Tag Archives: mcitp certification

If you want to work with Cisco, and you want certs, your opening moves are obvious. Although Cisco positions CCENT as its entry-level certification – the “E” even stands for Entry – the prerequisite cert for all the rest of the Cisco cert world is CCNA. However, once you get that CCNA, the choices are wide and varied. Today we’ll take a look at some of the things to consider when reaching this point, with related polls.

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First, let’s take a look at the Cisco cert tree in terms of prerequisites. Here’s a basic view of the options leading from CCNA:

You can pick from lots of technology tracks: voice, security, wireless, and route/switch. For Routing/Switching, you can choose the CCNP, which focuses on routing and switching in Enterprise networks; CCIP & CCIE SP, which focus on these technologies in Service Provider environments; and the new CCNP and CCIE SP Ops, which focuses on SP environments from an operational perspective. You can also look at the Design track, which focuses more on routing/switching than the other topics.

Also, there’s no requirement to move down a single silo. You could go for multiple CCNA concentrations. You could also move on to CCNP and then go back to some other technology areas.

(Note: Before I get cards a letters about it, technically there are no prerequisites for CCIE or CCDE.)

Now let me briefly give a disclaimer. I’m not a career counselor, or job placement expert – I just make tools to help you get Cisco certified. However, I do get frequent questions about such things, and I’ve been around the block. Earlier this year, when I asked what kinds of things you might like to see here, several of you mentioned things about career advice. Plus, blogging about the new SP Ops career cert track got me thinking about whether that might be a good career move or not. So, for today’s post, let me throw out some advice, and then I’ll give you a turn.

Here are some thoughts about choosing your next steps after getting CCNA:

Local job market: If getting the next job is your primary concern, start surveying big job sites weekly, before even completing CCNA. Search in your locale, and search on the names of the certs, and related terms. For instance, I’d search CCVP, and separately search “cisco voice”. Write it down and track it weekly. That’ll give you some perspective on the job listings at least.

Long-term career path, deeper skills: Let’s say your plan is to be an expert at some networking technology area, rather than being a generalist. I’m sure you’d get a lot of different opinions about which technology to choose if you asked people in the industry. Personally, I’d suggest taking the time to ask folks what they do in their job within that specialty. Ask folks online, or at work, or here, what they do if they’re a voice person, or security, etc. If you’re going for deep skills, in my opinion, it’s much more important to choose something that fits your likes/dislikes, rather than just picking the area that you think has the best job prospects. It’s a balancing act of course, but just because a topic area appears to have more jobs in it that could even attract a disproportionate number of future job candidates. If you’re going to go deep, I think picking what matches your likes/dislikes trumps your read of the job market.

(Note: The Cisco Learning Network (CLN) is a nice place to ask such questions. (CLN is a great place for Cisco cert study – if you’ve not looked there, I’d highly recommend it.)

Long-term career path, broader skills: If you plan a career that requires more generalized skills, then your next steps inside the Cisco cert space doesn’t matter as much. My expectation would be that you’d go for multiples, maybe even down the path towards multiple CCNA certifications. (Check out this old blog post for some interesting discussions around this topic – in particular, a poll asking which is better, multiple CCNAs or one CCxP.)  In this case, I’d mainly ask you what CCNA cert you already know the most about, and suggest you go for that one. If it’s route/switch, I’d suggest CCNP, or CCDA. Particularly if you’re hoping to work on the vendor/reseller side of the business equation, the CCDA might work well.

Monetary resources: I’ve been reminded recently that getting even CCNA can be expensive enough to be a barrier for some. Looking at the next Cisco certs can be more so. It could be that going for some certs might be more expensive, particularly in terms of lab gear. Knowing that you have already passed CCNA, I personally think that CCNA Security, which deals with security on routers and switches, is the most obvious cheaper choice for lab gear. For CCxP, CCNP may well be the cheapest, again with the assumption that you can use what you bought for CCNA. (Look here for more info on CCNP lab gear, and hear for more info on CCNA Security labs.)

Next, let me turn the question around to our group. I’ve included two polls in an effort to separate out the thoughts. First off, I have this theory that the #1 reason for choosing the next cert to get after CCNA is to help you get the next job. I don’t want to assume that as a fact, but I also don’t want to crowd out the other considerations. So, the first poll asks which is your #1 reason to choose what cert to get after CCNA: To help get your next job, or any other reason.

In poll #2, I’ve asked among all the other reasons for picking your next Cisco cert – besides getting that next job – what’s important to you. Pick all that matter to you in this poll. If that was a long time ago for you, answer as if you’re giving advice to someone you like. Also, note that I separated the consideration of time investment – how much time it would take you to get a cert, based on your current knowledge and experience – into two categories. Clearly it takes more time to get a professional level cert, with3-5 exams, as compared with the single additional exam required for a CCNA concentration.

Also, please offer up any other advise for those running towards completing their CCNA. Any stories of what you chose and how it worked out, or what mistakes you made when picking the next thing to do, or any other advice you have found useful for navigating the world of Cisco certs. Thanks much.

It took a bit of a mental journey just to converge on today’s topic. The end result is a blog post about how to help answer the question, “Am I ready to take my first Cisco exam – either the ICND1 (640-822) or CCNA (640-802) exam?” But ya’ll collectively got me started down this trail when I looked back at a 15-month-old blog post that keeps showing up in the top 10 of my blog stats. Today I’ll start by reliving that journey briefly, and then moving on to something a bit more substantive when prepping for CCENT and CCNA.

