Effectively, evidently we have now arrived in a brand new period of networking, and boy, did it come up on us shortly. Wasn’t it simply 5 years in the past we had been navigating the “Programmability Age?” Community automation, cloud, and NetDevOps had been all the fashion, and we had been celebrating the launch of the Cisco DevNet Certifications. Community engineers all over the world had been studying the enjoyment of Python, APIs, and Ansible…
Wait… it was simply 5 years in the past… February 24, 2020, to be precise. What a 5 years it has been…
However that is not a weblog publish about previous success tales. It’s not a stroll down reminiscence lane about how, as CCIEs, we navigated main transitions in networking. Although we must always give ourselves some credit score, we actually have completed a bang-up job in previous transitions.
No… it is a weblog publish initially of the following main transition in networking. Okay, possibly this isn’t THE begin… and AI is actually not only a transition in networking, however there may be positively a street in entrance of us all, and I’m strolling this street with every one in all you. So seize your knapsack, and let’s go!
For these of you who won’t know me, my title is Hank Preston, and I’m a proud Cisco Licensed Internetwork Professional (CCIE). I earned my CCIE in Routing and Switching on February 25, 2013, and later grew to become the primary Cisco Licensed DevNet Professional on Might 2, 2022.
Once I assume again on my journey to turn out to be “an skilled,” it was my ardour for understanding how issues work, diving deep underneath the covers of advanced programs to comply with the packet (or code) move, having fun with the artistry of a debug output… Scratch that final one. 🙂
The journey to changing into an skilled is all about what my boss, David Mallory, CCIE #1933, describes as “deliberate observe.” By the point you might be “an skilled,” you might have designed, constructed, and operated tons of of various networks. You’ve got made so many errors—after which mounted them. You’ve got earned the information and ability by focus and time.
And if you turn out to be “an skilled,” you realize that nobody actually is “an skilled.” There may be at all times extra street in entrance of us, new challenges, and new issues to be taught. Which brings us again to immediately’s matter: How will we navigate the AI period as a CCIE?
Navigating the AI period as a CCIE
Little doubt you’ve heard claims that “synthetic intelligence means we gained’t want CCIEs anymore.” Nevertheless, this chorus is one we’ve heard time and time once more.
Cloud was going to be the top of the CCIE.
Software program Outlined Networking was going to be the top of the CCIE.
Programmability was going to be the top of the CCIE.
These are simply examples from the final 15 years. Little doubt there have been claims that TCP/IP was going to be the top of the CCIE again when AppleTalk, ATM, DecNet, and many others., had been all the fashion. So, no. AI isn’t going to be the top of CCIEs. At the least it’s not except AI is the top of every thing… however I’m making an attempt to be an AI optimist as of late.
CCIEs, AI, and Cisco Dwell Amsterdam 2025
I not too long ago returned from Cisco Dwell EMEA 2025, which occurred in Amsterdam. Whereas it gained’t be a shock to anybody studying this that AI was a central focus throughout the present flooring, what is perhaps a shock to these of you who weren’t there was that technical experience—and particularly CCIEs—was additionally a spotlight in the course of the week.
In the course of the opening keynote, Oliver Tuszik, President of Cisco EMEA, took time to acknowledge the worth CCIEs need to each Cisco and our clients and companions. He even took time to speak to 2 CCIEs, Michael, who earned his CCIE in 1993, and Esar, who earned his CCIE just some months in the past in 2024.
Michael was one of many first CCIEs ever. When Oliver requested him why he continues to worth and stay a CCIE over 30 years later, I liked his reply:
“[Cisco] by no means stopped educating me about new rising applied sciences and preserving me within the entrance line of know-how.”
Thanks, Michael. I couldn’t have stated it higher myself.
