Cisco to boosts Worldwide Talent Development

). Designed for both the seasoned professional as well as individuals considering a career in IT, the Cisco Learning Network is a collaborative Web 2.0 site that enables the creation of a global networking professional community that shares, discusses and exchanges ideas in a dedicated online 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 drive 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 approximately the next 5 years," said Milind Gurjar, Director, 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 company-wide 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
Designed to incorporate 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 feedback from the community that can be used in training development and assessment.

With an embedded document-sharing tool built into the site, the community will have a single source to seek out product documentation, configuration and troubleshooting advice and 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.

Expanding Career Certification Portfolio
According to a Cisco commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting, there is a pervasive need for specialized networking skills. In fact, 36 percent of the global companies surveyed reported that they currently have dedicated wireless specialists in their IT organizations, which will almost double in the next five years. Dedicated network security specialists were found in 46 percent of the companies surveyed, and that role 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 organization within five years; up from 40 percent currently. They also cited the importance of certifications in their own 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 to qualify for their position.

Reflecting the increasing specialization within networking job roles, these concentrations provide a "lifecycle of learning" blueprint for career advancement. The new CCNA concentrations include:

CCNA Voice "� certification confirms a candidate's skills for job roles such as Voice Administrator, Voice Engineer and Voice Manager. It also validates skills in 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 covering mobility, presence and TelePresence applications.

CCNA Wireless "� 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.

CCNA Security "� certification confirms an individual's skills for job roles such as Network Security Specialist, Security Administrator and Network Security Support Engineer. This certification validates installation, troubleshooting and monitoring skills of network devices to maintain integrity, confidentiality and availability of data.

Training and Availability
Authorized Cisco training is available from a global network of Cisco Learning Solutions Partners and the Partner Education Connection.  For complete details about the training and exam requirements for the CCNA and the CCNA concentrations, visit: http://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 by visiting: 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.