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Backstory

As you would guess, I see some stats on the number of times people read each blog post. I look at those occasionally in part to see trends about what’ types of posts are popular for a few weeks right after posting, and for other posts that aren’t as popular when first posted, but have a steady stream of page views over the long term. For instance, the posts about how to build a CCNA or CCNP lab may not be huge the day I post them, but they have a good number of hits every month.

So, I recently looked hard at the stats for the first time in a while, and this one post kept showing up in the top 10 – but it’s from the middle of last year?!?!? It’s titled, “Why is Passing CCNA so Difficult?”. What was strange isn’t that people would be interested, but it keeps showing up in the top entries. It’s part of a series, with an index page with a similar name – but that page doesn’t have near as many hits. The other pages in the series don’t have near as many hits. So it got me thinking: what’s got people looking at this post so much, but not the other ones?

That post is relevant to those taking their first Cisco exam, be it the ICND1 exam or the CCNA exam. The collective reader comments were good as well; especially one post from a Networking Academy instructor who’s obviously thought a lot about what makes these exams such a challenge. But for today, you just need to know that this particular post focused on just three reasons people sometimes struggle with CCNA (with other topics left to other posts in that series):

* Money to purchase study tools
* Time to study
* Ways to know that you’re ready

I did list a survey in that older post, and the “time to study” and “knowing you’re ready” topics tied as the biggest factors of the three I mention above. (The “$ to buy tools” reason was pretty far behind in 3rd place.) So I’ve latched on to the self-assessment topic for today (and maybe a few weeks) to talk about some ways you might be able to do some self-assessment exercises.
Self-Assessment

Assessing your readiness to take any exam is a challenge, but especially so with anyone’s first Cisco exam. First, you just haven’t experienced the exam environment directly yet. Most people haven’t had a job that requires you to use the Cisco CLI a lot, so the Sim and Simlet questions can psych out some folks. Also, Cisco lists exam topics on their web site, but frankly the descriptions are so sparse the whole idea of determining what’s on the exam is very difficult – which means you have only a general idea of what’s on the exam. Most people simply rely on their study tools to determine the scope of the exam, but that lack of detail directly from Cisco can cause people to question whether they’ve studied everything or not.

But whatever you study, you need to determine if you know the topic, and know it well enough. For Cisco exams, you typically need to know topics very well, and very deeply, with solid hands-on skills. For today, I’ll suggest a couple of kinds of exercises you can do to help you review and assess whether you know the topics well enough. Your job:

1.     Give your opinion about ways to self-assess your readiness for Cisco exams, these or others

2.     Try out the exercise, which I’ll comment about more next week.

Assessment Tool 1: Review Concepts and Protocols Based on a Topology Figure

Your tasks:

1) Choose any figure that seems appropriate to a major topic. For today’s exercise, I’ll supply the topic (RIP-2) and a figure. In real life, for this task, you can open your study books, videos, or look at a question from an exam bank, etc, and pick a figure. You should know enough to pick a meaningful figure to use to examine a particular topic – eg, for RIP-2, a figure with a single router, or only layer 2 switches, won’t give you much to think about.

2) Write down all the concept and protocol terms you can recall about the topic. If you’re using my books, I list those terms in the end section of each chapter, if you want to look there.

3) Explain, out loud if you can, those terms in context of the figure. Draw protocol flows, with specifics.

4) When finished, review those terms and protocols with your study book. In particular, when you read a definition of a term, look for concepts, protocol functions and messages, or anything else that you didn’t think to mention when you thought about these concepts looking at the sample figure.

5) If you can’t figure out how those protocols and concepts apply to the figure you chose, the Cisco Learning Network (learningnetwork.cisco.com) is a great community in which you could post your figure, and ask others – with wonderful and typically very fast input from a large community.

Assessment Tool 2: Build a Configuration Checklist

Your tasks:

1) Ideally, start this task while reading your book or watching your videos, long before you get to the self-assessment stage. Make a list of major topics in the book. As you come to the configuration commands related to each topic, create a list of ALL the related configuration commands, all parameters noted in the book, and take notes about the meaning and usage.

2) To self assess, pick one of the major topics. Then, from memory, without referring to your notes or the books, re-create your configuration checklist, including notes on the parameters you remember.

3) Check what you just wrote versus the (hopefully comprehensive) list you made while studying. You should strive to remember all commands, and many of the parameters for each command.

I have other ideas as well, but we’ll go with these two for today. Poke holes in the ideas, suggest others, and tell us what worked for you to self-assess your readiness!
Exercise for Today

1) Use the following figure as a backdrop to do define and describe the meaning behind the following terms:

routing protocol, distance vector, classless routing protocol, classful routing protocol, RIP Update, Split Horizon, Poison Route, periodic update, routing table, metric, passive interface, auto summary, infinite metric

2) Build your RIP-2 configuration checklist. When doing so, include any configuration command that impacts RIP-2 behavior, with exceptions. You do not have to list all commands that impact whether an interface is up/up or not, which would in turn impact RIP-2’s ability to advertise routes. You may include topics appropriate to only the ICND1 exam, or to the full CCNA exam, at your choice. Also, create the RIP-2 config for all three routers as an extra exercise. For any missing info, like subnet masks, feel free to make up any value that would allow the internetwork to function properly.

