Cisco Joins Forces With EMC to Advance IT Skills in Cloud, Big Data and Data Center Technologies

SAN JOSE, CA--(Marketwire - Apr 2, 2012) - Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) today announced it is joining forces with EMC to offer comprehensive technical education solutions in the areas of cloud architecture, virtualization, storage, data center networking and data science. The joint education solutions from Cisco and EMC, which also incorporate courseware from VMware, will offer advanced training and certifications to help organizations acquire the skills required to successfully architect, build, and transform their IT infrastructures, adopt cloud computing, and realize the promise of big data and data science.

Explosive data growth and new transformational technologies such as cloud computing, converged infrastructure, unified networking and big data are changing the way organizations are running their businesses today. These new technologies affect not only IT systems and infrastructures, but also the practitioners that design, install, operate and manage them. New job roles are emerging that require next-generation skill sets. New skills and knowledge are needed for organizations, managers and individual end-users to maximize the benefits of these new technologies.

Key Facts/Highlights

• The education solutions will combine the latest curricula from Cisco, EMC and VMware, to offer a logically organized framework to address disciplines such as Cloud Architect, Systems Administrator, Storage, Backup and Recovery, Data Center Networking, Data Center Network Design, Systems Management, and Data Scientist.
• Learning paths will make it simple for IT managers and practitioners to create education development plans by prescribing the specific course of training required for proficiency in each discipline. For example, the Systems Administrator learning path includes the following courses: Cloud Infrastructure and Services, VMware vSphere®: Install, Configure, Manage, and Cisco Data Center Unified Computing Implementation (DCUCI). The Data Center Network Architect learning path includes the following courses: EMC Cloud Infrastructure and Services, Cisco Data Center Unified Fabric (DCUFD), and Configuring Cisco Nexus Data Center (CCNDC). Other courses include EMC's Data Science and Big Data Analytics and EMC's Information Storage and Management.
• Bundles will offer convenient, flexible and value-priced purchase options for each of the prescribed learning paths and will make it easy for users to find, purchase and consume the most appropriate courseware for their needs. Courses will also be offered individually for those who prefer an a la carte option.
• Cisco will deliver its training as instructor-led training (ILT) and EMC (or in some cases VMware) will deliver the EMC and VMware training as ILT. Select courses will be available for customer onsite instruction by either Cisco or EMC. Additionally, some EMC courseware is offered through EMC's convenient video instructor-led (VILT) training.

Supporting Quotes:

• Jeanne Beliveau-Dunn, vice president and general manager of Learning@Cisco, said: "Today's data center is composed of heterogeneous technologies, with the cloud blurring the lines between technology silos. IT organizations must cultivate new cloud architecture skills, understand how to use big data and maintain deep domain expertise with a renewed understanding of virtualization and technology convergence. With this offering Cisco and EMC are leading the way in transforming skills for the next generation of IT professionals."
  
  
• Tom Clancy, vice president of EMC Education Services, said: "EMC, Cisco and VMware are industry leaders offering best-of-breed data center and IT infrastructure technologies and services, through a strong and collaborative relationship. The education solutions Cisco and EMC are offering through this collaboration are conveniently packaged, flexible and value-priced. Our solutions will provide organizations, as well as the IT professional, a prescriptive and simple way to acquire the right skills at the right time, regardless of where they are in their journey to cloud computing, addressing big data or employing a data science strategy."
  
  
• Hatem Naguib, vice president, Alliances, VMware, said:
  "Today's IT administrators are faced with a data center environment that is continuously evolving. VMware, Cisco and EMC's education offerings will empower customers to easily and efficiently obtain the skills required to leverage new virtualization, cloud and data center technologies for the benefit of their organizations."
  
  
• David Vellante, CEO and chief analyst, The Wikibon Project, said: "Enterprises are transforming from siloed data center operations to cloud computing and converged infrastructures to improve efficiency and agility. IT pros likewise need to adapt their skills to support such modern architectures. That means new ecosystem-focused training and educational programs -- such as the new offering from Cisco, EMC and VMware -- are needed to help IT pros stay relevant and valuable to their organizations."
  

Offerings and Availability:

• Convenient education solution bundles are aligned to key IT job roles and learning paths.
• The courseware may also be purchased as traditional stand-alone training directly from Cisco and EMC.
• The education solutions will be available beginning April 2, 2012 directly from Cisco or EMC at www.cisco.com/go/ase or http://education.EMC.com/CiscoEMCVMware

Supporting Resources:

• YouTube: Advanced IT Skills Delivered by Cisco and EMC
• Additional information about Learning@Cisco programs is available at: www.ciscolearningnetwork.com
• Find authorized Cisco training with the Global Learning Locator: http://tools.cisco.com/GlobalLearningLocator/LLocatorHome.do
• More information about EMC Education Services is available at: http://education.EMC.com/CiscoEMCVMware
• More information about VMware Education Services is available at:
  http://www.vmware.com/training

Social Media Destinations:

• Twitter: www.twitter.com/learningatcisco
• Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Cisco-Career-Certifications/111552132193668
• LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/groups?mostPopular=&gid=3443017
• YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/cisco

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About Cisco
Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking that transforms how people connect, communicate and collaborate. Information about Cisco can be found at http://www.cisco.com. For ongoing news, please go to http://newsroom.cisco.com.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

EMC is a registered trademark of EMC Corporation in the United States and other countries. All other trademarks used herein are the property of their respective owners.

VMware and VMware vSphere are registered trademarks and/or trademarks of VMware, Inc. in the United States and/or other jurisdictions. The use of the word "partner" or "partnership" does not imply a legal partnership relationship between VMware and any other company.