Certifications are a wonderful solution to obtain self-improvement, better technical information, and better profession targets. They’ve at all times been private and particular person—till now. 

Superior Unibyte GmbH (AU), based mostly in Metzingen, Germany, has taken the drive for excellence and profession development to new ranges with a workforce strategy to certification. They’ve studied, practiced, and examined as a workforce for a number of CCIE certifications to contribute to the corporate’s success and their very own workforce achievements. This workforce effort paid off, successful the corporate Cisco Gold Associate standing. And now that Cisco is celebrating 30 years of the CCIE certification program, it’s a good time to inform AU’s story.

CCIE certification is sensible with AU’s networking experience 

AU provides IT infrastructure and data middle options, in addition to cloud and managed companies. With experience in information safety and availability, they develop new, personalized options to drive clients’ digital transformation. The corporate’s experience lies in storage, community, computing, and virtualization options, in addition to the technical IT integration of worldwide subsidiaries. As for the workforce of engineers and resolution architects that preserve the infrastructure of their cloud information middle, it’s essential for his or her technical information to remain up to date.

When workforce leaders thought-about the certifications the corporate wanted, they reviewed all the Cisco architectures. They determined to certify the workforce in Information Heart, Enterprise Networks, and Safety specializations, in addition to Service Supplier — which might be an important funding in their very own cloud infrastructure and companies. However they didn’t cease there. The workforce additionally determined to focus on Buyer Experiences to fulfill Cisco’s laws for Gold Companions, which was the proper match for his or her philosophy of buyer relationship and lifecycle administration. 

However why CCIE certification? With 30 years below its belt, the CCIE certification has reached fairly the standing degree, as tech certifications go. Whereas the time it takes to earn this cert depends upon talent degree, dedication, and examine hours per week, making ready for the CCIE lab examination usually takes one to 2 years. Study extra in regards to the .

What’s extra, CCIE certification is required for Cisco Gold Associate standing. In truth, clients in Germany worth the CCIE a lot that the majority corporations can’t work with public clients except they’ve Gold Associate standing. CCNP and CCIE certification simply made sense — not just for the good of people’ careers but in addition for the AU’s enterprise alternatives. That’s dedication! 

We’ve come a good distance for the reason that CCIE of 1993

Since its inception on Sept. 27, 1993, the Cisco Licensed Internetwork Knowledgeable (CCIE) certification has advanced from a two-day check during which candidates arrange {hardware} and initialize a pod with primary configurations on the primary day after which return on the second day to carry out extra superior configurations and troubleshoot situations.

At present, the CCIE lab examination is a 1-day check that focuses extra on community technique, structure, and the community lifecycle, with particular regard to planning and designing for buyer necessities. The examination targets the end-to-end community lifecycle, which incorporates Day 0 (planning and designing), Day 1 (implementing and deploying), and Day 2 (working and sustaining). The method exams complete expertise throughout all the spectrum of community options.

At present’s CCIE certification is accepted worldwide as probably the most prestigious networking certification within the trade. And now, you may keep forward of the most recent examination know-how adjustments with Cisco Certification Roadmaps. This program goals to speak examination updates on a frequent and incremental cadence-based mannequin, providing you with time to evaluate and plan your prep methods.

Group achievement results in Gold Associate standing

To fulfill the Cisco Gold qualifications, CTO Stephan Körner needed the group to attain a minimal of 4 CCIEs. So, in typical AU workforce vogue, practically 30 technical mans selected totally different paths within the Cisco certification program — from CCNA to CCIE — and began to prep collectively, from finding out the certification examination blueprints to constructing their very own labs, each for certification examination prep in addition to follow, it was a workforce effort. 

The workforce constructed labs for putting in cert merchandise after which examined on the merchandise they bought.

“Within the lab, we considered totally different layouts, duties, and challenges. Considered one of us was creating the problem for the others so they may prepare on that,” Körner mentioned. For the part on fiber channel zoning on the CCNP Information Heart know-how core examination, the workforce thought-about totally different challenges and created their very own zones.  

“Doing it collectively was simpler as a result of if one in every of us was dissatisfied that he didn’t move or perceive one thing, we at all times had three guys round us to assist out and to speak to about options,” Johannes Neu, Alliance Supervisor at AU mentioned. “I talked to different CCIE guys who did this on their very own, and it’s fairly exhausting. It’s a must to work after hours and on weekends. You don’t have anybody to speak to who’s in the identical scenario. It’s simply not the identical since you don’t obtain collectively.”

In truth, Neu believes the group certification course of was solely achievable as a result of the entire firm was concerned. “We have been simply 4 guys [going for the] CCIE. However for the entire course of, we had about 30 guys, which was an important group dynamic and, for our functions, the one sensible solution to obtain our targets.”

It’s clear that Körner agrees. “Having a educated workforce has made all of the distinction in our success in attaining Cisco Gold Associate,” he mentioned. “Plus, our nice group dynamic helped us construct our collaborative course of. It linked us extra strongly than earlier than the certification as a result of all of us had the identical purpose.”

When all was mentioned and executed, the group would have a good time 4 of their teammates incomes the CCIE Information Heart certification. As for AU, going for the gold paid off. Since incomes Cisco Gold Associate standing, the corporate has seen a 40 % enhance in income, with one other 20 % development anticipated within the subsequent two years.

Learn the case examine: Cisco Gold Associate Superior UniByte Unites for CCIE

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