ProProfs.com, the leading free online education portal, today announced the launch of Comptia A+ cetification study guides available online, free of cost. The Comptia A+ study guides are a self-study course that use interesting methods to reinforce learning for all topics included in Comptia A+ Hardware exam and the Comptia A+ OS (Operating Systems Technology) exam. The A+ study guides cover all aspects required to gather skills and knowledge to quickly become certified. These study guides are designed to make A+ study invigorating and easy to retain through interactive quizes and animated illustrations.

ProProfs study guides are the first, full length training course available free of cost. The A+ study guides are comprehensive tutorials that explain the concepts in a concise and easy-to-read language while giving students an in-depth knowledge of all topics.

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RFID technology is catching on in the classroom. The question is whether universities are turning out RFID-savvy students quickly enough to keep up with demand. So just how quickly are students embracing RFID?

Bill Hardgrave, director of the RFID Research Center at the University of Arkansas’ Sam M. Walton College of Business, says that more than 100 students are involved with RFID studies this semester, either through ongoing research projects within the RFID Center or through enrollment in academic courses. That number is up from 80 students last semester.

In fact, Hardgrave says that one course on RFID business management was added to the course list only 24 hours before registration. The course promptly filled up.

“I think what it suggests is that we are seeing academia respond to the needs of the industry,” says Hardgrave. “I think that it’s an indication of students’ understanding what’s happening out there with the technology and wanting to take advantage.”

Corporate recruiters are also well aware of the impact RFID technology is having in the industry. Robb Clarke, Ph.D., an assistant professor at the Michigan State School of Packaging, told the RFID Academic Convocation at MIT last week that recruiters won’t even speak with a prospective employee unless the candidate has taken his class in RFID.

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When you´re studying to pass the BSCI exam and earn your CCNP certification, you´re going to be introduced to ISIS.

ISIS and OSPF are both link-state protocols, but ISIS works quite differently from OSPF. You must master these details in order to earn your CCNP.

One of the major differences between OSPF and ISIS will be evident to you when you first begin your BSCI exam studies, and that is the terminology. ISIS uses terms that no other protocol you´ve studied to date uses, and learning these new terms is the first step to BSCI and CCNP exam success.

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Portugal - Today as part of its continued commitment to helping promote digital literacy and supporting programs that provide IT skills training and the benefits of technology, Microsoft Corp. announced new offerings for underserved communities in Europe as part of it 21st Century Skills for Employability initiative. The announcements were made during the keynote address by Jean-Philippe Courtois, president of Microsoft International, at the Microsoft Government Leaders Forum (GLF) Europe 2006 in Lisbon, Portugal. The GLF is a two-day event that brings together more than 300 high-level government officials and business leaders from across Europe with the goal of driving discussion about the opportunities and challenges that leaders face in the new global economy.

“The most important phase of the European Union’s growth and jobs strategy is underway, and the spotlight is firmly on delivering results. Partnerships between the Member States and the private sector can also make a major contribution to Europe’s competitiveness as a region and for its citizens,” said Vladimir Spidla, EU Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. “I welcome the creation of the European Alliance on Skills for Employability. The alliance is a leading example of how innovative business-to-business collaborations, working with different stakeholders, can provide opportunities to the European unemployed. Access to skills training, content provision and certification can help older workers, people with disabilities and the young to face the challenges of unemployment and the changing workplace, and so contribute to Europe’s prosperity. I commend this initiative as it represents one of the best practices in this field.”

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One question I see often on the ´Net is “Is it worth my time to earn a CCNA / CCNP / CCIE certification?”

My personal answer to that is a resounding yes. The power of Cisco certifications has allowed me to create a tremendous career, and they can do the same for you.

There has never been a better time to accelerate your IT career, and earning a technical certification is a great way to do just that. I don´t care if you´re looking at earning an MCSE, a Cisco certification, Red Hat, or any other vendor - you are always better off having a technical certification than not having one. Technical certifications are an excellent way to market yourself and stand out from the crowd. Earning certifications shows a potential employer (and your current one) that you are willing to go the extra mile.

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A New Look at the Linux+ Certification

Are you a fan of open source operating systems? Are you looking to enhance your IT skills by learning technologies outside of the Microsoft realm? If you answer yes to either of these, venturing into the Linux world might be of interest to you. Undoubtedly, the Linux operating systems have grown in market share and in the minds of business and personal users over the past decade. Particularly, the Linux server operating systems have grown considerably in popularity.

Because there are several “flavors” of Linux, it might seem unfeasible to certify one’s skills in Linux. However, CompTIA, the vendors of other popular IT certifications like A+, Network+, and Security+, have developed and now revamped their vendor-neutral Linux+ certification. CompTIA certifications generally serve as base-level certifications in a particular IT area; however, some certifications assume more IT foundational knowledge of certification seekers, such as the Security+ exam assumes more IT experience than the A+ exams.

Technical skills have little value if you have poor soft skills. Don’t get me wrong, your tech expertise matters. But don’t be fooled by your tech skills. King of Linux, champion of Oracle? You’ve got it made, right? Give me a break! Tech skills alone are no guarantee of success.

You’ve got all the hot technical certifications with solid work experience. You’re the programming guru or the 900-pound gorilla of Network administration. You’re on your way to becoming an outstanding IT achiever? Don’t make me laugh! Excellent tech activities, rapid knowledge acquisition, tons of certificates are not the same thing as growth.

Tech skills alone don’t lead to recognition, promotion and most importantly opportunity. Tech skills are important but so are your soft skills. How well do you communicate with your colleagues, management, clients or your employer? Are you perceived as a contributor or just another techie?

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Microsoft Corporation recently announced a major redesign of its certification program, complete with a new structure and new certification titles. According to Microsoft “The program provides shorter certification paths targeted to specific job roles or technologies, so individuals can more quickly acquire relevant credentials to prove their expertise and organizations can to quickly ensure that IT professionals have the right skills for their projects.”

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Cisco Systems has broadened the scope of its Networking Academy program by expanding on its wireless and security certifications, as well as by adding a certification for IP telephony.

“What unique about the Academy program is its curriculum was developed through input by educators and also Cisco engineering, and we really took the vault of information that we had on networking-specific technologies and, through the help of educators, created a curriculum that was pedagogically sound and was enhanced by prior learning assessments, state- of-the-art assessments for the students and teachers,” said Anne Miller, education marketing manager at Cisco Systems Canada.

About two years ago, Cisco launched certifications in wireless and security, and the company is expanding on the training in the Networking Academy for both of those topics.

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