IT industrial certifications in practice

IT industrial certifications have become successful response to the extremely fast and constant changes in the industry of information and communication technologies. The certifications are widely accepted within the industry as industry standards for assessment of particular technical skills and knowledge. Speaking of local conditions in Slovakia, concept of industrial certification needs to put more emphasis and raise awareness. This paper presents general overview on IT certifications. It defines and summarises the types and categories of IT certifications, describes certification process and relation of certification to general training process. Benefits of certification for individuals and organisations are also outlined. Furthermore, the paper presents one of the most globally successful IT certification - Microsoft Office Specialist and finally it shares local practical experiences with IT certifications in Slovakia.