Many vendor and industry technical certifications—such as the Microsoft
Certified Systems Engineer and the Cisco Certified Network Professional—reflect
a person’s mastery of technical domains, but not necessarily the mastery of
technology in a business and design context.
Today, Cisco unveils its newest and most advanced certification, the Cisco
Certified Architect, a designation Cisco dubs “a master’s degree” in technology
design. Rather than focusing on an individual’s ability to install, manage and
troubleshoot specific pieces of technology, the Certified Architect is more
about a person’s ability to put technology in a business context that produces
maximum efficiency and highest return on investment.
“For a channel partner, those who have a certified architect will have the
ability to deal with the technical challenges of their clients, and will gain
the credibility when dealing with potential customers,” says Fred Weller,
director of product marketing at Cisco Education, the division that oversees
the vendor’s technical training curriculum and certifications.
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Unlike certifications such as the Cisco Certified Security Professional or
Cisco Certified Internetwork Professional, the Certified Architect
certification will have no training program and no formal test. Rather,
individuals will have to apply for credential, complete a rigorous design
project and appear before an expert review board of Cisco and industry
professionals.
The process is very much like a Ph.D dissertation project. Once an applicant
submits his credentials to the board and is admitted to the program, he or she will
be given a design challenge. The challenge will require the applicant to design
an integrated system that meets specific operational, budget and business
goals. The applicant will have to present the design to the board and defend
his choice. The board will award or reject the applicant based on the submitted
materials and the quality of the presentation.
Cisco believes the process will take applicants six to eight months to
complete, and cost approximately $15,000.
“It’s a significant commitment by the individual and their supporting
organization,” says Weller. “There’s going to be very few of these people in
the market. Those who have the certification are going to have an edge in
credibility when dealing with large projects.”
The Certified Architect credential puts tremendous emphasis on putting
technology into a business context, meaning that systems are designed to meet
business needs and goals. Cisco believes this is necessary because, according
to its research, businesses will waste more than $100 billion over the next
five years on poorly designed IT systems.
Assuming that senior systems architects will need to interact with senior
enterprise executives and boards of directors, Cisco is making communication
skills a major component of the Certified Architect requirements. Applicants
will be judge on the quality and finesse of their presentation skills when they
present their projects to the review board.
Cisco expects to begin accepting applications for the Certified Architect
credential this summer and hold the first review board meeting in the first
quarter of 2010.