100% of the delegates at the second GIA Conference this year, held at The Park Central Hotel in New York between November 8 and 10, said they would recommend the event to others.

Comprising mostly Vice Presidents, Director and Senior Managers from international companies, delegates gave the GIA Conference New York exceptional scores overall.

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exams log in to Certkingdom.com

On a scale of 1 to 5, the general assessment for the New York event was:
• Organization of the conference: 4.7
• Relevance of content: 4.51
• Value of content: 4.55
• Networking opportunities: 4.7
• Every session was rated over 4 on average (Senior business executives led the sessions and represented leading companies such as IBM, The Procter & Gamble Company, Cisco Systems, Best Buy, General Electric, Genesys Telecommunications, Merck & Co., Cintas Corporation, Johnson Controls, Monster Worldwide, Philips, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals)

Other quick conference statistics:
• Attendance: Over 100 delegates from the United States, Canada, Brazil, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, India, Singapore and China
• 100% will recommend the GIA Conference to others

Through an online platform for conference delegates, attendees were also given access to all past GIA Conference materials and can even exchange best practices for six months after the event.

“I am very pleased with the feedback we received in New York. We had identified the need for a conference with strong educational content and best practices sharing through practical cases. This need clearly exists and that shows in the feedback. Our guests really seemed to value the event atmosphere, networking opportunities, and naturally the excellent content by presenters and facilitators,” said Jouko Virtanen, President of Global Intelligence Alliance North America.

Future upcoming GIA Conferences will be held in:
• Amsterdam, the Netherlands: May 23-25, 2011
• Chicago, USA: November 14-16, 2011

For further information, visit the www.globalintelligence.com or send an email to media@globalintelligence.com.

About Global Intelligence Alliance
Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA) is a strategic market intelligence and advisory group. GIA was formed in 1995 when a team of market intelligence specialists, management consultants, industry analysts and technology experts came together to build a powerful suite of customized solutions ranging from outsourced market monitoring services and software, to strategic analysis and advisory.

Today, we are the preferred partner for organizations seeking to understand, compete and grow in international markets. Our industry expertise and coverage of over 100 countries enables our customers to make better informed decisions worldwide.

Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ:CLWR), a leading provider of wireless broadband services and operator of the first 4G network in the country, today announced the availability of CLEAR® 4G, take-it-with-you internet service for businesses and consumers in Cincinnati, Cleveland and Columbus, Ohio. With CLEAR, anyone can now use the internet at speeds four times faster than 3G* – whether at home, in the office, or on-the-go within CLEAR coverage.

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In Cleveland, service covers 1.4 million people and extends from Avon Lake to Fairport Harbor Village along Lake Erie, and south to Bedford heights and Brunswick. In Cincinnati, service covers 1.3 million people and extends from Hamilton to West Chester and Mason in the north, and in the south from the Cincinnati Northern Kentucky Airport to Mount Washington. In Columbus, service covers 1.1 million people and extends from Dublin to Worthington and Polaris in the north, and from Galloway to Reynoldsburg in the south, as well as everywhere within the I-270 loop. A detailed coverage map of CLEAR 4G service is available at www.clear.com/coverage.

“With CLEAR, residents across the Buckeye state now have a blazing fast internet connection that goes with them – from Columbus to Cincinnati and Cleveland,” said Jeannie Weaver, director of sales for CLEAR. “And, we’re proud to offer affordable rate plans with no limits on the amount of data customers use. No caps on usage, no penalties or hidden fees – our customers use the web as much as they want wherever they go – it’s that simple.”

As part of Cyber Monday, customers signing up for a new two year contract (or existing customers that renew a two year contract) by Midnight EST on November 29 can purchase a Clear Spot 4G for $20 (an 80% discount from the standard purchase price). Also for a limited time, new customers can take advantage of CLEAR’s online-only mobile internet promotion to receive a 50% discount on their service plan for the first two months, with overnight shipping included and no activation fee. These promotions are available at www.clear.com.

A CLEAR Difference

The CLEAR experience is similar to Wi-Fi but without the short-range limitations. CLEAR uses wireless 4G technology that differs from Wi-Fi because it provides service areas measured in miles, not feet. CLEAR also offers average mobile download speeds of 3 to 6 mbps with bursts over 10 mbps.* Outside the CLEAR 4G service area, dual-mode 4G/3G modems keep users continually connected by leveraging Sprint’s 3G data network.

With CLEAR, people stay better connected and more productive. For example:

* A travelling business executive no longer needs to seek out Wi-Fi hotspots or be constrained by the speeds and limitations of 3G modem cards;
* A college student can now have affordable internet service whether at home, on campus or on-the-go;
* A commuter can now work on large files or stream their favorite shows while riding the bus or train;
* A busy parent can now keep kids occupied studying or playing games in the back of the family minivan.

Unlike service plans from traditional wireless carriers which cap data usage, CLEAR offers unlimited 4G usage plans that do not require long-term service contracts. In most markets unlimited 4G coverage from CLEAR starts at $35 for the home while unlimited mobile plans start as low as $45. Bundled service plans such as Home and Voice start at $50 per month.

Simply Plug-In and Go

Clearwire offers several ways to connect to CLEAR 4G service – via a modem, mobile device, or a 4G-embedded laptop or netbook.

