Certification - December 2008 - (Page 49) basic network configuration, verification and other operational skills required for positions such as helpdesk technician and technical support assistant. The certification is an accessible point of entry for people beginning a career in networking and an optional first step to the Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) certification, which signifies a comprehensive understanding of networking fundamentals. CCNA also is a prerequisite to earning higher-level Cisco career certifications. advance in an exciting security career, the CCNA Security certification serves as preparation for pursuing the Cisco Certified Security Professional (CCSP) certification. CCNA Wireless certification is designed for those working as network associates or administrators, wireless support specialists and wireless local area network (LAN) project managers. This certification confirms skills in configuring, implementing and supporting Cisco wireless LANs in small and mediumsized business and enterprise installations. In the future, CCNA Wireless certification holders will have the option of pursuing higher-level Cisco certifications for wireless networks. CCNA: specializing Early in a Networking Career Although IP telephony, security and wireless mobility are considered advanced networking technologies, they quickly are becoming a standard part of many networks. Knowledge of only the networking fundamentals may no longer be enough for career success. Networking professionals today benefit from a specialty focus early in their careers. CCNA Voice, CCNA Security and CCNA Wireless certifications verify that networking candidates have the specialized skills that are in high demand among employers. These new concentrations extend a candidate’s knowledge of routing and switching gained from attaining the prerequisite CCNA certification. some analysts estimate the worldwide gap between skilled networking professionals and available networking jobs of all types will reach nearly million by 2012. CCdE: designing Next-Generation Networks Responding to strong customer demand for professionals who can collaborate on network architecture strategy and not just implement, Cisco has introduced an expert-level certification focused on design: Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE). This certification program applies a solutions-based educational approach and serves the growing number of networking experts who have the knowledge to assess network business requirements and translate them into effective network designs. Approximately 30 percent of those who hold Cisco’s highest certification — Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) — are responsible for network design each day. However, these design experts are no longer involved in hands-on configuration, but rather in CCNA Voice certification helps prepare learners for jobs such as voice administrator, voice engineer and voice manager. This certification indicates that students are familiar with unified communications applications and architectures, and it validates their skills in configuring and managing the latest technologies for a Voice Over Internet Protocol (VoIP) infrastructure. CCNA Security certification offers a valuable credential for those in jobs such as network security specialist, security administrator and network security support engineer. This certification verifies the ability to manage security devices, implement security policies and mitigate risks. For those ready to December 2008 CERTIFICATION MAGAZINE 9 http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/le2/le0/le9/learning_certification_type_home.html http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/le2/le0/le9/learning_certification_type_home.html http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/le2/le0/le3/learning_certification_type_home.html http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/le2/le0/le1/learning_certification_type_home.html http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/le2/le0/le2/learning_certification_type_home.html http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/ccde/index.html http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/ccie/index.html http://www.cisco.com/web/learning/le3/ccie/index.html
For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.