In a recent study entitled ‘Closing the IT Network Skills Gap’, which was custom-built by Cisco and conducted by Forrester Consulting, says there is a persistent need for specialized networking skills. More and more organizations are seeking for more network certifications. Keeping this in mind, Cisco (News - Alert) unveiled CCIE certification in Wireless networking and also announced the enhancements to its CCIE voice certification.
Cisco’s newly introduced CCIE Wireless expert-level certification primarily caters to the requirements for candidates who can design, deploy, manage and troubleshoot wireless networks (WLANs). The candidates who pass the CCIE Wireless certification exams will be able to demonstrate broad theoretical knowledge of - wireless networking and wireless LAN technologies from Cisco.
The new Cisco CCIE Wireless certification validates protocol analysis, intrusion detection and prevention, performance, quality-of- service (QoS) analysis, and advanced WLAN design, says Cisco.
The study indicated that 36 percent of the global companies that were surveyed reported that they have dedicated wireless specialists on their IT staff and it is anticipated that the number will almost double in the next five years. Some of the IT decision makers surveyed indicated that professional and technical certifications were second only to a four-year college degree in helping them determine the qualifications of job applicants to perform the duties of the job, said the company.
In order to meet the requirements of the expert-level voice services professionals, Cisco has added enhanced features and has revised its already existing CCIE Voice certification. The revised Cisco CCIE Voice Lab Exam version 3.0 leverages company’s Unified Communications Manager System Release 7.0 solution, which will be used for assessing an IT professional's ability to handle personal mobility, scaling, international dialing and dial plans, and presence network challenges.
The study shows that 69 percent of the companies surveyed expect to have a dedicated voice specialist on their staff list within five years, up from 40 percent currently. The candidate who passes the CCIE Voice certification exam will be able to demonstrate the skills that will help companies accelerate business processes, increase productivity, and speed innovation.
Jeanne Beliveau Dunn, general manager at Learning@Cisco, said, "Having the right collaborative platform helps an organization speed decision making, increase productivity and improves relationships internally as well as with customers and partners."
Dunn further added: "Corporate networks are only as powerful as the technical competencies of the professionals that design, install and manage them. Sophisticated network environments incorporating the latest voice and WLAN capabilities require a higher level of expertise for IT professionals. Cisco authorized training and certifications provide organizations and individuals the skills and the assurance of technical knowledge and expertise needed to capitalize on change by turning it into an advantage."
Jayashree Adkoli is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Jayashree's articles, please visit her columnist page.
Edited by Tim Gray