If you have a career in corporate information technology (IT), then you have likely heard of the term "PowerShell." Available on Microsoft Windows, PowerShell combines command-line speed, the flexibility of scripting, and the power of a GUI-based admin tool. While it may look similar to the Command Prompt app in Windows, PowerShell is not just a way to type legacy Microsoft DOS commands inside Windows' graphic user interface (GUI). PowerShell is a scalable way for corporate IT managers to automate business-critical tasks on every Windows PC across a wide area network. This is why learning PowerShell commands can give you skills essential for managing IT at any business.

Accessing PowerShell Is Easy

Simply stated, using the command line will make your life easier because the barrier of entry to learning PowerShell is relatively low. Performing the task manually would likely take hours to complete. Using PowerShell, you can complete the task using a single line of code. If your computer is running Windows 10, then you can type "PowerShell" in the search box to get instant access to the Windows PowerShell app.

PowerShell includes an interactive prompt for typing commands. Although most people interact with their devices using a GUI, those same devices also offer a text-based interface for issuing commands called a "command line interface" (CLI).

PowerShell is the built-in CLI for Microsoft Windows used by IT administrators and help desk workers to:

• Automate redundant tasks
• Manage IT environments at scale
• Access hard-to-find user information

Easy Automation

Windows PowerShell introduces the concept of a cmdlet (pronounced "command-let"), a simple, single-function command-line tool built into the shell. You can use each cmdlet separately, but their power is realized when you use these simple tools in combination to perform complex tasks.

Windows PowerShell includes more than one hundred basic core cmdlets, and you can write your own cmdlets and share them with other users. Knowing how to design cmdlets and perform PowerShell scripting are in-demand skills for companies large and small throughout North America and Europe. A recent search for "PowerShell jobs" on Dice.com (a tech recruiting website targeting jobs that pay six-figure salaries) returned almost 2,000 open positions in just 15 locations across the United States.

Scalable Management

We know installing operating system updates on a PC takes only a few clicks. However, installing those updates on just a dozen laptops and the odd desktop PC in a small office can be time consuming. Imagine how much time is required to update 563 different PCs in a couple of locations—without affecting the overall productivity of your workforce.

Smart IT admins use PowerShell to script a cmdlet for a task they have to perform more than a couple of times. Anything you can do with a few mouse clicks in the GUI also can be done quickly in PowerShell.

Accessing Information

Like many CLIs, PowerShell provides access to the file system on the computer. In addition, PowerShell providers enable you to get hard-to-access data and information. For example, IT admins can use PowerShell easily to get into secure data stores such as the Windows Registry and the digital signature certificates.

This is important because unlike most CLIs, PowerShell is built on top of the Microsoft .NET Framework. It is a unique feature that enables IT professionals to automate and remotely perform special tasks on any Windows PC on the corporate network. Best of all, PowerShell easily provides IT admins with deep visibility and control over all of those network resources just by typing a line of command-line code.

PowerShell is also an important part of managing corporate-wide deployments of Microsoft Office 365. There are many useful administration commands in PowerShell that are unavailable in the Office 365 Administration web portal. For example, the default option in Office 365 for Business is either for all users to change passwords on a regular basis or for nobody ever to change their passwords. Some companies use PowerShell to enable individual Office 365 users in their organization using two-factor authentication to skip changing passwords on a regular basis. Without PowerShell, they would not have the ability to change Office 365's default password options.

Why PowerShell Skills Are Popular

Microsoft has made it clear that PowerShell is here to stay. Virtually all of the server products Microsoft is producing right now can be managed through PowerShell. The Benefits of PowerShell skills are obvious: Scripting cmdlets in PowerShell is like programming. Because every organization relies on IT for productivity, PowerShell scripting is a desirable ability. From an administrative standpoint, this means that if you become proficient in PowerShell, you will have the skills necessary for managing most of Microsoft's newer products.