Microsoft is training heroes for Windows Server 2008 Service Pack 1, which is coincidentally the same as the RTM version of the latest server platform from the Redmond company. Windows Server 2008 RTM'd on February 4, 2008 alongside Windows Vista SP1, and is right on track for its global launch on February 27, at the Heroes Happen Here event in Los Angeles. But with the availability of Windows Server 2008, Microsoft is also offering new training and certifications tailored to the new platform, emphasizing the need for IT professionals to be educated in order to take full advantage of the new technologies and the features, capabilities and functionality they bring to the table.

"Earning a certification helps IT professionals be recognized for their deep technical knowledge. Every era has its unsung heroes. In the last century, it was the men and women who designed and built the physical infrastructures that fueled much of that era's social and economic progress. In the information age, our unsung heroes are the millions of IT professionals and developers who work behind the scenes to build and support the information systems that drive our global economy," stated Lutz Ziob, general manager of Microsoft Learning.

Ziob estimated that the Redmond company has already dealt with the training of some 350,000 customers and partners, and stressed the need of businesses to have employees that back on the work experience with certification. Additionally, Microsoft's perspective is that even professionals with Windows Server 2003 certifications need new training in order to handle Windows Server 2008.

"Yes. Windows Server 2008 is significantly more advanced than Windows Server 2003, with many new features, such as virtualization and improved support for managing and hosting next-generation web applications and services. IT professionals who have the know-how to manage and implement the shift to this new technology will help their organizations minimize the time it takes to get the server up and running," Ziob added pointing to the Windows Server 2008 Learning Portal for the right place to start when it comes down to Windows Server 2008 certifications.