Disclosure: this post is from May 2015 and had originally been posted on LinkedIn!
Cisco Systems is known for their networking equipment, such as switches, routers and bridges. They are also known for their education program called the Cisco Networking Academy and their annual conference called Cisco Live. The Cisco Networking Academy is deployed in a lot of community colleges, such as San Diego Continuing Education, and education centers that offer accelerated courses including New Horizons and Global Knowledge. Cisco Live is their annual conference that is held in different cities each year. Cisco Live and the Cisco Networking Academy is discussed in this paper.
Cisco Networking Academy
First, the Cisco Networking Academy consists of courses for some of the certifications Cisco has developed for the cyber industry. They have a course for people who are completely new to the networking industry and this course will help them prepare for the CompTIA A+ certification. This course is called IT Essentials and it teaches students how computers work, how to repair computers and how to install and upgrade software. Then students can be enrolled in the Cisco Certified Network Associate Routing & Switching (CCNA R&S) certification courses. There are a total of four courses and the first two (2) courses will prepare students for the entry level certification called the Cisco Certified Entry Networking Technician (CCENT) and the last two (2) courses prepare them for the CCNA R&S certification. [1]
After students have successfully completed all four courses or received the CCNA R&S, they are allowed to enroll in the Cisco Certified Network Professional Routing & Switching (CCNP R&S) certification courses. If they received the CCENT or completed all four courses, they can take the CCNA Security course. The Cisco Networking Academy helps students learn by using lectures and hands-on lab.
After students have successfully completed all four courses or received the CCNA R&S, they are allowed to enroll in the Cisco Certified Network Professional Routing & Switching (CCNP R&S) certification courses. If they received the CCENT or completed all four courses, they can take the CCNA Security course. The Cisco Networking Academy helps students learn by using lectures and hands-on lab.
Cisco Live
Second, Cisco Live is the premier education and training destination for IT professionals from around the world [2]. The author, Mr. Harmon, has been to Cisco Live in 2012 when it was in San Diego, California and he instantly became interested in Cisco Systems with everything they were doing for the networking community. He found out about Cisco Live while in his first CCNA course at San Diego Continuing Education. Cisco Live has a variety of learning opportunities for everyone, ranging from new to the industry to experts, and this conference is all about showcasing what Cisco and their partners are offering their customers. They also have a Customer Appreciation Event that most attendees are welcome to be at and there are special guests performing for them. Some of these special guests include Weezer, Imagine Dragons, Lenny Kravitz and Aerosmith.
What makes Cisco Live successful is not only because of Cisco employees and their partners, but also with a team of students and alumni of Cisco Network Academy that are hand selected by Cisco. This team is called the Cisco Live Dream Team and features students and alumni from all over the United States. The Dream Team was formed for the 2011 Cisco Live in Las Vegas, Nevada and has become a big success with the Dream Team growing each year, thanks to Gena Pirtle. The Dream Team consists of a two-part team: National and Local. The National Dream Team consists of students selected from around the United States while the Local Dream Team consists of students that are located in the local area of where Cisco Live is going to be held. For example, the 2015 Cisco Live Local Dream Team has students and alumni that live in San Diego County and the National Dream Team are students from outside of San Diego County.
Fortunately, I was selected for the 2015 Cisco Live Local Dream Team and will be working with the rest of the Dream Team for the conference set for June 7, 2015 through June 11, 2015. I will have the opportunity to work side-by-side with Cisco NOC engineers and meet other Cisco employees. This will be an amazing once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for me and the rest of the Dream Team. The Cisco Networking Academy and Cisco Live Dream Team have been held with the highest regard and upmost respect from Cisco employees and partners. Students involved in the Cisco Networking Academy will be motivated to become a part of the next Cisco Live Dream Team and be able to enjoy one of the amazing conferences in the networking industry. Good luck to everyone on their journey to success.
For registration information: https://www.ciscolive.com/us/attend/about/registration-packages.html
[1] Cisco Systems (2015). Cisco Networking Academy. Retrieved from https://www.netacad.com/
[2] Cisco Systems (2015). Cisco Live US 2015. Retrieved from http://www.ciscolive.com/us.html