultant IT's Special Forces
With the size of the world wide IT industry and the ever increasing reliance on the internet, there is certainly no shortage of IT consultants. But choosing the right consultant can be tricky, especially with so many companies vying for your business, of which all have dedicated sales people trained to hook you in. How can you measure their level of expertise? Well the "special forces" in IT are those who possess a Microsoft Gold Certificate.
What is a Gold Certificate?
A Microsoft Gold Certificate cannot be simply purchased, nor is it given away. It has to be earned through a series of exams and by meeting core competencies as laid out by Microsoft. The consultant has to continuously study and work extremely hard to achieve and maintain the award, demonstrating their commitment and dedication to their profession. They have to demonstrate the highest level of competence and expertise when working with Microsoft systems. Essentially the consultant has to continually prove themselves to the best in the business.
What are the advantages in using these consultants?
Microsoft considers these Microsoft Gold Certificateconsultants to have a very close working relationship with them. These consultants have access to exclusive resources and support from Microsoft, such as their own technical support coordinator, access to the Partner Knowledge Base, priority listing in Microsoft directories amongst other top benefits. Effectively, this means a Gold Certified consultant has a direct line to the top people within Microsoft. They are also the first to receive news of new developments or updates via an exclusive Microsoft newsletter.
In effect a Gold Certificate proves that a company can go above and beyond their rivals in enhancing the offerings they can provide to their customers. A Gold Certificate separates the elite from the good. Microsoft is willing to align and stake their reputation in these professionals. So can you.