Clear Spots®: Clear Spots are personal mobile hotspots that allow users to easily and securely share unlimited internet access anywhere CLEAR has coverage simultaneously with up to eight Wi-Fi-enabled devices. The Clear Spot 4G brings 4G to Wi-Fi devices such as laptops, smartphones, and portable gaming devices. The Clear Spot 4G+ allows power users and road warriors to stay connected across the U.S. by automatically switching from 4G and connecting to Sprint’s 3G nationwide network outside the 4G coverage area. The iSpotTM is made exclusively for Apple mobile devices** including the iPadTM, iPod touch® and iPhone®. The Clear Spot 4G and iSpot each cost $99 or the Clear Spot 4G can be leased for $5 a month. The Clear Spot 4G+ costs $225 or can be leased for $9 per month. Clear Spots can be purchased at www.clear.com/spot.

Clear 4G+ Mobile USB: Mobile users simply plug-in the compact Clear 4G+ Mobile USB into their laptop to get online. This dual-mode 4G/3G modem gives users access to the 4G network in the CLEAR coverage area and to 3G coverage nationwide. The Clear 4G+ Mobile USB costs $115 or can be leased monthly for $6.

Home Modems: For residential service, CLEAR offers a wireless high-speed modem. Customers simply plug the modem into a power outlet anywhere in their home or office and connect the modem to their PC or wireless router. This enables consumers and businesses to easily install high-speed internet service without scheduling an appointment, drilling holes in their walls, or otherwise disrupting their day. The Clear Home Modem can be purchased for $85 or leased for $5 monthly.

Embedded 4G WiMAX Laptops: Customers can also select from more than 45 different 4G WiMAX-ready laptops and netbooks with Intel® CoreTM or AtomTM processors and the embedded Intel® wireless module Advanced-N + WiMAX from leading manufacturers including Dell, HP, Sony, Lenovo, Toshiba, Samsung, Gateway, and Asus. All of these operate on CLEAR, and more than 20 of these 4G WiMAX-ready laptops are now available at Best Buy stores and at www.bestbuy.com.

CLEAR 4G products and services are available for purchase by going online at www.clear.com, calling 1-877-499-6681, or visiting a CLEAR retail store or other authorized CLEAR dealer. A CLEAR retail store is located at Southpark Mall in Cleveland and at Easton Town Center in Columbus. CLEAR service is also available from other outlets including Best Buy, RadioShack and Micro Center.

Clearwire’s 4G Network in 2010

CLEAR 4G service is currently available in 68 markets across the United States, including: Sacramento, Merced, Visalia, Los Angeles, Modesto and Stockton, Calif.; New Haven and Hartford, Conn.; central Washington, D.C.; Wilmington, Del.; Miami, Tampa Bay, Orlando, Daytona Beach and Jacksonville, Fla.; Atlanta and Milledgeville, Ga.; Honolulu and Maui, Hawaii; Boise, Idaho; Chicago, Ill.; Boston, Mass.; Baltimore, Md.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Minneapolis/St. Paul, Minn.; St. Louis and Kansas City, Mo.; Charlotte, Raleigh, and Greensboro, N.C.; Trenton and New Brunswick, N.J.; New York, Syracuse and Rochester, N.Y.; Las Vegas, Nev.; Cincinnati, Columbus, and Cleveland, Ohio; Salem, Portland and Eugene, Ore.; Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Harrisburg, Reading, Lancaster and York, Pa.; Providence, R.I.; Nashville, Tenn.; Dallas/Ft. Worth, Houston, San Antonio, Austin, Abilene, Amarillo, Corpus Christi, Killeen/Temple, Lubbock, Midland/Odessa, Waco and Wichita Falls, Texas; Salt Lake City, Utah; Richmond, Va.; Seattle, Tri-Cities, Yakima and Bellingham, Wash. By the end of 2010, CLEAR 4G will also be available in other major metropolitan areas such as Denver and the San Francisco Bay Area.

For more information about CLEAR, visit www.clear.com or The CLEAR Blog www.theclearblog.com. You can also follow CLEAR information on Twitter at @Clear. Information about Clearwire is available at https://www.clearwire.com. For press and broadcast: images, video and company logos are available from the Clearwire Newsroom at www.clearwire.com/newsroom. To subscribe to Clearwire’s RSS news feed, click here.

About Clearwire

Clearwire Corporation (NASDAQ: CLWR), through its operating subsidiaries, is a leading provider of wireless broadband services. Clearwire’s 4G network currently provides coverage in areas of the U.S. where approximately 103 million people live, and the company plans to continue to expand its 4G coverage. Clearwire’s open all-IP network, combined with significant spectrum holdings, provides an unprecedented combination of speed and mobility to deliver next generation broadband access. The company markets its 4G service through its own brand called CLEAR® as well as through its wholesale relationships with Sprint, Comcast and Time Warner Cable. Strategic investors include Intel Capital, Comcast, Sprint, Google, Time Warner Cable, and Bright House Networks. Clearwire is headquartered in Kirkland, Wash. Additional information is available at www.clearwire.com.

*Speed claims based on download speeds only. Actual performance may vary and is not guaranteed. CLEAR performance claim is based on average download user speeds achieved during tests performed on the CLEAR commercial network by CLEAR. Other carrier performance based on their advertised claims.

**Apple does not endorse Clearwire products or services and is not affiliated with Clearwire.

Unlimited plans subject to CLEAR’s Acceptable Use Policy, posted at www.clear.com/legal/aup.

