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

Superior Unibyte GmbH (AU), primarily based in Metzingen, Germany, has taken the drive for excellence and profession progress to new ranges with a staff strategy to certification. They’ve studied, practiced, and examined as a staff for a number of CCIE certifications to contribute to the corporate’s success and their very own staff achievements. This staff effort paid off, successful the corporate Cisco Gold Companion 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 heart options, in addition to cloud and managed providers. With experience in knowledge safety and availability, they develop new, custom-made options to drive prospects’ 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 staff of engineers and answer architects that preserve the infrastructure of their cloud knowledge heart, it’s essential for his or her technical information to remain up to date.

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

However why CCIE certification? With 30 years underneath its belt, the CCIE certification has reached fairly the standing stage, as tech certifications go. Whereas the time it takes to earn this cert will depend on ability stage, dedication, and examine hours per week, getting ready for the CCIE lab examination usually takes one to 2 years. Be taught extra in regards to the .

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

We’ve come a good distance because the CCIE of 1993

Since its inception on Sept. 27, 1993, the Cisco Licensed Internetwork Professional (CCIE) certification has advanced from a two-day check wherein 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 eventualities.

As we speak, 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 checks complete abilities throughout your complete spectrum of community options.

As we speak’s CCIE certification is accepted worldwide as probably the most prestigious networking certification within the business. And now, you’ll be able to keep forward of the most recent examination expertise 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.

Workforce achievement results in Gold Companion standing

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

The staff constructed labs for putting in cert merchandise after which examined on the merchandise they offered.

“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 stated. For the part on fiber channel zoning on the CCNP Information Heart expertise core examination, the staff thought-about totally different challenges and created their very own zones.  

“Doing it collectively was simpler as a result of if one among us was disenchanted that he didn’t cross 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 stated. “I talked to different CCIE guys who did this on their very own, and it’s fairly arduous. You must work after hours and on weekends. You don’t have anybody to speak to who’s in the identical state of affairs. It’s simply not the identical since you don’t obtain collectively.”

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

It’s clear that Körner agrees. “Having a skilled staff has made all of the distinction in our success in attaining Cisco Gold Companion,” he stated. “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 aim.”

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

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

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