IT Certification: Changing Realities

In 1989,

Novell kicked off the current explosion of IT certifications

with the launch of its professional certification path. To date,

almost 500,000 Novell and 350,000 Microsoft certifications have

been granted. In addition to this there are thousands of certifications

granted in less ubiquitous hardware and software like Oracle

and Sun, and Banyan. Some estimates of the total number of certified

IT professionals reach well over 3 million across the globe.

No discussion

of network certification would be complete without a nod to

the ultimate, the apex of nerds, the god of geeks, the guru''s

guru, by far the most difficult (and valuable!)-Cisco Certified

Internetwork Expert (CCIE). The requirements are two years of

internetworking field experience, passing of Sylvan Prometric

tests, and the CCIE lab test. The certificate almost guarantees

a good job with a salary approaching six figures in dollors

per annum. When you are finished you can run the Internet in

your sleep.

Primer

on Cisco Certifications



One can become a CCIE in one or all of three areas: Routing
& Switching, WAN Switching, and ISP - Dial. The CCIE program

sets the professional benchmark for internetworking expertise.

CCIEs are recognized throughout the internetworking industry

as highly qualified professionals whose expertise has been tested

and validated both by passing a written examination and a rigorous,

two-day hands-on lab examination.

Cisco involvement

in professional certification started in 1993 with the launch

of its CCIE program. Designed from its early stages to be the

premier certification in the IT industry, each of the CCIE certification

tracks-Routing & Switching, ISP Dial, and WAN-follows the

same basic structure: a preliminary written or qualification

exam followed by a two-day hands-on practical lab exam. Both

of these are aimed at testing different types of knowledge.

As a person

who has taken most of the industry-based certifications/exams,

I must confess that Cisco CCIE is the toughest and the best

in the industry. It tests/rates individuals not only on the

technical ability (please note its hands-on and not computer-based!),

it also tests the pace of one''s technical thinking, putting

them into practice within seconds of crystallizing those technical

thoughts. Above all it handles these in a lab which closely

resembles a customer scenario with limited time available to

you.

The CCIE

program has been successful in terms of identifying quality

professionals who are considered the best in the networking/internetworking

industry. The average pass rate for the lab exam is just over

25 percent and in over five years about 4,100 CCIEs have been

qualified.



The value of obtaining the CCIE is also unquestionable-current
yearly compensation for a CCIE average slightly over $1,20,000

per annum. Cisco has

recently started its first CCIE test lab in India. Located in

Bangalore, the lab is equipped with the state-of-the-art technologies

and will provide CCIE hands-on testing leading to certification

in the area of Routing & Switching. This test lab facility

is the first of its kind in India and will enable savings in

terms of cost, effort and time for the networking professionals

who had to earlier travel abroad for these lab tests.

Recently,

Cisco added to its certification program by unveiling a new

set of certifications leading up to the CCIE. The Cisco Certified

Network Associate (CCNA) and Cisco Certified Network Professional

(CCNP) were initially added to form a springboard to the CCIE

as well as a way to standardize career achievements at levels

lower than the CCIE. The following table will give you details

regarding Sylvan Prometric exam options, training, and approximate

costs associated in taking these exams. Datacraft India &

Microuniv (training division of Microland Ltd) conduct these

training in India, while Sylvan

Prometric

tests can be taken at any of Sylvan Prometric testing centres

including NIIT.



Later, Cisco also added associate and professional level certifications
for WAN-Switching and Network Design. Cisco''s certification

program has been largely successful-to date, over 9,000 of the

associate and professional level certifications have been granted.

One needs

to have a lot of hands-on experience in order to be equipped

for any of these exams. While classroom training gives practical

technological insights, the rate at which technologies and courses

get added these days, it is always ahead of infrastructural

investments made by Cisco or the training partners of Cisco.

To keep up with this, Cisco is opening up practice labs (fee-based),

in most of the countries including India. The Importance

of "Being Certified"



The cost of an average IT project in a large corporation (by
US standard) is about $1.2 million, so you can do the math and

see the impact is critical. The certification programs are aimed

at helping IT professionals-most notably VARs, integrators,

and professional service providers-align their skills with the

goals of their companies.

As organizations

outsource projects, VARs and service providers are being asked

to play more active role in business decision-making. It is

up to the VARs and service providers to make sure they have

the appropriately skilled people to handle the projects.

Good networking

specialists are hard to find. So, does it really matter if you

are certified or not? According to hiring companies and some

networking specialists, getting certified has at least one advantage:

higher pay. It is important for IT professionals to become certified

to advance their careers, Becoming certified not only gives

you advanced skills, but it shows you have initiative and a

desire to learn, which is attractive to hiring companies, which

is much more important than the actual skill itself.

Net-based

Certifications



Certification remains the key engine driving the IT training
business, but the role of the Internet in distributing content

and reshaping business models clearly is a crucial issue. For

example, every networking professional would like to get hands-on

expertise on products and technologies to enhance his knowledge.

While a physical lab was the only option until recently, there

are companies that offer virtual lab via net for Cisco (Mentor

Labs) which simulate real world lab scenarios on the Net! I

have taken few labs via networking on Cisco equipment generating

response/action as if a real world router gives. The Net-based

training will change the way we learn and get ourselves certified

without having to invest on all these technologies. While performance

will still be an issue, I guess it is worth trying this out

for sheer experience of working on something virtual.