Clearwire, CLEAR, and the CLEAR logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Clearwire Communications LLC in the United States and/or other countries. All other company or product names are trademarks of their respective owners.

Forward-Looking Statements

This release, and other written and oral statements made by Clearwire from time to time, contains forward-looking statements which are based on management’s current expectations and beliefs, as well as on a number of assumptions concerning future events made with information that is currently available. Forward-looking statements may include, without limitation, management’s expectations regarding future financial and operating performance and financial condition; proposed transactions; network development and market launch plans; strategic plans and objectives; industry conditions; the strength of the balance sheet; and liquidity and financing needs. The words “will,” “would,” “may,” “should,” “estimate,” “project,” “forecast,” “intend,” “expect,” “believe,” “target,” “designed,” “plan” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to put undue reliance on such forward- looking statements, which are not a guarantee of performance and are subject to a number of uncertainties and other factors, many of which are outside of Clearwire’s control, which could cause actual results to differ materially and adversely from such statements. Some factors that could cause actual results to differ are:

* We are an early-stage company with a history of operating losses and we expect to continue to realize significant net losses for the foreseeable future.
* Our current and future plans are subject to a number of conditions and uncertainties, including among others, our ability to manage ongoing market development activities, our performance in launched markets and our access to additional funding.
* We regularly evaluate our plans, and we may elect to pursue new or alternative strategies which we believe would be beneficial to our business, including among other things, modifying the pace at which we build our 4G mobile broadband networks, augmenting our network coverage in markets we launch, changing our sales and marketing strategy and or acquiring additional spectrum. Such modifications to our plans could significantly change our capital requirements.
* We believe that we require substantial additional financing to maintain our current business plans, and if we are unable to raise such financing on acceptable terms we will need to modify our plans accordingly.
* We may fail to realize all of the anticipated benefits of the transactions with Sprint and the strategic investors.
* We have deployed a wireless broadband network based on mobile WiMAX technology, and would incur significant costs to deploy alternative technologies. Additionally, such alternative technologies may not perform as we expect on our network and deploying such technologies would result in additional risks to the company.
* We currently depend on our commercial partners to develop and deliver the equipment for our legacy and mobile WiMAX networks.
* Many of our competitors are better established and have significantly greater resources, and may subsidize their competitive offerings with other products and services.
* Our substantial indebtedness and restrictive debt covenants could limit our financing options and liquidity position and may limit our ability to grow our business.
* Sprint Nextel Corporation owns a majority of our shares, resulting in Sprint holding a majority voting interest in the Company, and Sprint may have, or may develop in the future, interests that may diverge from other stockholders.
* Future sales of large blocks of our common stock may adversely impact our stock price.

(Targeted News Service Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) MILWAUKEE, Nov. 19 — Milwaukee Area Technical College issued the following news release: Instructors from Milwaukee Area Technical College’s IT Network Specialist accelerated program will conduct information sessions on Wednesday, Dec. 1, from 6:30-8 p.m. Sessions will be held at MATC’s Downtown Milwaukee Campus, in the Student Center, Room S116, 700 W. State St.; and at the Mequon Campus, Room A202, 5555 W. Highland Road. The sessions also will be accessible on Ustream.
Story continues below ↓

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This program is offered in three formats – traditional, in-person accelerated and online accelerated. In the accelerated formats, students can complete the technical portion of their programs in less than 18 months.

The in-person accelerated format was first offered in the fall of 2007. In January 2010, the online version was launched when instructors recognized there were students who could benefit from this approach because of their professional experience.

Instructor Tony Stanislawski conducts interviews with all prospective students before they are admitted to the program. “We want our students to succeed, so speaking with them about all three options gives them the best chance for success. The variety in how we offer this associate degree opens many doors to students.” The IT Network Specialist program prepares students for careers in designing, installing, maintaining, troubleshooting and implementing security on computers, computer networks and network operating systems. Through hands-on activities, students set up and configure network operating systems and network equipment such as servers, PCs, switches and routers, and work with emerging technologies such as machine virtualization and wireless networking.

The program also prepares students for many industry-sought certifications including the VMware Certified Professional (VCP), Cisco Certified Networking Associate (CCNA), Microsoft Certified Systems Administrator (MCSA 2003), Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP), CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+ and CompTIA Security+.

Employment opportunities are expected to grow dramatically. Typical job titles include junior network administrator, junior network engineer/analyst/specialist, Cisco Certified Network Associate, network specialist, network technician, desktop support specialist and IT field technician.

Jeff Wise, a student pursuing the degree in the online accelerated format, said the online format appealed to him because he is a working professional.

“This program provides me an opportunity to receive a college degree and make my current position as a network support analyst more stable,” said Wise. “Because of the courses I have taken at MATC, I can go deeper into things at work and I look at things differently now.

100% of the delegates at the second GIA Conference this year, held at The Park Central Hotel in New York between November 8 and 10, said they would recommend the event to others.

Comprising mostly Vice Presidents, Director and Senior Managers from international companies, delegates gave the GIA Conference New York exceptional scores overall.

