"We are very happy with our Check Point [Software Technologies] training," said Fish, whose Kansas City, Mo.-based company has been profitable since its inception. "It is a must for anyone who wants to get into the security [software] market."

Fish's experience is an example of how profitable an investment in a new certification can be for a solution provider. Check Point, in fact, is one of the vendors with technology that factors prominently in solution providers' certification plans, according to the 2001 CRN Certification Study. The Check Point Certified Security Administrator (CCSA) and CCSE designations were among the most profitable certifications for smaller solution providers, the research found.

Overall, security, Linux and storage certifications were among those growing fastest in importance to the entire group of solution providers surveyed, according to the research. Two Linux certifications,Linux Professional Institute Certified (LPIC) Level 1 and Red Hat Certified Engineer,headed the list, with three Check Point certifications rounding out the top five for all respondents as a group rating the importance of certifications now and six to 12 months from now.

That said, solution providers said they still see certifications from established vendors in established technologies as most crucial to their business operations over the next year. Certifications for products and technologies from Microsoft, Cisco Systems and Oracle take up the first seven spots on the list of most important vendor certifications to solution providers looking out six to 12 months, the research found.

Novell, in contrast, is losing ground, the survey showed. Its Certified Novell Engineer (CNE) and Certified Novell Administrator (CNA) certifications will likely become less important to solution providers over time, the study found.

Rick Dunn, CTO at nVARix, a consultant in Portland, Ore., said the CNE designation has lost as much as 50 percent of its monetary value,that is, billing potential,in the past five years. CNEs are being billed out at the hourly rate of about $75 per hour now vs. about $150 per hour several years ago, he said. "Five or seven years ago, if you had three Certified [Novell] Engineers and the competition didn't, you'd win the business," he said. "All that has changed. It is now a per-hour price war."

Return on investment (ROI) is a crucial part of the decision process for solution providers when it comes to hiring certified individuals or training existing personnel to earn new certifications. For the most part, solution providers get what they pay for, according to the survey results. The higher the level of compensation that is being paid to certified personnel, the more solution providers can charge for their services. But the results also show that certifications from Compaq, Oracle and especially Check Point offer a superior rate of return for solution providers, while those from Sun Microsystems lag behind.

The ability of solution providers to exploit certifications with a high ROI could be limited by difficulties in finding qualified individuals. For example, 62 percent of smaller solution provider respondents said it is very difficult to find qualified Check Point-certified people, and 58 percent of respondents said the same for Oracle Certified Professional,Database Administrators (DBAs).

The situation has improved over the past year, however, with more than 70 percent of the solution providers participating in the survey saying it has become easier to find qualified individuals.

A strong overlap exists between the certifications that solution providers cite as most important and those cited as most important by businesses. But differences exist within each group as well, based on the sizes of both the solution provider and the business in question, and these differences illustrate where solution providers may miss out. For example, two Check Point certifications are among the most important to larger businesses, but they do not appear on the list for larger solution providers. This disconnect could prove costly to solution providers, as 60 percent of larger companies said they would look elsewhere if their solution provider did not employ a Check Point-certified individual.

Wireless will be a big area of specialization over the next year, according to the data. Thirty-six percent of solution providers not specializing in this technology plan to do so within 12 months.

One problem in the wireless arena is the dearth of certifications or training, said Grady Crunk, executive vice president of Central Data. The Titusville, Fla.-based solution provider is planning to invest in Cisco's wireless specialization, Crunk said. Wireless is "such a new field that customers don't even know what to ask for. We're going to start seeing a lot more companies breaking out wireless certifications," he said.

Solution providers generally rate the technical competence and qualifications of certified individuals quite high. Sun and Oracle get the highest rankings, while Microsoft is rated lowest.

Solution providers also give vendors high marks for keeping the technical standards of their certification programs up to date. Again, Microsoft receives lower ratings in this area, compared with other vendors. Cisco and Citrix get top grades, along with the Linux Professional Institute, a non-profit organization offering vendor-neutral Linux certifications.

Ironically, Microsoft certifications also are among those most likely to be sought after by solution providers within the next six to 12 months. In addition, survey results show that a majority, or 56 percent, of solution providers see a need for generic, vendor-neutral certifications in addition to vendor-specific certifications.

Finally, with certified staff worth upward of $200 per hour, solution providers are loathe to let these individuals take time off for training. As a result, vendors must keep their programs short and intense. Sixty percent of solution providers said they allow their employees a total of 10 days or less each year for training related to certification.

But solution providers also recognize that certifications are not just for technicians. Sixty-four percent of solution providers said training for their sales force is also important for solution selling.

STEVEN BURKE contributed to this story.