Cisco Networking Academy Congratulates Winners of 2011 EMEA NetRiders

Networking Academy Students From 46 Countries Competed in Online Event to Win 5 US Study Trips Sponsored by Cisco

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands – July 19, 2011 – Cisco today announced the winners of International NetRiders, its prestigious Internet networking competition, which was held on July 6 across Europe, the Middle East and Africa (MEA), and Russia and the Commonwealth of Independent States (CIS). The 150 Cisco® Networking Academy® entrants participated simultaneously online, across five time zones. The winners of each of the five categories below are invited to go on a sponsored study tour to California’s Silicon Valley in January 2012.

Overall top female score: Lucia Rosculete, Romania

Overall top male score: Liviu-Valentin Bleotu, Romania

Western Europe winner: Fabian Gampfer, Germany

Central and Eastern Europe, Russia / CIS winner: Viliam Straka, Slovakia

MEA winner: Raymond Mazibuko, South Africa

NetRiders Key Facts / Highlights:

• NetRiders is a global networking contest created by Cisco Networking Academy. Integrated into the competition are theoretical elements based on the CCNA® curricula as well as simulation activities that use the Cisco Packet Tracer tool. This software enables students to build, configure and troubleshoot virtual networks alone or in collaboration with other students, and is a popular teaching and learning tool within academies.
• The competition supports learning and builds on skills that students acquire as they go through their training, whilst at the same time fostering the sense that participants are part of one online community, collaborating with each other across a range of shared activities using the same tools.
• The EMEA International NetRiders contest took place on July 6, 2011. The finalists were nominated as the top three or four entrants from each participating country. The five winners will join winners from other NetRiders competitions around the world for a one-week study tour in California in January 2012. They will spend a working week at Cisco headquarters in San Jose; meet with senior executives, systems engineers and experts from Cisco and other information technology organisations; and experience the California lifestyle with trips to San Francisco and Stanford University.
• Identifying top talent remains a priority for Cisco Networking Academy, as research is again pointing to skills gaps within the IT sector that could hamper productivity and competitiveness across the globe.

Key Networking Academy Statistics:

• 1 million Networking Academy students worldwide concurrently engaged in learning this year
• Nearly 4 million students reached by the Networking Academy to date
• 10,000 Networking Academy venues operating in 165 countries
• 1 million online assessments delivered monthly
• 100 million online assessments delivered to date
• 235,000 Facebook fans, whose numbers are growing daily

Supporting Quotes:

• Amy Christen, vice president, Corporate Affairs and Networking Academy, Cisco

“NetRiders has become established over the last four years as a dynamic means of galvanizing our student community, showcasing students’ skills and drawing employers’ attention to the bedrock of talent that the program nurtures right around the world. In 2011 we celebrate Cisco Networking Academy as the ‘world’s largest classroom’, reaching more than 1 million people across the globe and fostering in-demand skills to support people as they build their careers. NetRiders is a celebration of the truly international scope of the program and the caliber of our students.”

• Bruno Rignanese, director, EU Development & Innovation, Cisco

“Shortfalls in IT business skills persist across our region, and governments are increasingly concerned about digital exclusion and the need to optimize the entire workforce. Cisco’s intention is to help address this challenge by delivering much-needed skills to a diverse student population through the work of the Networking Academy, working together to address unemployment and to drive prosperity now and in the future. As part of this remit, Cisco Networking Academy works in tandem with employers who are looking to recruit top talent identified through skills assessments such as NetRiders.”

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Supporting Resources:

• For impressions from NetRiders Italy, check out this YouTube video
• To read more on Cisco Networking Academy, please visit the Networking Academy website
•  For the wider picture on Corporate Social Responsibility at Cisco, please visit this site

About Cisco Networking Academy

The Networking Academy began in 1997 with 64 schools and has grown to become one of the “world’s largest classrooms” with 10,000 academies in 165 countries, and nearly 4 million students having participated in the program to date.

A pioneering example of cloud-based education delivery, the Networking Academy teaches students how to design, build, troubleshoot, and secure computer networks for increased access to career and economic opportunities in communities around the world.  Students who complete the program often go on to secure entry-level career opportunities, participate in continuing education and achieve globally recognized career certifications.

Networking Academy courses are delivered in multiple languages through a cloud-based learning system. Courses are supported by classroom instruction, hands-on learning activities, and interactive online assessments that provide personalized feedback. Networking Academy instructors receive extensive training and support to help ensure a consistently-enriching learning experience for students around the world.

To celebrate this milestone, Cisco Networking Academy has launched a “world’s largest classroom” video and micro site: www.cisco.com/go/wlc

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO, news, filings) 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. Cisco equipment in some markets is supplied either by Cisco Systems International BV or by Cisco International Limited, both of which are wholly owned subsidiaries of Cisco Systems, Inc.

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