On a scale of 1 to 5, the general assessment for the New York event was:
• Organization of the conference: 4.7
• Relevance of content: 4.51
• Value of content: 4.55
• Networking opportunities: 4.7
• Every session was rated over 4 on average (Senior business executives led the sessions and represented leading companies such as IBM, The Procter & Gamble Company, Cisco Systems, Best Buy, General Electric, Genesys Telecommunications, Merck & Co., Cintas Corporation, Johnson Controls, Monster Worldwide, Philips, and Vertex Pharmaceuticals)

for more info on CCNA Training and CCNA Certification and more Cisco
exams log in to Certkingdom.com

Other quick conference statistics:

• Attendance: Over 100 delegates from the United States, Canada, Brazil, United Kingdom, Saudi Arabia, India, Singapore and China
• 100% will recommend the GIA Conference to others

Through an online platform for conference delegates, attendees were also given access to all past GIA Conference materials and can even exchange best practices for six months after the event.

“I am very pleased with the feedback we received in New York. We had identified the need for a conference with strong educational content and best practices sharing through practical cases. This need clearly exists and that shows in the feedback. Our guests really seemed to value the event atmosphere, networking opportunities, and naturally the excellent content by presenters and facilitators,” said Jouko Virtanen, President of Global Intelligence Alliance North America.

Future upcoming GIA Conferences will be held in:
• Amsterdam, the Netherlands: May 23-25, 2011
• Chicago, USA: November 14-16, 2011

For further information, visit the www.globalintelligence.com or send an email to media@globalintelligence.com.

About Global Intelligence Alliance
Global Intelligence Alliance (GIA) is a strategic market intelligence and advisory group. GIA was formed in 1995 when a team of market intelligence specialists, management consultants, industry analysts and technology experts came together to build a powerful suite of customized solutions ranging from outsourced market monitoring services and software, to strategic analysis and advisory.

Today, we are the preferred partner for organizations seeking to understand, compete and grow in international markets. Our industry expertise and coverage of over 100 countries enables our customers to make better informed decisions worldwide.

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced that it leads in total USGv6 certification for routers, switches and firewalls, aligning with President Barack Obama’s recent directive that all U.S. government agencies upgrade their IT infrastructures in support of Internet Protocol version 6 (IPv6), as the remaining pool of IPv4 addresses shrinks. In addition to certifying its routers, switches and firewalls, Cisco is introducing new features in its ASR 1000 Series routers, use cases, and professional services to help customers transition to IPv6. Additionally, Cisco is the first technology vendor to be certified by the IPv6 Forum to offer IPv6 education and certification for information technology professionals.

Trends including the explosive growth of mobile devices, new video, virtualization and energy management applications, and a rapidly growing network of endpoints controlled and monitored by computer systems, such as smart electrical grids, require the Internet’s overall architecture to evolve. The new IPv6 protocol will help meet the ever-increasing global requirements of organizations of all sizes in all industries to support an expanding numbers of users, applications, devices and services. Several countries, such as Brazil, France, Germany, Japan and the United States, are aggressively transitioning to IPv6 to meet this growing demand.

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Key Facts:
* Cisco has pioneered IPv6 technology since its inception in 1996. Through leadership in developing standards on the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) and integrating IPv6 into its technology portfolio, Cisco has prepared for this major transition.

* Cisco has achieved more USGv6 routing, switching, and security certifications, required for all products purchased by U.S. government civilian agencies, than any other vendor. Certified products include:
o Cisco 1800, 2800, 3800, 1900, 2900 and 3900 Series Routers
o Cisco Catalyst® 3560 and 3750 (X, G, E) Series Switches, and Cisco Catalyst Blade Switch 3000 and 3100 Series Blades
o Cisco Catalyst 4500 and 6500 Series Switches
o Cisco Catalyst 7600 Series Routers
o Cisco ASA 5500 Series Security Adaptive Appliances
o Cisco Catalyst 6500 and 7600 Series Firewall Service Modules

* Cisco is building on its extensive IPv6 support in the ASR 1000 platform, adding support for stateless NAT64 with the latest ASR 1000 IOS® XE Software release. Based on RFC 6052, the latest draft standard, NAT 64 streamlines the transition of endpoints and applications to IPv6 functionality by providing a mechanism for translating IPv6 packets to IPv4 packets, and vice versa. Combined with the Cisco ASR 1000 family FIPS-140-2 certification, the ASR 1000 is a powerful platform enabling government agencies to pursue IPv6 migration strategies. This functionality is critical for organizations that wish to implement an orderly transition to a fully IPv6-enabled infrastructure.

* Cisco has developed IPv6 professional services to help customers successfully transition to IPv6 with a portfolio designed to meet customer needs throughout the network lifecycle, from planning and design to deployment and optimization. A phased approach enables customers to adopt IPv6 in a controlled, safe and cost-effective manner while reducing risk to their business.

* The IPv6 Forum has recognized Learning@Cisco’s professional networking portfolio with Gold Certifications for CCNA®, CCNP® and CCIE® Routing and Switching. Cisco is the first vendor to be certified by the IPv6 Forum to offer IPv6 education and certification to help ensure that the technical community is equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to design, deploy, operate and troubleshoot IPv6 networks and applications.

Supporting Quotes:
* Brad Boston, senior vice president, Global Government Solutions Group, Cisco, said: “Government agencies, institutions and commercial companies around the world are committed to the operational deployment and use of IPv6. Our leadership, attested by industry and government certifications, underscores an architectural commitment to IPv6 across the board — from our devices to our applications and professional services. Our unique knowledge and experience will help our customers move up to the next generation of networking applications and operating systems in order to dramatically enhance communication, collaboration and mobility.”

