CCNA Concentrations

CCNA Concentrations

Comstor Training announces three new Cisco CCNA Concentration courses.

CCNA Security       CCNA Voice      CCNA Wireless

  All new courses £1,695 + VAT RRP

CCNA Concentrations Overview

Cisco have announced three new entry level technology-based CCNA concentrations. Designed to build upon Cisco's most popular career certification CCNA, these highly specialized; associate level concentrations offer individuals a career stepping stone in the converged technologies that make up today's sophisticated network. In addition, IT professionals wishing to broaden or add specialized skills to their technology expertise while differentiating themselves in the marketplace will find these specializations a valuable addition.
While Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) remains the certification of choice for individuals who want to demonstrate their solid foundation in core routing and switching skills, the new CCNA Wireless, CCNA Voice and CCNA Security certifications build on core CCNA skills and provide a clear path for individuals to prepare for a specialized job role in wireless, security or voice technologies. In addition, these new CCNA concentrations represent the first step for individuals interested in a career in Voice, Security, and Wireless technologies and serve as prerequisites for Cisco professional level certifications including CCVP and CCSP.

• CCNA Voice

The CCNA Voice certification validates skills in VoIP technologies such as IP PBX, IP telephony, handset, call control, and voicemail solutions. Candidates also get exposure to the Cisco Unified Communications architecture and design covering mobility, presence, and TelePresence applications.  

• CCNA Security

The CCNA Security certification meets the needs of IT professionals who are responsible for network security. It confirms an individual's skills for job roles such as network security specialists, security administrators, and network security support engineers. This certification validates skills including installation, troubleshooting, and monitoring of network devices to maintain integrity, confidentiality, and availability of data and devices, and develops competency in the technologies that Cisco uses in its security structure.  

• CCNA Wireless

The CCNA Wireless certification validates the candidate's skills in the configuration, implementation, and support of wireless LANs, specifically those networks using Cisco equipment. Students completing the
recommended Cisco training are provided with information and practice activities to prepare them for configuring, monitoring, and troubleshooting basic tasks of a Cisco WLAN in small to medium-sized business (SMB) and enterprise networks. Once candidates complete the certification, employers will be able to validate that their staff have the skills needed for basic wireless networking on a Cisco WLAN in SMB and enterprise networks.  

CCNA Security Overview

Cisco® CCNA® Security certification validates the knowledge required to install, troubleshoot, and monitor Cisco security network devices. In addition, CCNA Security confirms an individual's skills for job roles such as network security specialist, security administrator, and network security support engineer.  

CCNA Security Benefits

* Takes full advantage of the CCNA certification as the foundation for career in Cisco security technologies
* Prepares you for new career opportunities in security networking
* Represents an important step toward the Cisco CCSP® and other professional-level Cisco certifications

Students completing the recommended Cisco training will get an introduction to core security technologies and also learn how to develop security policies and mitigate risks. Employers who hire people with CCNA Security certifications can feel confident that their staff has the skills needed to develop a security infrastructure, to recognize vulnerabilities in networks, and to detect potential security threats. In addition, obtaining a CCNA Security certification serves as a major step in obtaining the CCSP certification.

Implementing Cisco IOS Network Security (IINS) is recommended training for CCNA Security curriculum. You must pass the required IINS exam (640-553) and hold an active CCNA certification in order to achieve your CCNA Security certification.

CCNA Security Exams and Recommended Training

Program Impact on CCSP
* CCSP Pre-Requisite
* CCNA Security
* CCNA + SND Through June 23, 2009
* CCSP Program
* "4 + 1" to "3 + 1" as a result of SND being integrated into the IINS class and exam

