SAN JOSE, CA -- (Marketwire) -- 11/20/12 -- Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced a comprehensive, job-role-focused training and certification program that allows customers and partners to maximize the value of their IT infrastructure, based on a virtualized environment and cloud architecture. This announcement includes a comprehensive Career Certification portfolio consisting of the Cisco CCNA® Data Center, CCNP® Data Center and CCIE® Data Center, as well as a robust product training portfolio.

Explosive data growth and new transformational technologies are changing the way organizations operate today. According to the Cisco Global Cloud Index, annual global data center IP traffic will reach 6.6 zettabytes by the end of 2016 at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 31 percent. The growth of data and these new technologies affect not only IT systems and infrastructures, but also the practitioners that design, install, operate and manage them. New job roles are emerging that require next-generation skill sets. New proficiencies and knowledge are needed for organizations, managers and individual practitioners to maximize the benefits of these technologies.

Key Facts:

• Following the March 2012 announcement of CCIE Data Center, and the recently available suite of Cisco Nexus® 1000V, 2000/5000, 7000, Cisco MDS and Cisco Unified Computing System™ (Cisco UCS®) product training, Cisco now offers a complete portfolio of Data Center training and certification, from the associate to expert level.
  
  
• For the first time, the two key pillars of the Unified Cisco Data Center architecture, Cisco Unified Computing and Cisco Unified Fabric, are addressed across the job roles of design, implementation and troubleshooting.
  
  
• This certification program allows individuals to customize their data center education, addressing a specific job role around design, implementation and troubleshooting.
  
  
• CCNA Data Center lays the foundation for job roles such as Data Center Networking Administrators that require competence in areas including network and server virtualization and storage and IP networking convergence.
  
  
• CCNP Data Center is aligned specifically to the job role of Data Center Network Designers and professional-level Data Center networking practitioners. The certification validates an individual's capabilities, including troubleshooting a virtualized computing environment based on the Cisco UCS platform focusing on storage and network connectivity, installation, memory, adapter connectivity and booting issues, drivers, BIOS and deploying a virtualized environment.
  

Supporting Quote:

• Jeanne Beliveau-Dunn, vice president and general manager of Learning@Cisco, said: "Roles are transforming more quickly in the data center than any other space in IT. Both networking professionals wanting a new career choice, and current data center professionals who want to maximize their data center equipment design, installation and maintenance skills will benefit from this new certification track. This job-role-focused training and certification program allows individuals to maximize the investment in their education and increase the value of their organization's data center network. With this offering, Cisco is leading the way in transforming skills for the next generation of IT professionals."

Availability:

• CCNA Data Center and CCNP Data Center exams are now available through Pearson VUE: http://www.vue.com/cisco/
• Training courses are available through Cisco Authorized Learning Partners: http://tools.cisco.com/GlobalLearningLocator/LLocatorHome.do

Supporting Resources:

• Find out more about CCNA Data Center and CCNP Data Center certifications and training products today at: https://learningnetwork.cisco.com/docs/DOC-16190

Social Media Destinations:

• Cisco Data Center Blog: http://blogs.cisco.com/datacenter/next-generation-data-centers-need-next-generations-skills/
• 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

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About Cisco

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) 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 and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and 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.

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