* Jeanne Beliveau-Dunn, vice president and general manager, Learning@Cisco, said: “The need for networking talent capable of designing, managing and implementing IPv6 will grow in importance as the availability of IPv4 network addresses is depleted. With the industry’s first education and certification program that has been recognized by the IPv6 Forum as Gold standard, we have added another critical component to our companywide initiative to help our partners and customers transition to IPv6 and accelerate the development of the information economy.”

Supporting Resources
Cisco IPv6 website: www.cisco.com/go/ipv6
Cisco Enterprise IPv6 solutions page: www.cisco.com/go/entipv6
Cisco Federal IPv6 solutions page: www.cisco.com/go/fedipv6
Watch: “A Cisco Report from the Future” on the issue of IPv4 address exhaustion
Learning@Cisco IPv6 page: www.cisco.com/go/ipv6/gold

About Cisco Systems
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO), the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate, this year celebrates 25 years of technology innovation, operational excellence and corporate social responsibility. Information about Cisco can be found at https://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to https://newsroom.cisco.com.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are registered trademarks or trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. and/or its affiliates in the United States and certain other countries. A listing of Cisco’s trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company. This document is Cisco Public Information.

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Cisco CCNA 640-802 Security is other types of certification which is offered to people and thus they can enter into the certification field which is offered by Cisco at any time. The process for getting them registered for this certification is through online or the use of their website can result in this thing as well. Thus it has also been found out that it is there next level of their career where they can have more worth and importance of their entire career. At the same time this certification is even for those students as well who have a great need of getting higher education or to move further in their Cisco CCNA 640-802 certification level.

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Cisco CCNA 640-802 Security Certification Training is for those who have some knowledge about the networking that is taking place in the world and even they can also get a chance to meet and get them indulged into network security issues and thus they can become professionals in networking field though. However this is the certification level where the knowledge of people regarding the trouble shooting, installation and other software’s is being checked and if someone do not have the knowledge then they can get to know about the installation and troubleshooting processes from their instructors. Moreover the very basic skills of people are checked regarding the security concepts.

All the information about Cisco CCNA 640-802 security can be checked on the Cisco website and much of the information can be gathered from there. The main aim of Cisco is providing certification to their people in Cisco CCNA 640-802 security is that they want their students to prepare them for the first and entry level of the career regarding the Security opportunities. All the Cisco certifications and even including this Cisco CCNA 640-802 Security Certification Training is also recognized worldwide and is much preference as compared to other education institutes. In order to move further into the degree, it must be ensured that people must have some knowledge or must have gone through the Cisco CCNA 640-802 Exploration or Discovery concepts and on the other hand it has been said by Cisco that no prerequisite is required in order to get them into Cisco CCNA 640-802 Security Certification Training.

However if people have some information about Cisco CCNA 640-802 Exploration, Discovery or others then it would be beneficial for them in order to pass in the entry level courses of Cisco CCNA 640-802 and thus their success would had been ensured. The Cisco CCNA 640-802 Discovery and Exploration are somehow the next steps which occur after the completion of Cisco CCNA 640-802 Security. Through this the carer of the person would be enhanced and the person would be able to get much of the knowledge as compared to other people and as a result it won’t be much difficult for the person to find a job as well in any country as it’s recognized widely in the world. It should be made sure that the person must know about the networking concepts and skills as well in order to move further in the certification level. In some cases the internet and its navigation skills are also required.

Troubleshooting and Maintaining Cisco IP Networks
Exam Number:    642-832
Associated Certifications:    CCNP
Duration:    135 minutes (35-40 questions)
Available Languages:    English
Register for Exam:    Pearson VUE
Exam Policies:    Read current policies and requirements
Exam Demo & Tutorial:

Review the TSHOOT Demo & Tutorial Register for Course:

TSHOOT courses and other offerings

Exam Description
Troubleshooting and Maintaining Cisco IP Switched Networks (TSHOOT 642-832) is a qualifying exam for the Cisco Certified Network Professional CCNP®, certification. The TSHOOT 642-832  exam will certify that the successful candidate has important knowledge and skills necessary to (1) plan and perform regular maintenance on complex enterprise routed and switched networks and (2) use technology-based practices and a systematic ITIL-compliant approach to perform network troubleshooting.

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Exam Topics
The following information provides general guidelines for the content likely to be included on the exam. However, other related topics may also appear on any specific delivery of the exam. In order to better reflect the contents of the exam and for clarity purposes the guidelines below may change at any time without notice.

642-832 TSHOOT Exam Topics

Recommended Training
The following course is the recommended training for this exam:

* Troubleshooting and Maintaining Cisco IP Switched Networks (TSHOOT)

Troubleshooting and Maintaining Cisco IP Networks (TSHOOT) is a five day instructor-led course and 9.5 hours of related e-learning designed for network engineers with at least one year of professional work experience, who are ready to advance their skills and work independently on complex network solutions.   Students will learn to (1) plan and perform regular maintenance on complex enterprise routed and switched networks and (2) use technology-based practices and a systematic ITIL-compliant approach to perform network troubleshooting.  Extensive labs provide for hands-on learning and reinforce troubleshooting skills.