CCNA Security Impact on Security Specialist Certifications
* Advanced Security Field Engineer
* Pre-requisite: CCNA Security or CCNA+SND through 23/6/09
* EOL
* Cisco Information Security Specialist* (4011 training moved to CCNA Security)
* Firewall Specialist*
* NEW! Cisco ASA Specialist replaces Firewall Specialist and VPN Specialist
* Pre-requisite: CCNA Security
* Required exams: SNAF, SNAA
* Cisco IOS Security Specialist
* Prerequisite changes to CCNA-Security from CCNA
* SNRS exam required, SND EOL*
* Cisco IPS Security Specialist
* Prerequisite changes to CCNA-Security from CCNA
* IPS exam required, SND EOL*
* Cisco Network Admission Control Specialist
* Prerequisite changes to CCNA-Security from CCNA
* CANAC exam required, SND EOL*   * Have until 17/11/08 to take SND and get Specialist role

CCNA Voice Overview

Cisco® CCNA Voice certification confirms an individual has the required skill set for specialized job roles in voice technologies such as voice administrator, voice engineer, and voice manager. It validates skills in VoIP technologies such as IP PBX, IP telephony, handset, call control, and voicemail solutions. Candidates also get exposure to the Cisco Unified Communications architecture and design covering mobility, presence, and TelePresence applications.

CCNA Voice Benefits  

* Takes full advantage of the CCNA certification as the foundation for career in Cisco voice technologies
* Prepares you for new career opportunities in voice networking
* Represents an important step toward Cisco CCVP® and other professional-level Cisco certifications
Implementing Cisco IOS® Unified Communications (IIUC) is recommended training course for the CCNA Voice concentration. You must pass the required IIUC exam (640-460) CCNA Voice exam and hold an active CCNA certification in order get your CCNA Voice certification.

Program Impact on CCVP

To accommodate candidates who may already be in progress preparing for a CCVP certification, CCNA will be accepted as the prerequisite in place of CCNA Voice for up to one year, June 24, 2009.

CCNA Wireless Overview (Available July 25, 2008)

Cisco® CCNA® Wireless certification recognizes the critical importance of the professionals who support wireless LANs, including networking administrators, wireless support specialists, and WLAN project managers.

CCNA Wireless Benefits

* Takes full advantage of the CCNA certification as the foundation for career in Cisco networking technologies 
* Provides training on the latest Cisco wireless technologies
* Prepares you for new career opportunities in wireless networking
  Implementing Cisco Unified Wireless Networking Essentials (IUWNE) is recommended training for CCNA Wireless certification. You must pass the required IUWNE v1.0 (640-721) exam and hold an active CCNA certification in order to achieve your CCNA Wireless certification.

CCNA Wireless Exams and Recommended Training

CCNA Concentration Q&A

Q - Why is Cisco expanding its Career Certifications portfolio?
A - According to a commissioned study conducted by Forrester Consulting on behalf of Cisco, there is a pervasive need for networking skills throughout multiple functions of IT organizations, and the need is growing very fast:
* 36% of the global companies surveyed currently have a dedicated wireless role. Over the next five years, a dedicated wireless role is expected to be found in 66 percent of the IT organizations surveyed.
* Dedicated security roles are expected to exist in 80 percent of the companies studied within five years, while today a dedicated security role was found in only 46 percent of the companies surveyed.
* 69 percent of the IT managers surveyed expect to have a dedicated voice specialist role in their IT organization within five years, while only 40 percent of respondents have them today.
To meet this challenge, Cisco is introducing Cisco®CCNA® Security, CCNA Voice, and CCNA Wireless concentrations. These are role-based, technology-specific concentrations that provide current and future networking professionals with a learning path for career advancement.

Q - When are the new CCNA concentrations being introduced?
A - Cisco introduced the new CCNA concentrations globally on June 24, 2008. Both CCNA Voice and CCNA Security exams and courses will be available at this time. CCNA Wireless exams and courses will be available on July 25, 2008.

Q - What is the formal name of each CCNA concentration and what does each consist of?
A - The new associate-level concentrations are titled CCNA Security, CCNA Voice, and CCNA Wireless. In order to complete one of these concentrations, you must already have a valid CCNA certification.

Q - How do the CCNA concentrations relate to the CCNA certification?
A - In order to meet the prerequisites for one of the new CCNA concentrations, you must first pass the CCNA certification through one of two exam paths.

Prerequisites for CCNA Concentrations: CCNA Exams and Recommended Training

Once you have completed your CCNA certification, you can choose one of the three new CCNA concentrations.