There may be yet one more CCIE-specific spotlight from Cisco Dwell that I need to spotlight. For the primary time at Cisco Dwell EMEA, CCIEs who had been additionally NetVets had been invited to an unique Ask Me Something (AMA) Session with a bunch of Cisco Executives, together with Chintan Patel (CTO EMEA), Tim Carnes (SVP International SEs), Matt Gillies (Fellow and Chief Architect), Phil Wolfenden (VP CX International TAC), and Oliver Tuszik (President EMEA). The same AMA session has lengthy been held at Cisco Dwell within the US. Oliver particularly reached out to the Studying & Certifications and Cisco Dwell EMEA groups to arrange the occasion for CCIEs in EMEA.
These classes actually are “ask me something,” and the CCIEs in attendance didn’t maintain again. A CCIE requested Phil how he and the Cisco Technical Help Middle (TAC) group had been getting ready for the AI transition. Did they nonetheless see a necessity for CCIEs on their very own workforce? The session isn’t recorded, so I can’t give Phil’s precise reply, however the gist was emphatic:
“CCIEs are completely nonetheless wanted. Like automation, AI is changing into excellent at tackling routine, widespread points and issues. However by the character of how AI is educated, issues which can be new, distinctive, or advanced require human experience, creativity, and ingenuity. There may be and at all times be an enormous worth positioned on CCIEs throughout the Cisco TAC and CX group.”
I completely agree with Phil right here.
On the AI street with Studying & Certifications
For 32 years, the Studying & Certifications workforce has been strolling the street of community evolution with every one in all us. And as new applied sciences are born, the CCIE program and assets for CCIEs have advanced alongside the best way. As a member of the Studying & Certifications workforce, I can inform you we have now all palms on deck to assist and navigate our entrance into the AI period proper alongside you.
I gained’t inform you that we have now all of the solutions or that we all know what obstacles we’ll face alongside the journey. That wouldn’t be trustworthy. Issues are altering quick, and I haven’t obtained a crystal ball. However like we very not too long ago did with community automation and programmability, as a neighborhood, we are going to dive into AI, constructing our experience on a stable basis of deliberate observe, technical studying, sharing with one another, and fixing so many errors and errors. There is perhaps a couple of debugs alongside the best way as properly.
The most important place you possibly can see how we’re taking AI critically throughout the CCIE program is the addition of AI Infrastructure as a brand new space of experience within the CCDE certification. Designing the infrastructure required to assist GenAI workloads and knowledge facilities entails distinctive community, safety, and compute concerns. Organizations in each geography and vertical are investing in AI, and having consultants able to serving to them quickly design and make this funding is a crucial hurdle. The certification workforce moved quick to grasp these challenges and produce them to the CCDE and the neighborhood.
However how do you “be taught” these abilities? Our technical coaching workforce has been working simply as onerous and quick to assist there as properly, and the brand new Cisco U. Studying Path AI Options on Cisco Infrastructure Necessities (DCAIE) has been launched. Even higher, the DCAIE Studying Path is offered FOR FREE till March 24, 2025, as a part of our ongoing Rev As much as Recert program. Benefit from this brand-new AI studying and earn 34 Persevering with Training credit while you’re at it!
Rev As much as Recert: AI
AI Options on Cisco Infrastructure Necessities | DCAIE
Be taught and earn 34 CE credit (in 34 hours) without spending a dime, February 7 – March 24, 2025
Along with the brand new DCAIE Studying Path, there are a lot of free AI tutorials and different content material accessible on Cisco U.
Yet one more nice (and free) possibility accessible to get began with Synthetic Intelligence is the Introduction to Fashionable AI course from Cisco Networking Academy. Don’t let the “NetAcad” location make you overlook this useful resource. This course offers a wonderful introduction, with hands-on workouts to be taught key AI ideas and create some fundamental AI-enabled functions. Construct confidence in just some hours—and have enjoyable while you’re at it.
There will probably be far more to come back within the close to future from myself and the Studying & Certifications workforce. I’m personally trying ahead to the following yr as I return to highschool myself, studying and absorbing every thing I can about AI. And you’ll be certain I’ll be round in additional blogs, movies, reside streams, and conferences, sharing with every one in all you. Let’s benefit from the street collectively!
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