Cisco adds new specialist certifications

Networking giant Cisco has brought in 12 new specialist certifications to reflect recent changes to its partner programme.

The 12 new specialist categories are: advanced wireless LAN design specialist; advanced wireless LAN field specialist; advanced wireless LAN sales specialist; security solutions and design specialist; advanced security field specialist; security sales specialist; routing and switching solutions specialist; routing and switching field specialist; routing and switching sales specialist; foundation design specialist; foundation field specialist; foundation sales specialist.

A Cisco spokesman explained that the move is predominantly about training individuals – either within resellers or the IT departments of end-users – to reflect recent tweaks to its partner programme. ‘This skilling is part of Cisco’s channel evolution,' he confirms.

The final three ‘foundation’ categories are completely new, while the other nine are updates on traditional categories, the spokesperson adds.

Cisco unveiled a string of new initiatives at its recent annual partner summit in San Diego last month. It will now reward partners for doing two things in particular - developing the 'breadth' to integrate multiple Cisco offerings and the 'depth' to deploy highly specialised solutions such as advanced security services or voice applications.

Although Cisco's Gold, Silver and Premier certification levels remain untouched, partners will be expected to display a broader array of skills in Cisco's advanced technologies (AT) to meet the vendor's goal of being able to integrate multiple ATs on a single network. To enable this, Cisco is altering the requirements that it takes to achieve Gold by ensuring partners bring together a minimum of five technologies and deliver at an advanced level.

Furthermore, the networking manufacturer is unwrapping a new specialisation branded 'Master', which becomes the highest category of expertise a reseller can obtain in a given AT. This qualification, which has a higher value than its Express and Advanced levels, is only available to resellers focusing on voice and security technologies, but more categories will be added over time.