The course listed is offered by Cisco Learning Partners the authorized source for Cisco IT training delivered exclusively by Certified Cisco Instructors. For a list of Cisco Learning Partners, use the Learning Partner Locator.
Additional Resources

A variety of Cisco Press titles may be available for this exam. These titles can be purchased through the Cisco Marketplace Bookstore, directly from Cisco Press.
* CCNP TSHOOT Exam Certification Guide, February 2010
* CCNP TSHOOT Cert Kit: Video, Flash Cards and Quick Reference Preparation Pack, April 2010
* CCNP TSHOOT Self-Study Guide, April 2010

Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1
Exam Number:             640-822 ICND1
Associated Certifications:     CCENT and CCNA
Duration:     90 Minutes (40-50 questions)
Available Languages:     English, Japanese, Chinese, Spanish, Russian, Korean, French, Portuguese
Click Here to Register:     Pearson VUE
Exam Policies:     Read current policies and requirements
Exam Tutorial:     Review type of exam questions

Exam Description    Exam Topics    Recommended Training    Additional Resources

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Exam Description

The 640-822 Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 (ICND1) is the exam associated with the Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician certification and a tangible first step in achieving the Cisco Certified Network Associate certification. Candidates can prepare for this exam by taking the Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 (ICND1) v1.0 course. This exam tests a candidate’s knowledge and skills required to successfully install, operate, and troubleshoot a small branch office network. The exam includes topics on networking fundamentals; connecting to a WAN; basic security and wireless concepts; routing and switching fundamentals; the TCP/IP and OSI models; IP addressing; WAN technologies; operating and configuring IOS devices; configuring RIPv2, static and default routing; implementing NAT and DHCP; and configuring simple networks.
Exam Topics

The following topics are general guidelines for the content likely to be included on the Interconnecting Cisco Networking Devices Part 1 exam. However, other related topics may also appear on any specific delivery of the exam. In order to better reflect the contents of the exam and for clarity purposes, the guidelines below may change at any time without notice.
Describe the operation of data networks.
* Describe the purpose and functions of various network devices
* Select the components required to meet a given network specification
* Use the OSI and TCP/IP models and their associated protocols to explain how data flows in a network
* Describe common networking applications including web applications
* Describe the purpose and basic operation of the protocols in the OSI and TCP models
* Describe the impact of applications (Voice Over IP and Video Over IP) on a network
* Interpret network diagrams
* Determine the path between two hosts across a network
* Describe the components required for network and Internet communications
* Identify and correct common network problems at layers 1, 2, 3 and 7 using a layered model approach
* Differentiate between LAN/WAN operation and features

Implement a small switched network

* Select the appropriate media, cables, ports, and connectors to connect switches to other network devices and hosts
* Explain the technology and media access control method for Ethernet technologies
* Explain network segmentation and basic traffic management concepts
* Explain the operation of Cisco switches and basic switching concepts
* Perform, save and verify initial switch configuration tasks including remote access management
* Verify network status and switch operation using basic utilities (including: ping, traceroute,telnet,SSH,arp, ipconfig), SHOW & DEBUG commands
* Implement and verify basic security for a switch (port security, deactivate ports)
* Identify, prescribe, and resolve common switched network media issues, configuration issues, autonegotiation, and switch hardware failures

Implement an IP addressing scheme and IP services to meet network requirements for a small branch office

*
* Describe the need and role of addressing in a network
* ” Create and apply an addressing scheme to a network Assign and verify valid IP addresses to hosts, servers, and networking devices in a LAN environment
* Explain the basic uses and operation of NAT in a small network connecting to one ISP
* Describe and verify DNS operation
* Describe the operation and benefits of using private and public IP addressing
* Enable NAT for a small network with a single ISP and connection using SDM and verify operation using CLI and ping
* Configure, verify and troubleshoot DHCP and DNS operation on a router.(including: CLI/SDM)
* Implement static and dynamic addressing services for hosts in a LAN environment
* Identify and correct IP addressing issues

Implement a small routed network

* Describe basic routing concepts (including: packet forwarding, router lookup process)
* Describe the operation of Cisco routers (including: router bootup process, POST, router components)
* Select the appropriate media, cables, ports, and connectors to connect routers to other network devices and hosts
* Configure, verify, and troubleshoot RIPv2
* Access and utilize the router CLI to set basic parameters
* Connect, configure, and verify operation status of a device interface
* Verify device configuration and network connectivity using ping, traceroute, telnet, SSH or other utilities
* Perform and verify routing configuration tasks for a static or default route given specific routing requirements
* Manage IOS configuration files (including: save, edit, upgrade, restore)
* Manage Cisco IOS
* Implement password and physical security
* Verify network status and router operation using basic utilities (including: ping, traceroute,telnet,SSH,arp, ipconfig), SHOW & DEBUG commands

Explain and select the appropriate administrative tasks required for a WLAN

* Describe standards associated with wireless media (including: IEEE WI-FI Alliance, ITU/FCC)
* Identify and describe the purpose of the components in a small wireless network. (including: SSID, BSS, ESS)
* Identify the basic parameters to configure on a wireless network to ensure that devices connect to the correct access point
* Compare and contrast wireless security features and capabilities of WPA security (including: open, WEP, WPA-1/2)
* Identify common issues with implementing wireless networks

Identify security threats to a network and describe general methods to mitigate those threats

* Explain today’s increasing network security threats and the need to implement a comprehensive security policy to mitigate the threats
* Explain general methods to mitigate common security threats to network devices, hosts, and applications
* Describe the functions of common security appliances and applications
* Describe security recommended practices including initial steps to secure network devices

Implement and verify WAN links

* Describe different methods for connecting to a WAN
* Configure and verify a basic WAN serial connection