ORLANDO, FL--(Marketwire - June 24, 2008) - CiscoLive -- Underscoring its commitment to
accelerate the development of technical talent across the globe, Cisco
(
NASDAQ:
CSCO) today unveiled the Cisco® Learning Network
(
www.cisco.com/go/learnnetspace). Designed for both the seasoned
professional as well as individuals considering a career in information
technology (IT), the Cisco Learning Network is a Web 2.0 community that
enables networking professionals to collaborate globally through document
sharing, open forum discussions and idea exchanges in a dedicated
environment.
Cisco is also announcing a major augmentation to its popular
associate-level career certification with the introduction of three
concentrations: CCNA® Security, CCNA Voice and CCNA Wireless. By
expanding on the competencies and skills in the CCNA curriculum, these
highly specialized concentrations offer individuals a career stepping-stone
into the converged technologies that make up today's sophisticated
networks.
"As networks continue to stimulate economic growth, collaboration and human
interaction, the need for networking talent will grow in importance. To
address the growing global demand for networking talent, we estimate that
we will need to double or even triple our certified individuals over the
next five years," said Jeanne Beliveau-Dunn, general manager of
Learning@Cisco. "With the expansion of the CCNA portfolio and the launch of
the Cisco Learning Network, we have added two more critical components to
our companywide initiative to address the global IT talent shortage,
accelerate the development of the information economy and improve the
productivity of this vital technical community."
Cisco Learning Network
Providing social networking features such as blogs, wikis and forums, the
Cisco Learning Network enables individuals to discuss top-of-mind issues
and interact with thought leaders in network design, implementation and
operations. The community will also directly contribute to the continued
development and co-creation of Cisco's education strategies by providing
real-world community feedback that can be used for training development and
assessment.
With the built-in document-sharing tool, there is now a single source for
the certified community to seek out product documentation, configuration
and troubleshooting advice as well as expert opinions on networking
challenges. As the community develops, it will become an important resource
that can be taken advantage of by IT professionals to increase productivity
and address critical issues in the networks they administer.
"With the demand for IT professionals on the rise, it's great to find a
centralized resource that unifies industry trends, developments and
certification opportunities," said renowned author and networking expert
Terry Slattery, CCIE® #1026. "The Cisco Learning Network is a great tool
for individuals who are looking to learn about new technology, stay in
touch with colleagues, or pursue certifications."
Growing Need for Security, Voice and Wireless Specialists
A recent study commissioned by Cisco and conducted by Forrester Consulting
found that there is a pervasive need for specialized networking skills. In
fact, 36 percent of the global companies surveyed reported that they have
dedicated wireless specialists in their IT organizations, a number that
will almost double in the next five years. Dedicated network security
specialists were found in 46 percent of the companies surveyed and that
number is expected to increase to 80 percent in five years. Additionally,
69 percent of the companies surveyed expect to have a dedicated voice
specialist in their organizations within five years up from 40 percent
currently. The survey respondents also cited the importance of
certifications in their professional development. In their own career
history, the IT decision-makers surveyed indicated that professional and
technical certifications were second only to a four-year college degree in
the qualifications needed for their position.
Reflecting the increasing specialization within networking job roles, these
concentrations provide a "lifecycle of learning" blueprint for career
advancement. Following are the new CCNA concentrations:
- CCNA Security - This certification confirms an individual's
skills for job roles such as network security specialist, security
administrator and network security support engineer. The certification
validates the candidate's skills in the installation, troubleshooting and
monitoring skills of network devices to maintain the integrity,
confidentiality and availability of data.
- CCNA Voice - This certification confirms a candidate's skills
for job roles such as voice administrator, voice engineer and voice
manager. It also validates skills in voice over IP (VoIP) technologies such
as IP PBX, IP telephony, handset, call control and voicemail solutions.
Candidates also get exposure to the Cisco Unified Communications
architecture and design for mobility, presence and TelePresence
applications.
- CCNA Wireless - This certification confirms a candidate's skills
for job roles such as networking associate/administrator, wireless support
specialist and WLAN project manager. CCNA Wireless validates a candidate's
skills in the configuration, implementation and support of Cisco wireless
LANs.
To learn more about the Cisco career certification program, including
course and exam availability please visit:
www.cisco.com/go/learnnetspace
Cisco Press, the leader in CCNA self-study products, has products for the
new CCNA Security exam already available and will publish on all CCNA
concentration exams in 2008. All products will be available for purchase
at:
http://www.ciscopress.com/ccna
About Cisco Systems
Cisco (
NASDAQ:
CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms
how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco
can be found at
http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to
http://newsroom.cisco.com.
Cisco, the Cisco logo, and Cisco Systems CCIE and CCNA are registered
trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the United States and certain other
countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property
of their respective owners. The use of the word partnership does not imply
a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. This
document is Cisco Public Information.
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Contact Information: Press & Analyst Relations:
Cara Sloman
Cisco
831-440-2411
csloman@cisco.com
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Laura Graves
Cisco
408-526-6521
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