This field is one of the largest and most all-encompassing areas in the field of I.T. Typically, some level of specialisation is needed, since to cover each element would take too many years of training. Cisco & Microsoft are essentially the two leading vendors ruling this sector. Microsoft produce Network and Server software, whilst Cisco focus primarily on the hardware side of networking: Routers, switches, controllers and so on. Both vendors have moved seriously in to security over the last decade, by commercial necessity. We might also want to notice the the more commercial use of WiFi these days, which is essentially wireless-connections and hardware. And then we have the dark art of Hacking (legitimately) & Forensics - both very complex and very specialist subjects in their own right, and take a considerable amount of expertise and knowledge.

You'll find a variety of speciality MCSEs from MS, that cater for subjects such as Security or Messaging if that's the direction you want. You might decide to go for Security+ from CompTIA, and then the Certified Information Systems Security Professional ('CISSP'). You'll find there are tight experience requirements for the CISSP, & these need talking about and getting to grips with before you decide to go down this track. Having a discussion with one of our it training advisors will shed more light on everything for you.

One of the latest areas within this field is known as Digital Forensics. We relate forensics with television shows like CSI (Crime Scene Investigation). Clearly though the job in the real world won't always be quite as stylised as the TV shows would have us believe! But for many people, it offers a very interesting and rewarding role within technology-based analysis. A Digital Forensics expert will trace & interpret digital-artefacts that are frequently used to solve offences.

Alongside Security & Digital Forensics the somewhat new role of 'Ethical Hacking' is emerging. These are qualifications offered through the EC-Council that teach advanced candidates the more dark concepts of 'hacking' - but with the purpose of using these abilities to protect & increase the security within a system, rather than damage it.

There are now greater options in addition to Microsoft and Cisco for getting certified within these disciplines. Indeed, a number of highly thought of institutions have become important contributors now where certification is concerned. The understanding of network-interface connectivity between and within networks is now becoming increasingly important. We are witnessing an essential generational shift within network technology today, thoughts in general are leaning toward greener IT, & both processing-power & data storage are switching towards Cloud computing. The development of 'green' IT covers two essential elements - minimising the effect on the environment is one, but of equal importance to industry is cost. Lower-power processors and computer systems produce much less heat, so less cooling is necessary. Both of these together vastly lower the fuel bill, and therefore impact upon a firm's bottom line -- particularly in data-centres & high volume processing areas.

The vendor neutral global organisation 'CompTIA' now provides possibly the most recognised & widely-respected independent IT accreditations. Establishments such as ISC2 offer 'Security' qualifications, and CWNP offer professional wireless networking paths. Obviously, there's a whole variety of certification tracks from Cisco & Microsoft. The options could be somewhat over-whelming, and therefore we encourage you to go carefully & go through all of your options with an expert who understands the process very well. You might save a great deal of time and expense, as well as aggravation and discouragement.

If you are seeking to develop a career in I.T., start by picking up some networking know-how. Absolutely nothing else will make sense until you have an understanding of how PC's run and connect to each other. Assuming you possess a minimum of basic user-skills, you will find the 'CompTIA' A+ and 'Network+' training programs are excellent to get you started. We include specifics of these programs on the pages dedicated to 'CompTIA'.

Progressing from here will often take you to the MS MCSA/MCSE or Cisco 'CCNA'/'CCNP', subject to whether you're pursuing the 'hardware' or 'software' end of things. However, an in depth understanding of MS's operating systems is extremely important as they're such an important element of the majority of networking-environments. Once again, these qualifications are written about in-depth on their respective sections within this web-site.

Of course you may choose to fine tune your Wi-Fi ('wireless') skill-sets with qualifications like the 'CWNP' and 'CWNA', or keep going down the 'CompTIA' path with Server+, Security+ or Linux+ .

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