ATLANTA, June 4, 2001 - Cisco Systems Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today rolled out a new series of certification exams and training for the telecommunications market. The latest addition to Cisco Career Certifications, called Communications & Services, is specifically designed to increase the training and development options available to service providers. The Communications & Services program will further enhance the existing range of training and certifications available to Cisco customers, channel partners and Ecosystem members.
The new Communications & Services certifications offer a professional development benchmark for network engineers at incumbent and alternate local exchange carriers, ISPs, inter-exchange carriers and greenfield service providers. The certifications will help employers identify and recruit skilled professionals who can plan, design, implement and operate service provider networks. The new certifications cover topics such as IP routing, optical, content networking, Multi-protocol Label Switching (MPLS), cable, voice over IP, and security. In addition to ensuring career development for network engineers, the certifications will generate the necessary talent pool to efficiently deploy IP networks and data services in telecommunications organizations worldwide.
"Service providers, now more than ever, need to be able to offer new services to their customers that stimulate revenue streams while driving costs lower. The IP talent needed to make this not only a reality, but also a successful business, operations, and technical venture, remains in short supply," said Kevin Kennedy, senior vice president of Cisco's service provider line of business. "With Cisco's new Communications & Services certifications, we are ensuring that service providers have a qualified talent pool available for managing existing and new IP networks, generating new communications services, and introducing profitable business models."
Service providers have already experienced success with Cisco certifications. SBC Communications, Inc., a major telecommunications carrier with more than 1,800 Cisco certified engineers on staff, relies on Cisco Certified talent to offer a variety of data services, such as broadband Internet access and WAN connectivity, to consumers and enterprises alike.
"SBC has earned recognition and respect throughout the industry for its skilled networking professionals." said Mike Turner, president of SBC DataComm. "Cisco certifications contribute to our reputation and our ability to provide the highest standards of technical expertise."
Telecommunications service provider Global One offers a variety of IP-based services internationally, including virtual private networks, and relies on its Cisco Certified talent to roll out services quickly.
"A world-class IP portfolio needs world-class support," said Per Johansen, group manager for Global One. "Time to market is a key determinant for business success and having a diverse and talented team of Cisco Certified individuals on a project ensures that technology roll-outs are on time and trouble-free. Cisco certifications offer a means to identify the talented and motivated engineers among the pool of networking staff we have."
To address the distinct job functions within service provider organizations, Communications & Services certifications are offered at two levels: Expert and Professional. For the expert level CCIE (Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert) certification, candidates must complete one written exam and one lab exam. For the professional level CCIP (Cisco Certified Internetwork Professional), candidates will need to pass two mandatory written exams and one elective area. Authorized Cisco Learning Partners will offer candidates in-depth training to prepare for the written exams.
Visit Cisco's training web site at www.cisco.com/go/training for more information on the Communications & Services track, CCIE exams, and available classes.
