Cisco Issues 2 Millionth Certification; Celebrates 20th Anniversary of Industry-Leading CCIE

Worldwide growth of certification program demonstrates need for qualified networking talent across industries; release of survey data highlights value of certified staff

SAN JOSE, Calif., Aug. 20, 2013 – As the Internet of Everything (IoE) continues to bring together people, processes, data and things to make networked connections more relevant and valuable than ever before, the need for technical talent continues to increase. Cisco® today announced the 20th anniversary of its CCIE® certification, as well as the issuance of its 2 millionth certification. In addition, research commissioned by Cisco demonstrates the value that Cisco certifications bring to organizations of all types. Cisco addresses the need for technical talent worldwide for its customers, partners and employees by delivering the talent development, training and certifications needed to prepare the workforce of today to meet the demands of tomorrow.

Cisco Certifications

• CCIE: Cisco introduced the CCIE certification in 1993 to assist the industry in distinguishing the top echelon of Internetworking experts worldwide. Today, CCIE holders across the globe are known for their ability to tackle the most difficult network technology challenges.
• Proven skills: Less than 1 percent of networking professionals worldwide achieve CCIE certification, which requires a rigorous written qualification exam and an eight-hour hands-on lab.
• Award-winning certification program: Cisco currently offers more than 45 certifications, ranging from the entry-level CCENT®, to the widely popular CCNA®, CCNP®, specialist certifications, and many others, embracing every technology role in the networking industry from core Routing and Switching to Collaboration, Security and Data Center.
• Industry recognition: Cisco is the first vendor to offer a robust networking certification portfolio that meets the ANSI accreditation standard.
• Learning innovation: With the introduction of the Cisco Learning Network, the first of its kind collaborative social learning community, Cisco empowers professionals, students and anyone interested in an IT career with interactive learning and mentoring capabilities.
• Global reach: Over the past 20 years, Cisco has expanded the availability of training and certification exam materials to support learners in eight languages in more than 200 nations and territories.

Survey Highlights

• Value of Cisco Certified Employees: As part of the 20-year anniversary celebration of CCIE, Cisco commissioned research targeted at understanding the value of Cisco certifications. The study, which was conducted by an independent research firm, was designed to measure employer perceptions of highly valued individuals in their organizations.
• Key Findings: Seventy-eight percent of network managers in the survey rated their Cisco certified staff as coming up to speed more than 20 percent faster.

• Customer Satisfaction: More than half of the networking managers in the survey rated external customer satisfaction as being 30 percent or better as a result of Cisco certified staff.
• Reducing Network Downtime: Network managers in the survey believed that Cisco certified employees reduce network downtime by as much as 37 percent on average.
• Full Report available at: http://www.cisco.com/go/hire

Supporting Quotes

• Jeanne Beliveau-Dunn, vice president and general manager, Learning@Cisco, said: “The Internet of Everything is the networked connection of people, process, data and things, and the increased value that occurs as ‘everything’ joins the network. Several technology transitions – including the Internet of Things, increased mobility, the emergence of cloud computing, and the growing importance of big data, among others – are combining to enable IoE. Every major technology trend relies on a highly secure, resilient network that is prepared to deliver these services. Cisco intends to meet this growth demand by helping prepare qualified individuals with the skills and experience to design, install, operate and manage these networks and infrastructure. Over the past 20 years, we have witnessed tremendous advances in technology and our Cisco certification program has evolved right alongside these changes. The 2 million certifications are only the start. The Cisco certified community will continue to expand as we offer new and refreshed certifications and education services that equip individuals with the qualifications to support changing technologies and business requirements today and into the future, delivering unparalleled value to the organizations they support.”

• Terry Slattery, principal engineer, Chesapeake Netcraftsmen, CCIE#1026, said: “It has been a great pleasure to participate in the CCIE program. I contribute back to the CCIE program every time the opportunity arises. I’ve enjoyed the opportunities that it has helped create. It has been amazing to witness the progression of the CCIE, and the networking industry as a whole over the past 20 years. I look forward to seeing where the program goes over the next 20 years.”

• Amitabh Kumar, network engineer, Dimension Data India LTD, CCIE Routing & Switching, said: “In today’s highly competitive world of technologies, there is a huge demand for more experts and professionals in the networking field. My CCIE certification has allowed me to gain practical knowledge and skills, which in turn, has enabled me to get involved in challenging new projects. Cisco certification has helped me gain confidence and move up in my career.”

• Jeff Zhang, integration engineer, Ericsson China Communications, Co. Ltd., CCIE, said: “CCIE is well recognized in the IT industry. Holding a CCIE certification is very helpful for an IT engineer to develop their career. CCIE training makes it easy for me to resolve confusing network problems which others can’t fix.”

Supporting Resources

• Find out more about the Learning@Cisco 20 year celebration at: https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/community/connections/celebrates
• Employer Research Whitepaper: http://www.cisco.com/go/hire
• Cisco Education Blog: http://blogs.cisco.com/education/two-million-career-certifications/
• Video: John Chambers on Learning@Cisco: http://youtu.be/HMaDGiKsgo4

• Video: Jeanne Beliveau Dunn: http://youtu.be/sgNAwChPyFU

Social Media Destinations

• Twitter: www.twitter.com/learningatcisco
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cisco-Career-Certifications/111552132193668
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3443017
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/cisco

RSS Feed for Cisco: http://newsroom.cisco.com/

About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ:CSCO, news, filings) is the worldwide leader in IT that helps companies seize the opportunities of tomorrow by proving that amazing things can happen when you connect the previously unconnected. For ongoing news, please go to http://thenetwork.cisco.com.

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