Top 5 Entry-Level Hardware Certifications

To a certain extent, the title of this article is something of a misnomer. In the interests of increased specificity it might be more appropriate to add the words “General” or “Mostly Vendor-Neutral” between “Top 5” and “Entry-Level Hardware Certifications” – we do include a credential from Apple in this list that focuses exclusively on Apple hardware. And in fact, it’s possible to view some certifications from hardware vendors such as HP, Dell, Cisco, Juniper, Fortinet, and so forth, as hardware focused, at least in part if not in the majority, at and beyond the entry level, too. Thus, as you peruse the options in this story, don’t forget that there are lots of other options from which you can choose as well, if you’re interested in demonstrating your knowledge and abilities with particular vendor products and devices.

There’s another misnomer involved in calling these credentials hardware certifications, too – namely, the idea that hardware can exist or operate independently of software (or vice-versa). If you dig into the curriculum for any specific hardware-related certification credential in any depth – be that credential included in our Top 5 here in the story, or in some other certification offerings – you’ll quickly realize that by and large software is in control of hardware nowadays.

Software comes into play for installation, configuration, maintenance, troubleshooting, and just about any other activities you can undertake with hardware. We don’t want to misrepresent the focus and coverage of these certs, so it’s important to understand that the hardware label simply indicates that devices are involved, not that hardware is ALL that’s involved.

Ed Tittel is a 30-year-plus veteran of the computing industry, who’s worked as a programmer, a technical manager, a classroom instructor, a network consultant and a technical evangelist for companies that include Burroughs, Schlumberger, Novell, IBM/Tivoli and NetQoS. He has written and blogged for numerous publications, including Tom's Hardware, and is the author of over 140 computing books with a special emphasis on informationsecurity, Web markup languages and development tools, and Windows operating systems.

Check out Ed's Tom's IT Pro  Making It in IT - Certification & Training blog here.

See here for all of Ed's Tom's IT Pro articles.

Mary Kyle is a full-time freelance writer, editor, and project manager based in Austin, TX. A former IBMer, Mary has over 10 years of project management experience in IT, software development and IT-related legal issues.

Check out these recent Training Videos for IT pros:

• VIDEO: Build a Secure Future in Information Security

Looking for long-term job security? Check out our top 5 information security certification options. 

• VIDEO: Move Ahead With Server Virtualization Certification

Server virtualization is hot and its at the heart of data center convergence. Learn more about it and the top 5 training options. 

• VIDEO: The Cloud Is Inevitable - Get Training Now!

Organizations are adopting cloud solutions at a rapid pace. Don't be left behind as local data centers shrink. 

(Shutterstock cover image credit: Concept)