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So much has changed within the last year – we’ll have a lot to catch up on at this year’s Cisco Live and DevNet Day events. From the way we interact personally, professionally, as a society, to the way business is done, our world continues to change dramatically. And how we go forward will make all the difference. The developer community and the diversity of our ecosystem have power and influence. Together, we can ensure positive, proactive progress that accelerates transformation, innovation, and growth for a more inclusive future.

We’ve got a great start. We know automation and applications are central to the connectivity, collaboration, and communities that create new possibilities. They’re supporting new use cases and global requirements for more secure, programmable, automated networks, and driving demand for those with the skills to run them.

Last year at Cisco Live U.S., we introduced a new Cisco Certification portfolio, not just for Network Engineers, but with new DevNet certifications for software developers. Skills in networking, software programmability and security are critical, and we continue to expand and shape our training and certifications in line with the future.

DevNet 500

In fact, when the new DevNet certifications launched in February, the race was on – it took only 16 days for the first 500 individuals to earn their DevNet certifications. We’re looking to these enthusiastic early adopters to be leaders in the DevNet community, to share their expertise, advice and new ideas. But we aren’t stopping there. We’re celebrating all who achieve their DevNet certification in this first year.

The entire DevNet certified class of 2020 is making history and pioneering in a new landscape of opportunities for themselves, for their organizations and for generations of innovators ahead.

We continue to expand our learning and certification portfolio with the introduction of a brand new track for Cyber Operations Certifications. Network security has never been more important, and Security Operations Centers are key in mitigating risks. Unfortunately, talent trained in CyberOps is hard to find. Cisco proactively prepares individuals and teams with knowledge and hands-on experience vital to detect threats and defend digital assets.

And because many of our testing centers have had to close over the last few months due to the pandemic, we’ve brought Cisco Certification testing online. We didn’t compromise security though. The online testing uses live proctors, augmented with AI to keep the high standards of integrity for our certification testing intact. We’re also continuing the tradition of providing Cisco Live attendees an opportunity to take a Cisco Certification exam at an exclusive discount – this year we’re doing it virtually! For a limited time, you can get a promotional code for a 50 percent discount off any Cisco exams available through our new online testing option.

We are bringing together our developer communities, our powerhouse of certified network engineers and those just starting their IT careers, to usher the workforce of the future into today with a new single source for learning and development. The new advance.cisco.com website supports new job roles, new opportunities to move ahead and transform IT team skills for the future. Networking with communities. Sharing of best practices, ways to solve real IT problems and the training to take you to that next step. You can learn how it’s best for you – in a classroom, online at your own pace, virtual instructor-led.

Share IT SolutionsWe’re also fostering new communities such as Share IT Solutions, designed to foster ideas and create code that solves business problems. It’s already been instrumental in helping businesses make the leap to work from home practices during the pandemic. As whole call centers in India were abandoned, one simple piece of code was made available in this forum that enabled the calls to be sent home safely and securely with the workers. It’s just a part of what we’re doing to help ensure business continuity and resilience in the face of this crisis and for the future.

And because business continuity remains essential, we’ve made special service and support offers available to help organizations of all kinds, from hospitals to higher education institutions, from big banks to small businesses concerned with business continuity and resiliency. We know it’s not just the hardware that keeps businesses afloat, it’s the will of our people and the expertise we’re uniquely able to share. Check out this blog from Maria Martinez, EVP and Chief Customer Experience Officer, Cisco.

For our partners, the DevNet Specialization launched May 27, 2020, provides a path to help build or enhance their software development practices, with a focus on automation & application development on top of Cisco platforms. Achieving this Specialization recognizes their expertise and ability to support customers throughout the lifecycle with the right people, tools, and processes.

So, join us this week during Cisco Live and DevNet Day. It’s not too late to register and there is no cost to attend. I especially hope you’ll join the following:

  • June 17 at 2:00 pm PT (UTC –7) – My innovation talk during Cisco Live, “Accelerating Transformation, Innovation & Growth with Automation & Apps”.
  • June 17 at 10:05 am PT (UTC –7) – Amanda Whaley’s Possibilities talk during Cisco Live, “Building your IT team for the future”.
  • June 18 at 8:30 am – 5:30 pm PT (UTC –7)DevNet Day. DevNet hosts its first virtual DevNet Zone after Cisco Live. I’ll kick it off with a keynote address. We’ll have special guests and welcome everyone from coding novices to experts to join for technical developer sessions, demos, interviews, lightning talks, coding challenges and much more. Registration details here.

Come explore the possibilities with us. The invitation is inclusive and the potential for what we can do together is exponential.


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Authors

Susie Wee

SVP & CTO

Cisco DevNet Ecosystem Success