When the IT industry is going through dramatic changes, virtualization and cloud computing taking over the industry, hardware is increasingly driven by programming- the question has arisen whether routing and switching hardware will exist in future! The answer is, whatever changes may come, something has to connect the devices physically. Therefore, the foundation of networking will remain the same!
Cisco Systems Inc. is a technology conglomerate best known as the manufacturer and vendor of networking equipments and telecommunications hardware. Sandy Lerner and Len Bosack developed Cisco’s first product the AGS router in 1984. They chose the name of their company ‘Cisco’ from San Francisco city. Cisco pioneered the concept of local area network (LAN) which means connecting geographically incongruent computers over a multiprotocol router system. Cisco produces one the best Routers and Switches which are used by hundreds of thousands of companies across the globe. Cisco not only provides an end-to-end network but also specializes in Internet of Things (IoT), domain security, software related services, Internet Protocol (IP) based networking, home networking, optical networking, energy management etc.
The combination of innovation, loyalty, technical expertise, and financial stability has earned Cisco its global position as a leader. Cisco engineering has been considered a desirable career, where candidates are hardest to find. Over the past few year technology has grown radically, networks have become increasingly complicated, and there is acute demand for skilled networking professionals.
Companies are seeking network engineers to design building layout, check security and budget of network design, outline LAN/WAN, and establish hubs/bridges/routers. Network engineers are required to ensure communication and resource sharing such as computers, printers, Internet connections within the office. They work with users, clients, technical staff and vendors to maintain networks.
Cisco has own academy as an initiative aimed to create a pool of skilled networking specialists. The Cisco Networking Academy offers wide range of certification for network engineering jobs that literally create employment opportunities worldwide. So if you want to start your network engineering journey you may consider doing Cisco courses.
The Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA Industrial) certification is highly remanded in the manufacturing, process control, and oil and gas industries. CCNA is a prerequisite to the deeper certifications like CCNP and CCIE. Someone can start by learning the basics of IP routing and LAN switching, and gradually move to Security, Voice, Wireless, Service Provider, Digital Transformation, Data Center, Cloud, etc.
The average salary for Cisco related jobs is $101,508 per year for experienced professionals. Entry level positions start at $53,000 to 61,000 while most experienced workers make more than $120,000.
Well, certification is not the end, rather the beginning of the journey of a network engineer. During the career path a network engineer must keep up to date with continuous technological changes and have to adopt the changes wisely.
So the bottom line is, let the technology advance at a rocket speed but as long as there is a requirement for transferring the data from a source to distribution, networking is mandatory!