Communications technologies for your future

CableNet Training explores Cisco qualifications

New communications technologies still offer significant opportunities for professional and personal development for people investing in training. Investment in Information Communications Technology (ICT) has consistently stimulated productivity growth. In the USA, firms with above-average investment in ICT enjoy nearly four times as much productivity growth as those with below-average investment.

A new generation of networking technologies, including Internet-based productivity, commerce and communication tools, are an important part of this trend. A recent survey of more than 350 companies concluded that those using Internet-based business solutions enjoyed a yearly productivity gain of more than 13 per cent, compared to less than 5 per cent for non-Internet users.

To exploit these opportunities, organisations must have appropriately skilled personnel, and this is still a major challenge. Although growing, the supply of graduates and vocationally qualified personnel is still insufficient to meet forecast demand. Industry analysts forecast a skills shortfall of some 19 per cent in the IT skills market over the next two years.

Nowhere is the demand greater than in the field of Internet technologies. Cisco Systems is one of the most prominent end-to-end solutions providers currently leading this growth. Its career certifications (Cisco’s qualification framework) are widely recognised within the telecommunications industry and are valuable to a range of employers from education, health, local government and private industry, to Cisco Channel Partners, which resell Cisco products and services to these organisations

Cisco has three tiers of general or core Career Certifications: Associate, Professional and Expert. Within each tier an engineer can follow one of four general pathways: Routing and Switching (Network Design), Routing and Switching (Network Support), Communications and Services, or Network Security.

Engineers must meet a specific set of requirements at each level within the pathway they have chosen.

Each certification is important and relevant individually, and also serves as a milestone for people who wish to develop, sharpen and validate their knowledge and skills as they work to acquire Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) certification. Along the route to expert status, those with skills and qualifications can further develop skills in areas that relate to their existing knowledge base, as outlined below.

Associate engineers are qualified for first-tier support and entry-level networking assignments, and are required to re-certify every three years.

Cisco Certified Design Associate (CCDA):

- determines customers’ requirements for network performance, security, capacity and scalability

- designs a simple network

- identifies how to build a prototype

- assembles Cisco product lines into an end-to-end networking solution.

Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA):

- supports simple networks

- configures, verifies and troubleshoots routing and LAN switching implementations

- inputs configuration files on routers and switches

- staffs a help desk, retrieves calls and isolates problems.

Professional engineers are recognised as able to manage and deploy networks, solutions and services, and are required to re-certify every three years.

Cisco Certified Design Professional (CCDP):

- designs complex networks

- provisions platforms and technologies that need more complex business needs across a wide range of network components.

Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP):

- supports complex networks

- creates configuration files based on a design plan

- creates the test bed and staging areas for platform development

- resolves complex network problems

- acts as a technical support person or system implementation.

Cisco Certified Internetwork Professional (CCIP)

Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP):

- designs end-to-end security solutions using Cisco SAFE blueprint

- uses Cisco security devices and technologies to implement a defence-in-depth security strategy

- manages network security for maximum productivity.

Expert engineers are globally known for their networking expertise, are always in short supply and must re-certify every two years. The Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) is qualified in one of the three pathways:

- Routing and Switching (Network Design or Support)

- Communications and Services

- Network Security.

In addition, Cisco offers Cisco Qualified Specialist qualifications for engineers in:

•IP telephony

• wireless LAN

• security

• content networking

• cable

• MxUMultiservice switching

• optical.

These are not as widely recognised as the core Career Certifications but are starting to grow in popularity with both Cisco Engineers and their employers. Further details can be found at www.cisco.com/go/certification.

The only source of official training is through a Cisco Learning Solutions Partner (CLSP), monitored and audited by Cisco Systems to ensure the highest quality of delivery. CableNet Training now offers authorised Cisco training courses through Comstor UK Limited, a UK-based CLSP with programmes for CCNA, CCDA, CCNP, CCDP and CCSP.

Rob Sharp, Training Services Manager for Comstor UK, says that ‘Organisations are currently investing heavily in the core Career Certifications and over the past three to four months we have seen an increase in personnel … attending these training programmes.’

Further course information is available from CableNet Training on 01284 767100

or visit www.cablenet-training.com