Sysadmins can forget PC management skills, says Microsoft

Certification for Desktop Infrastructure binned in favour of Devices and Apps course

Microsoft has announced it will retire the MCSE (Microsoft Certified Solutions Expert) certification dedicated to “Desktop Infrastructure”.

Microsoft pitches MCSE certifications as essential for sysadmins hoping to prove their competence to employers^*, but now says the time for skills in dedicated “traditional desktop provisioning and management scenarios” has passed. Instead, Redmond thinks now's the time to demonstrate that you can handle “multiple device types and application management” as we get into the age of cloud and apps and hipsters.

The MCSE track for “Enterprise Devices and Apps” is therefore suggested as a better certification for the modern sysadmin to shoot for.

The Desktop Infrastructure MCSE will be around for a while yet, but come January 31st, 2016, the exams for the certification won't be offered. If you've started studying for the Desktop Infrastructure, Microsoft has no problems with you continuing to do so, but of course suggests you hurry up and finish before the exams are retired.

Folks who have recently scored the desktop certification are being told to suck it up, because “Technology changes can cause some exams and certifications to become less relevant.” Those keen to take the leap from Desktop Infrastructure to Enterprise Devices and Apps need only take exams 695, “Deploying Windows Desktops and Enterprise Applications”, and 696, “ Administering System Center Configuration Manager and Intune”, to get up to speed.

Doing so will, of course, require a new outlay of currency. ® ^* And whenever we write about certification, readers point out that holding a certification is no indicator of real-world competence.