While CCNA remains the certification of choice for individuals who want to demonstrate a solid foundation in core routing and switching skills, the new CCNA Wireless, CCNA Voice, and CCNA Security certifications build on core CCNA skills and provide a clear path to prepare for a specialized job role in wireless, security, or voice technologies.

Q - Do students have to complete the CCNA certification each time they want to take a different CCNA concentration?
A - No. The CCNA certification only needs to be passed one time in order to move on to each of the new CCNA concentrations.

Q - How long are the new CCNA concentrations valid for?
A - CCNA Wireless, Voice, and Security certifications are valid for three years.

Q - Will achieving any of the CCNA concentrations recertify my current CCNA certification? Will it recertify my CCENT certification?
A - Individuals passing any current CCNA concentration exam (wireless, security, voice) will automatically recertify their expiring CCNA concentration, CCNA or CCENT certification. Passing any 642 professional level exam or written CCDE or CCIE exam will also recertify a CCNA Concentration.

Q - Where can I take the recommended training for the new CCNA concentrations?
A - Training for the new CCNA concentrations is available through Cisco Learning Partners such as Comstor.

Q - Are the new CCNA concentration courses available through the Cisco Networking Academy® or Cisco Press®?
A - At this time, instructor-led training courses are available only through Cisco Learning Partners. However, Cisco Press will have corresponding products available for each of the CCNA concentrations in the very near future. In addition to their best-selling exam certification guides, Cisco Press (www.ciscopress.com ) will offer digital quick reference guides and other online materials to aide in preparation for the CCNA concentrations.

Q - Will all three concentrations be available June 24, 2008?
A - Both the exams and recommended training for CCNA Security and CCNA Voice are available as of the announcement date of June 24th. The projected release date for the CCNA Wireless concentration recommended training and exam is July 25, 2008.

Q - What types of jobs are available for people who pass one of the new CCNA concentrations?
A - The following job roles are available for people who obtain a CCNA Wireless certification:

* Network administrators

* Wireless technicians, support technicians

* Security engineers focused on wireless networks

* WLAN project managers

* Wireless support specialists

 The following job roles are available for people who obtain a CCNA Security certification:

* Network security administrators

* Security specialists

* Security technicians

* Support technicians

 The following job roles are available for people who obtain a CCNA Voice certification:

* Voice administrators
 * Voice technicians
* Voice engineers

Q - How do these new concentrations affect Cisco's professional and expert-level certifications?

A - Passing the new CCNA concentrations will serve as the prerequisites to the corresponding Cisco professional-level certification (Cisco CCSP®, CCVP®, and so on). However, the CCNA certification will continue to be the prerequisite to Cisco CCNP®.

Q - Are there other additional changes to the professional-level certifications that affect the new CCNA concentrations?

A - Yes, CCSP will be restructured in the fall as a result of the introduction of CCNA Security. The SND (Securing Network Devices) class and exam have been integrated into the IINS class and exam for CCNA Security. As a result, the SND exam will be retired on November 17, 2008 and will no longer be a requirement for CCSP. To accommodate candidates who may already be in progress preparing for a CCSP certification, CCNA + SND exams will be accepted in lieu of the CCNA Security exam until June 24, 2009.

Candidates for CCSP will now take a total of four exams-three required and one elective- instead of the five exams required today (four required and one elective exam). CCSP certifications will continue to give candidates a choice about the exams they must pass for certification.

To accommodate candidates who may already be in progress preparing for a CCVP certification, CCNA will be accepted as the prerequisite in place of CCNA Voice for up to one year, June 24, 2009.

Candidates already pursuing CCVP and CCSP will be able to use exams they have already passed for up to three years.

Where can I find more information about the new CCNA concentrations?

In addition to the current Cisco Career Certifications website, www.cisco.com/go/certifications, Cisco will prominently feature the new CCNA concentrations on the Cisco Learning Network, www.cisco.com/go/learnnetspace.  

Please contact train@comstor.co.uk or 01285 647014 for more information.