Doing the MCP 70-270, what next?

[Minion]

Hi All

I'm new here, stumbled up this site when Googling. I've found it great so far and have some questions. I've started with 70-270, exam on 6th July in New Zealand, the primary OS in my works desktop environment. Next I'm looking at 70-271 and 271 (posted a question here).

From you experiences what would you recommend next in the MS certification range?
I've looked at and reviewed (briefly) MCTS and MCITP, what do they involve? Checking around here and on MS Learning website I found a lot listed for MCTS:
http://www.microsoft.com/learning/en...mcts.aspx#tab2
Do I have to do all of those exams to certify, or just one?

Same with the MCITP, I've seen on this site that I can upgrade 70-270 and 271 (when I take them) via 70-621. Is that just one exam?
Free 70-621 Upgrading your MCDST Certification to MCITP Enterprise Support exam resources

About me, I work as a Service Desk Manager, I've got over 3 years in IT and 5 years in management (retail) and a UK based BTEC National Diploma for IT Practitioners.
With my career I started off as a junior and now the manager, I now want to get more technically skilled, up skill and provide more to my current career.
The IT environment is primarily Windows 2003 AD with one 2008 server, 36 2003 Servers, 150 XP Pro SP3 desktops and about 5 Vista Business SP1 desktops.
We use Linux Debian for open source and have over 300 desktops using Debian to connect to our AS400 systems. Network infrastructure is a mix of Cisco and Nortel with Telephony mainly Nortel with VOIP used sparingly. We are looking at server consolidation, disaster recovery, storage and virtualisation.

I've recently done some short courses in Leadership, Project Management and Business / Information System Strategy, though really want to get more technical.

So my question is, from you experiences what would you recommend next in the MS certification range?

Thanks

Minion

[NozzaC]

Well the 290 follows on nicely from 270. I've not taken the exam yet but I'm studying it now and much of it is already covered in the 270 making it less to study. It's not terribly deep but gives you a good grounding in how the server side of thing is managed.

[skrpune]

You can earn the MCTS title by taking any one of those exams listed on that first link you referenced - each of the exams will earn you a different "flavor" of MCTS. If you've got the MCDST down and then follow it up with the 621, that does upgrade you to MCITP Enterprise Support with just one exam.

If you're set on taking 270 & doing the MCDST, then it's "only" two more exams to get your MCSA. 290 is somewhat of a natural follow up to 270, but the 291 exam is different and can be a little beastly.

Do you know if you're going to be moving to upgrade more desktops to Vista & more servers to 2008?? If that's the case, then it might be more worth while for you to go the MCITP:SA or MCITP:EA route rather than MCSA or MCSE. You can also start with one and do an upgrade path to the other - that will be a lot of exams, but it will have you pretty well covered for all the technology you're using now.

[Minion]

Thanks for the replies.

NozzaC, thank's for the suggestion, I can see logic and understand the recommendation.

Skrpune, thanks for the clear up on the MCTS. The upgrade to MCITP looks good from a MCDST. Get the MCP out the way first then go for it.

We aren't upgrading the desktop environment to Vista, not just yet anyway. Our live commercial websites are hosted on a 64-bit server 2008 blade array. The two programmers / web designers are on Vista 64-bit Business Edition.
Everyone else in the offices is running Windows XP Pro SP3.

Thanks for the recommendations