Avatar

Unleash the Capabilities of the New Network

The worlds of networks, IT infrastructure and applications are no longer siloed – they’re inseparable. Today’s networks are automated and programmable; they’re platforms for developers to build on, and inextricably connected with infrastructure at the edge, in the data center and in the cloud, to deliver services and experiences.

To perform effectively in this new world, every IT professional needs skills that are broader, deeper and more agile than ever before. And they have to be comfortable working as a multidisciplinary team including infrastructure network engineers, DevOps and automation specialists, and software professionals.

It’s a big shift. But we’ll get you ready for it.

Today we’re announcing the biggest evolution yet

in Cisco’s learning and certifications programs.

Here’s what it means for you:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L8oTtIFI-lQ?ccid=cc001196&dtid=oblgzzz000659

 

Leadership

Building the skills for today’s IT landscape

Today, the Cisco certified community has more than 1.7 million certified professionals. We’re evolving the program to equip those professionals — and millions more around the world — with the skills that businesses need to face the future with confidence. This certification evolution is the next step to reflect the critical skills network engineers must have to be at the leading edge of networked-enabled business disruption and delivering customer excellence.

The revisions to our certification program allow network engineers to demonstrate their skill to connect the network in highly relevant ways; our modular framework gives them the ability to incorporate skills as technology changes. We are infusing network automation and programmability into all aspects of networking, connecting applications to the network. Software developers who are network enabled drive the network in new and revolutionary ways. Bringing these critical skills and communities together is the key to unleashing the power of the new network.

CCNA

Our associate level network engineering certification, the CCNA, will now become a single certification covering all major technology areas in a single exam, giving associate-level engineers the “big picture” view they need of the infrastructures they’ll work on.

CCNP

For more senior professionals, the CCNP will give learners a choice of five tracks, covering enterprise technologies including infrastructure and wireless, service provider, data center, security and collaboration. Candidates will be able to further specialize in a particular focus area within those technologies.

CCIE

And we’re also evolving the CCIE, the most prestigious of our certifications. A new lifecycle focus will ensure that CCIE experts have all the skills they need not just to deploy and troubleshoot technologies, but to design and optimize implementations too.

Cisco professional certifications

For the first time, candidates can earn professional certifications for developers. The Cisco Certified DevNet Associate, Specialist, and Professional certifications will cover software development for applications, automation, DevOps, cloud and IoT, building on the momentum of the DevNet community, which today numbers more than half a million infrastructure and applications developers worldwide.

With technology and roles evolving so fast, we’re committed to keeping our curriculums on the cutting edge, so professionals have the skills they need to thrive.

Additional resources such as our digital content libraries and the new DevNet Automation Exchange, the industry leading repository for network automation code for software developers and networking professionals, will always offer the very latest.

 

Agility

Putting you in the driver’s seat

Wherever you are in your career path today, we offer you new opportunities to learn and get certified — whether you’re just starting out as a developer or engineer, or you’re a seasoned pro with decades of experience working with and building on Cisco products.

We’re doing that by eliminating pre-requisites for

our certifications, meaning you can pivot your

career without having to take a defined path.

And with the new DevNet certifications, we’re giving traditional engineers a new angle to take their careers forward.

And we’re proud to announce that the Cisco Networking Academy will be offering training for the new CCNA, CCNP and DevNet Associate certifications. Networking Academy delivers free access to education for students around the world, getting them career-ready and connecting them to jobs.

 

Value

A faster path to productivity and career advancement

Every step on your learning path should make you more effective and more strategic in the real world, giving you the skills and knowledge to solve challenges faster and to deliver more value. Our aim is to bridge the disconnect between the world of training and the day job, so that learning is less sporadic, more fluid.

Today, we’re expanding continuing education to help you recertify at associate, specialist, professional and expert levels, so you can continually hone your skills — and get recognition for those efforts.

Cisco’s Customer Experience transformation is a company-wide approach to making you, our customers, successful in every aspect of your IT projects and operations. Part of our mission is to make sure you have the knowledge you need to excel in your career at your fingertips — whether you’re developing new software, configuring Cisco DNA Center or monitoring infrastructure performance. To that end, we’re creating a comprehensive portfolio of new applied learning sessions called Ask the Experts and Accelerators. They’ll give you rapid-fire, on-the-job training that you can put to work immediately.

 

Closer communities for all engineers and developers

Today, learning goes far beyond a classroom and an exam, or a study session and a lab. It happens when you talk with your peers, when you experiment in a sandbox, when you dig into code samples in a repository or documentation on a wiki.

So we’re bringing together engineering and developer communities to encourage deeper, more varied learning — and help you build lasting connections with other Cisco experts around the world.

DevNet is Cisco’s developer community, and we’re announcing DevNet Network Automation Exchange, a new community-based developer center to help accelerate your success with network automation. It hosts all kinds of resources, including a code exchange where the community can collaborate to create automation solutions together. They’ll join the Cisco Learning Network, with its webinars, blogs and discussion forums, to give you a rich resource no matter where you are in your career path.

 

Transition at your pace

The new courses and content will start rolling out today, with exams starting in February 2020 – giving you and your teams plenty of time to complete your ongoing certifications and get up to speed.

To find out more about the program and all the new offers, visit cisco.com/nextlevel.

 



Authors

Mike Adams

Vice President and General Manager

Learning@Cisco