Cisco Updates Network Certification to Address Emerging Technologies

Cisco Systems wants to make sure network administrators are prepared to handle the changes being brought about by such trends as the digitization of businesses, the cloud and the Internet of things.

The world’s top networking vendor is updating its CCNA Routing and Switching certification for associate-level network engineers to address the fundamentals of programmable networks and software-driven network architectures. The updates also will give the engineers the tools they need to understand how virtualized and cloud services interact and impact enterprise networks, according to Tejas Vashi, director of product strategy and marketing at Cisco.

In addition, the revisions encompass Quality of Service (QoS) principles and uses and expand the focus on IPv6 and basic network security.

“The move comes as part of our overall shift toward programmable networks throughout the Cisco certification portfolio,” Vashi wrote in a post on the company blog, noting that in November 2015, the vendor announced updates to its certification at the expert level (CCIE) to address emerging technologies. “These updates to the CCNA R&S represent the continued evolution of our training and certification programs. The revised CCNA certification provides you with industry-recognized skills for today and the future and will give you the knowledge and tools needed to evolve the network.”

That will be important going forward, he wrote, pointing to new data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics that indicate a growing demand for network administrators over the next several years. Through 20124, the demand for people working in the design of computer systems and related services projects will grow by as much as 31 percent.

“That upward trend is seen at the global level as well, as businesses continue to digitize, leverage IoT technology, and scale through cloud and mobile networks,” Vashi wrote.

Information about the new CCNA Routing and Switching certification can be found on Cisco’s CCNA page.