HPExpertOne: Balanced Approach That Deserves a Closer Look

When IT beginners, as well as seasoned professionals, contemplate on their certification choices and possible steps to take, many of them ignore HP’s ExpertOne certification program. While it is in demand, with over 500000 certification holders worldwide, HP’s certifications, as well as their balanced approach to IT certifications these days, certainly deserve a closer look if you are on the lookout for a smart IT career path.

The Approach

HP have revamped and reformed their certification program a few years ago, with a goal of finding a middle way between offering vendor-focused certifications and providing their candidates with a broader take on the certification areas (think something in-between Cisco and CompTIA certifications). It certainly makes sense given the wide spectrum of technologies and solutions HP provides, as well as the talent and expertise this Silicone Valley giant hosts.

Needless to say, their certifications are valued by employers for the company’s reputation as well as for the fact that HP does not fully base their study programs and certifications on their own technology and products. With this broader take, a certification holder basically gets solid knowledge and background in their area, but it would not be a prescription for their next job. To compare, imagine investing in a few Cisco certifications and then deciding you want to work for a company that relies on Juniper network equipment. Unthinkable, right? And that’s the approach HP seems to try to avoid. While making special emphasis on their technology, as well as special workshops and stuff for their employees and partners, HP keep IT professionals’ options wide open.

The Areas

HPExpertOne certification areas cover the wide range of HP technologies:

• Blades
• Cloud
• Converged Infrastructure
• Desktops and Workstations
• Networking
• Operating Systems
• Printing & Multifunction
• Security
• Servers
• Software
• Solutions
• Storage

Certification Paths

HPExpertOne certification paths layout is pretty standard. The 4 levels cover a broad range of skill levels. Each career certification is aligned to a specific job role, including but not limited to architect, integrator/implementer, administrator and hardware or software support.

• Associate – Academic certifications that introduce business and technical skills covering a wide array of HP solutions, targeted at any individual interested in pursuing a career in the IT job market. The credential brand is HP Accredited Technical Associate, or HP ATA.
• Professional – Technical certifications that develop the foundational skills needed for the HP small to medium business and mid-market solutions. Skills include designing HP solutions, installing and configuring HP technology, and administrating and supporting the solutions once they are in place. Certifications include storage, server, and networking technologies. The credential brand is HP Accredited Technical Professional, or HP ATP.
• Expert – Advanced technical certifications that develop deep technical skills focused on complex enterprise HP technologies and solutions. Skills include designing global solutions, implementing and configuring efficient and effective IT deployments, and administrating and supporting those solutions in a heterogeneous environment. Certifications include but are not limited to Cloud, Converged Infrastructure/advanced data center, Storage, Servers and Networking. The credential brand is HP Accredited Solutions Expert, or HP ASE.
• Master – The highest level of certification develops deep technical skills in advanced HP solutions combined with business acumen in the IT domain. Skills include aligning the IT solution to an organization’s financial and business goals, designing and implementing complex solutions from the proposal stage to live implementation using the full breadth of HP technology and portfolio capabilities. Certifications include but are not limited to Cloud, Converged Infrastructure/advanced data center, Storage, and Networking. The credential brand is HP Master Accredited Solutions Expert, or HP Master ASE.

All in all, being an industry leader with a lot to offer to its employees as well as to other IT professionals, HP have come up with certification programs and standards you can benefit from. More information is available on the official website.

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