Home > News > January 2004 > 14-Jan-2004

Microsoft & security titles dominate list of hottest IT certifications for 2004, says survey

Annual predictions from CertCities.com also include Cisco, Linux, and project management certifications.

Microsoft's new title, the Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security, will be the hottest certification for IT professionals in 2004, says leading IT certification website CertCities.com.

"Security is still the 'hot' focus area, which is why security-related titles scored so high on this year's list," said Becky Nagel, CertCities.com's editor. "Many IT professionals already have Microsoft's MCSE title, making the MCSE: Security specialisation especially attractive."

The list is based on the results of CertCities.com's annual reader survey, which asked a diverse group of IT professionals what certification titles they plan to achieve within the next 12 months. These results are compiled into a "reader interest score" for each title. A "buzz score" from industry experts and contributing editors was also added based on the certification's reputation, the industry's take on the title and accolades it received.

"This year's "Hot Certs" list is quite interesting," said Henry Allain, publisher of Microsoft Certified Professional Magazine and CertCities.com. "Microsoft's Windows platform domination and the hottest topic in IT today being security are really driving where people are choosing to spend their time when it comes to IT certification. It's great to see the CISSP and PMP mentioned in the company of the big boys and it's really interesting to see how quickly the new MCDST is catching on in popularity."

CertCities.com Hot Cert 2004 winners are:

#1 Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Security (MCSE: Security), Microsoft

#2 (Tie) Cisco Certified Internetwork Engineer (CCIE), Cisco

#2 (Tie) Security+, CompTIA

#4 Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP), Cisco

#5 Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE), Red Hat

#6 Microsoft Certified Desktop Support Technician (MCDST), Microsoft

#7 (Tie) Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP)

#7 (Tie) Microsoft Certified Systems Engineer: Messaging (MCSE: Messaging), Microsoft

#9 Microsoft Certified Database Administrator (MCDBA), Microsoft

#10 Project Management Professional (PMP), Project Management Institute

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