It is no longer a secret that understanding Networks and Information Technology is important for your business. Really, any company that depends on a computer to run its operation can benefit from a higher level of understanding of how IT plays a part in the past, present and future success of their organization. This is because chances are the technology you use today isn’t being used just because it is hip and cool, but it is being used because your business benefits from it. Moreover, if you are in the business of supplying technology to companies, then your need to understand technology is even more critical. Not only does it impact your own organization, but it impacts your customers – which are the life blood to a healthy and sustainable business. These days, more and more technology companies that were at one time isolated to their practice, such as Audio Visual, Security and Telephony, are now becoming dependent on IT networking to succeed. While at one time these solutions existed in parallel, today they are expected to be fully integrated to the customer network and the customer is often expecting your company to understand how this is accomplished and likely they will seek your support in doing so. Begging the question, is your company network savvy enough to truly support the products that you sell? If your company is one of these providers whose products is riding on the customers network, the answer better be without question Y-E-S… Because if you cannot play in the network sandbox, then your days are probably numbered as their supplier. So what is a company to do when they are required to learn almost a new business in what feels like a fraction of the time required? Perhaps there is no better way to short-circuit the learning curve then to take advantage of learning tracks being offered by your strategic technology partners? And if networking basics is what your organization needs to keep up then there may be no better option than attending the CCNAX. When it comes to Information Technology Network Training, Cisco Systems Certifications are held in the highest regard. With dozens of certification tracks for technical and non-technical professionals, Cisco...
Read MoreSo let me say the obvious for those of you that don’t know. CCENT stands for Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician. I am sure many of you are thinking: “I am not a technician”, or “I don’t work with Cisco, so why do I need to be a Cisco Certified Entry Network Technician?” To that I say don’t worry about the Cisco Certified part for now, let’s just focus on the Entry Network Technician aspect. Even though your primary role may not be technical services or support, understanding network fundamentals is extremely important for anyone that works in the IT vertical. It’s simple: if you’re working in the IT industry and you wish to succeed, you need to understand IT. Have you ever felt like terminology is going over your head when talking to colleagues, especially the ones in IT? Wouldn’t technical support work more smoothly and efficiently if you could accurately describe your problems to your technical staff? The CCENT will teach you the basics of networking, and while it is a Cisco course, it is by no means only for those training to be Cisco Engineers or “Cisco Focused.” The CCENT covers fundamentals, clearly defining terms like “LAN,” “WAN,” “switch,” and “router,” among others. Building upon that foundation, it teaches you how things connect for small networks and provides an understanding of TCP/IP, which is how the world connects to each other and the Internet. I don’t want to downplay the extent of valuable knowledge covered in the CCENT. No matter the background, the overwhelming majority of the students that sit through the CCENT (even students with many other certifications and years of experience) still say they learn quite a few new concepts from the CCENT. It’s the type of course that combines foundational knowledge with technical detail. Because the course offers students the tools to build an understanding of the basic mechanics of networking, I know that it is invaluable for anyone working in the field. Many Cisco Learning Partners, including my firm L3 Technologies (www.L3TX.com), offer several options for this course, including an accelerated three day course, for those who have experience with networking, and a 5 day course, for those who are new to...
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