Jeffrey Stuart Thompson (M.Sc, CNE, CNA)

My background in IT started immediately after completion of my BA in 1988. My first experience in IT was as a Systems Analyst for a very large German-based enterprise. My first project involved writing user requests into technical specifications, and acting as a liaison between third-party vendors and the enterprise's Software Management department during the implementation of an automated Contract/Time and Attendance system. It was this first contact with IT which sparked my interest to become more involved with the "physical" aspects of networking.

Extended Training in IT

My appetite to learn more about networking became so intense by 1992, that in 1993 I embarked on a 14-month vocational course designed to equip me with the fundamentals of networking. During this time I worked a 3-month period as an apprentice in a small IT company that specialized in providing networking support services to financial institutions in downtown Frankfurt; it was during this time that I pursued my first certification to become a Certified NetWare Administrator (CNA).

In the 1990s exciting things were happening in IT and I wanted I wanted to be a part of whatever it was. At the time Novell was the leader in network operating systems (NOSs), the original Ethernet standards 10BASE2 and 10BASE5 were at their heights and 10BASE-T was in the pipeline, TCP/IP network model became the the defacto standard displacing the OSI network model, the Internet was just beginning to gain ground in the public sector, Microsoft began to eat away at Novell's NOS market-share with the introduction of Windows NT and by taking advantage of the TCP/IP protocol stack (as opposed to NetWare's IPX/SPX) - the rest is history.

Certified NetWare Administrator (CNA)

I got my first job in networking as a Network Specialist with the largest German railroad union in Germany. From here on - it was nothing but system administration under the Novell flag.

Certified NetWare Engineer (CNE)

As a CNE in NetWare 3, 4, 5 and then 6 - I stayed a loyal "Novelli" until 2010 when my last employer migrated from NetWare to Windows. Until then NDS (later known as eDirectory) had become very stable and proven itself; many companies remained true to Novell by migrating NT, 2000 and 2003 to Novell's directory services.

Next stop - Microsoft Certified IT Professional (MCITP)

The transition to Novell's Open Suse Linux platform was never a consideration since it would mean investing in an Open Source venture that already has so many variations and none proving capable of relinquishing Microsoft's dominance on the NOS-Market. Consequently, I find it a smart thing to invest further in my years of experience with Windows 2000/2003/2008 and actively purse a certification as a MCITP: Server Administrator on Windows Server 2008. However, before that I will complete ongoing efforts to gain certification as a CCNA.

More than just a System Administrator

As every IT Professional can attest to, flexibility is a must and a great deal is expected and demanded in keeping network components operable. Along the way we gain experience and strengthen our knowledge through confrontation with numerous peripherals, hardware, commercial and customized software. Over the years we accumulate a respectable amount of experience - of which to be proud. My experience as of this reading.