The certification exam is given by Google to admins that have experience managing a Google Apps domain with multiple users. Candidates are given a series of problems to solve in a given time limit, and if they pass the exam, they become a Google Apps Certified Administrator.
Google Apps Administrators must demonstrate the ability to manage day to day operations of Google Apps, including creating, renaming, moving and deleting users within a domain and how to use system roles to delegate Google Apps administrative duties. While security is covered more in depth later in the certification, this section also includes how to force a user to reset their password and how to monitor the strength of passwords.
Similar in functionality to Organizational units in Active Directory, these containers help a Google Apps Administrator to manage users, groups and security settings. Administrators must also demonstrate the ability to manage access to various Google Apps Services through organizational Units.
At the heart of Google Apps are services such as Google Drive which allow for online collaboration. Apps Administrators must now demonstrate how to configure sharing settings and online storage for Google Drive as well and the domain and organization level for other Google Apps services. Successful candidates will also need to understand the basics of Google Chrome policies in order to manage users accounts and devices.
Gmail and Calendaring are two very popular Google Apps and their management covers 25% of the Google Apps Administrator exam. For email administrators must demonstrate how to configure and manage mail routing, approved and rejected sender lists. Advanced email routing in Gmail includes how to send mail through a secure connection based on system rules and how to filter messages based on compliance policies or attachment settings.
Calendars are a useful part of Google Apps and Apps Admins should know how to create and share a group calendar, set up sharing options and how to delegate calendar access. Create and manage calendar resources like a conference room in Google Apps for the win.
As the head of a start-up, growing business, school or agency you're surrounded by technology on a daily basis. Hardware, software, networks, servers, apps, social media... the list goes on.
When new technology or processes become available for industry, business, or consumer use, it can be difficult to find a qualified individual or team to support the growing use of the product within your organization. The result becomes that your team is capped in productivity and use.
One of the hottest and most productive products to enter the business arena in recent years are Google's Business Apps. While there can hardly be a computer user anywhere not familiar with Google search products, or perhaps using a consumer app like Gmail, Google Apps for Business, the cloud-based productivity suite, are already being used by more than five million businesses.
The range of products extends far beyond Gmail; Business Apps available from Google include Calendar, Google Docs, Drive, Slides, and Google Apps Vault, to mention just some. Business apps from the Google Apps Marketplace are adding functionality to Google Apps like never before. Until now there has been no formal qualification of the Apps Admins who support the growing number of corporate users of Google Apps.
Google Apps Certified Administrators aren't just experts in the apps, they're business analysts, programmers and marketers all rolled into one. They have a passion for the cloud. They can assist with security issues, policies, organizational use and integrating specialty software with Google's Business Apps.
The new Google Apps Certified Administrator program is welcome recognition for the thousands of highly qualified systems administrators that deploy, manage and support Google Apps.
Coolhead Tech is proud to sponsor AppsAdmins.com, a community of Google Apps Certified Administrators.