Are certifications outdated? That's the conclusion from an analyst who studies the industry. An article on the tech job search site Dice.com quotes David Foote as saying the following:

"We've reached a point in our evolutionary rung that has outdistanced the value of certifications," says David Foote, chief executive and chief research officer for Foote Partners. "It is not that technology is not important, but other skills - especially in customer-facing jobs - are more important."

Although I disagree with the thrust of that quote -- in fact, there are several other folks quoted in the story who affirm the value of certifications -- Foote does make a valuable point. Soft skills, like communication, are becoming increasingly important.

Knowing how to write clear, concise emails, for example, can go a long way toward helping your career. Talking to non-tech-savvy folks in a way that doesn't make them feel stupid is another way. Sending out plenty of warning -- at least two emails -- before making a major computer system change that will affect the way your end-users go about doing their jobs is another.

Do you get my point here? Knowing the technology is only half the battle. You have to remember the other people in your organization, and make things as easy for them as possible with good communication. You might be surprised -- it could be those skills, not your wizardy with Group Policy -- that gets you that promotion and raise.

Certification, it seems to me, garners a lot more interest among the IT administrator audience than developers. Though there are plenty of certifications available for the programmer crowd, I don't sense the same level of passion that I do among admins.

But I don't know if this is a faulty perception on my part, or the reality. What do you say? If you're a developer and not interested in certification, why not? Or if you do get certified, what do you find it does for you? I'd like to get a good conversation going about this. Respond below, or feel free to send me an email, so we can talk directly about this.

A new report by an analyst with Forrester Research indicates that we may be entering a boom period for IT.

The report, highlighted by Redmond magazine, says that the uptick should kick in next quarter, i.e. next January. Actually, says the analyst, the boom started in 2007, but was stalled because of the recession and related financial problems. Here's the money quote from the story:

"The whole PC category had been going into a slump both from the release of Vista and because of emerging technologies such as netbooks and smart phones ... We see the release of Windows 7 as playing a factor in new capital investment in PCs, especially for companies that have not refreshed their PCs in four or five years."

What does that mean for certification? Good news all around. With an increase in spending will come an increase in jobs, and certification can help you land one of those jobs. In addition, Microsoft is already starting to release Windows 7 exams, and more are coming. In other words, there's never been a better time to get certified.