Cisco Debuts Updated CCNA Routing & Switching Certification

Cisco Systems (CSCO) has made several key changes to its longstanding CCNA Routing & Switching certification, including the addition of basic information for programmable networks and a heavier focus on the relationship between virtualized and cloud services.

The new version of the CCNA certification also includes a section on Quality of Service (QoS) principles and applicability as well as a greater emphasis on IPv6 and basic network security, according to Cisco.

“Technology will pass you by, and quickly, if you don’t have the needed skills,” the company said in a blog post. “The revised CCNA certification provides you with industry-recognized skills for today and the future and will give you the knowledge and tools needed to evolve the network.”

All of the changes are meant to help network engineers meet modern industry standards and address the evolution of the skills needed to work as an engineer in enterprise IT. Cisco said the changes are especially pertinent as demand for professionals with network administration skills increases over the next several years.

Cisco has made similar updates to its training and certification programs in the past, including the introduction of a new framework at the expert CCIE level that debuted in November.