CCNP: Wireless - Cisco to release professional-level wireless certification

[Dead Man Walking]

New CCNP Wireless Certification!

Cisco to Introduce CCNP Wireless Certification in September, 2009


Recognizing the growing demand for wireless professionals responsible for the design, implementation, security, and operation of wireless networks and mobility infrastructures, Cisco will release its CCNP Wireless certification this September, 2009.

CCNP Wireless is a professional level certification, which serves as the next step for individuals who have completed their CCNA Wireless certification and are interested in advancing their career in Cisco wireless technologies.

The wireless network continues to grow in part, because of the additional productivity that it brings to the world as a whole. Properly trained and certified individuals are needed to make wireless networks secure, cost-effective, and reliable. CCNP Wireless certification recognizes this growth, and acknowledges advanced level skills and knowledge in Cisco wireless networking.

A formal announcement of the CCNP Wireless certification is scheduled to be made at the Cisco Live! event, June, 2009, in San Francisco, California. Watch for more details in the coming months.

Cisco Systems plans to announce details for its upcoming professional-level wireless certifcation program at the Cisco Live! event in San Francisco, taking place in June.

The CCNP Wireless certification, which will go live in September, will round out the networking vendor's wireless certification programs, which are currently made up of the CCNA Wireless associate-level certification and the CCIE Wireless expert-level certification (both rolled out in 2008).

"We have spent quite a bit of time over the past couple of years looking at the market from a jobs standpoint -- what are the job roles that are needed today and how those job roles are evolving over the next five years, let's say," said Fred Weiller, director of marketing for Learning@Cisco at Cisco Systems.

One of the things Cisco discovered last year is that many enterprises are starting to assign dedicated job roles to IT staff, whether they're in security, voice or wireless. That trend is expected to continue to grow over the next five years. Rolling out the associate and expert wireless certifications in 2008, the one thing missing was the mid-level professional certification, but as of September, the wireless certification portfolio will be rounded out, Weiller said.

"They couldn't see the whole career path because this middle piece was missing, even though we had the intention of filling it up," he said.

Research has shown there is a pervasive need for wireless networking skills, and the certifications enable individuals to prove they have those skills in the job market, said Sanja Mehta, portfolio marketing manager for wireless and mobility at Learning@Cisco at Cisco Systems. The upcoming release of the CCNP Wireless certification will also round out the certifications and provide the full career path for wireless networking professionals, he said.

"We have defined a clear career path right now," he said.

More details about the CCNP Wireless certification will be available at the Cisco Live! event in June.