Latin America. Cisco is currently revolutionizing the role of networking professionals and software developers to drive technological innovation and accelerate business. As Cisco reinvents the future of networking, DevNet (Cisco's developer program) is bringing together software developers and certified networking professionals in one community, to enable unparalleled collaboration and the sharing of best practices, with the goal of promoting new levels of automation capabilities.
In addition, Cisco is introducing an expansion of its industry-changing professional certification program that encompasses both the networking professional and software developer, and adds a new community-based developer center to accelerate adoption and success with network automation.
Cisco's intent-based networking has led to a fundamental shift in the role networks play in business and changes the way networks are made. The role of the networking professional has changed as it moves away from time-consuming manual tasks and closer to the world where IT, DevOps, application, and cloud developers work together. To take full advantage of the capabilities of this new network, companies must leverage software practices, networking and software skills, and an engaged community that solves technology challenges together.
Accelerating network automation
The network is the backbone of today's digital business, but network automation remains one of the biggest challenges for IT. Cisco's portfolio of intent-based networking enables secure network automation, with a new community-based developer center called cisco DevNet Automation Exchange.
DevNet Automation Exchange introduces shared code stores of use cases for network automation. Cisco's community of developers, networking professionals, partners, and customers can actively contribute the software to create the industry-leading network automation code repository.
DevNet Automation Exchange guides teams along their journey to implement intent-based network and network automation with a Walk-Run-Fly methodology.
• Walk: Gain visibility and insights into your networks. This enables use cases such as collecting information and telemetry from working networks and conducting audits to ensure continuous network security.
• Run: Activate the policy and test different network domains. This enables use cases, such as providing self-service network operations that comply with security policies and operational guidelines.
• Fly: Proactively manage applications, users, and devices with DevOps workflows. This enables use cases such as deploying applications to information sources and continuous integration and continuous delivery (CI/CD) while configuring the network according to the new application policies.
DevNet Automation Exchange builds on the vast experience of Cisco's community of networking experts and software developers, enabling them to collaborate and create automation best practices for their industries.
Cisco Certifications to Build Teams for the Future
Applications that use a programmable network infrastructure to solve business challenges mean an excellent opportunity for innovation. However, to take advantage of this possibility, partners and customers need to team up with the right software practices and networking backgrounds to optimize their networks and drive innovation.
Cisco is developing its certification and training program, with a focus on educating network engineers and now software developers to optimize the new network. The new training and certification program takes professionals to the knowledge they need to thrive in this new landscape under the key principles of leadership, agility and value. Cisco's new certifications include:
• New DevNet Certifications to validate software professionals with DevNet Associate, DevNet Specialist and DevNet Professional certifications. DevNet certifications are intended for software developers and network engineers who develop the software competence to develop automated applications and workflows for operational networks and infrastructure.
• Streamlining Cisco certifications to validate engineering professionals with Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA®) and Cisco Specialist certifications, as well as Cisco Certified Network Professional (CCNP®) and Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE®) certifications in enterprises, data centers, service providers, security and collaboration.
• Expansion of Cisco Networking Academy to train networking professionals and software developers. The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA®) certification is for entering network professionals and the DevNet Associate certification is for entering software developers. Students who graduate will be able to earn CCNA® and DevNet Associate certifications with the goal of preparing them for jobs in the IT industry.
For full details on certification and program changes, see the Learning tab on the Cisco home page.
