Microsoft Certs Get ANSI Accreditation

A couple of Microsoft certifications pertaining to Windows Server 2008 have received a rare boost -- ANSI accreditation.

The company announced on its Born To Learn blog that the certifications attained that ISO 17024 approval. The certifications are:

• Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Windows Server 2008 Server Administrator
• Microsoft Certified IT Professional: Windows Server 2008 Enterprise Administrator

What does that mean for those who have gotten those credentials? Increased prestige -- these are the first two product-specific certs to get ISO 17024 accreditation. Microsoft says on the blog, correctly, that

ANSI accreditation is recognized as the highest standard in personnel certification accreditation and is the only accreditation that is recognized by governments around the world.

That's the other big perk -- it makes you more valuable. It's a certification that may be able to help you land public-sector jobs, which require more than just a vendor cert. Getting ANSI means the cert meets specific requirements, certain standards. And in this environment, every advantage, no matter how small, is crucial.