How IT Training Is Evolving to Address New Tech
New certification and education programs are essential for addressing emerging technologies–including IoT, converged infrastructure and SDN.
New CompTIA A+ 900 exams reflect IT professionals’ changing responsibilities in security, networking, operating systems, IT operations, troubleshooting and technical support. They cover the basics of cloud computing, virtualization, desktop imaging and deployment.
The MSPAlliance enhanced its MSP/Cloud Verify Program (MSPCV) for cloud computing and managed service providers (MSPs). The update includes improvements related to MSP responses to ransomware and other cyber-security attacks on client systems.
The Open Networking Foundation (ONF) forged a partnership with ITpreneurs to launch entry-level SDN certification testing. As part of the ONF-Certified SDN Professional (OCSP) program, the ONF-Certified SDN Associate Certification provides a foundation of vendor-neutral knowledge and skills validation, which complements vendor-specific certifications in SDN.
Cisco has updated its certification portfolio to align with evolving industry job roles around emerging technology and business insights including IoT, cloud, SDN, security, big data and network programmability.
Barracuda Networks added new training courses and Public Cloud Certification to enable partners to deploy its security solutions on Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web Services and VMware vCloud Air.
Juniper Networks developed a network design and training and certification program to meet changing network demands, covering SDN and network-functions virtualization (NFV). Three levels of certifications are available: design associate, specialist and professional.
CyberVista is launching to offer education and workforce development programs for both executives and practitioners. The initial product offering will provide executives with an understanding of cyber issues and the tools to manage those risks. A cyber-security certification preparation program for practitioners and IT pros is planned.
Aimed at helping drive partner growth, Avnet’s top technical education courses cover big data and analytics, cloud, converged infrastructure, IoT, mobility, networking and security. Additionally, Avnet recently acquired certified IT training company, ExitCertified, to boost its education business.
ISACA’s Cybersecurity Nexus offers a vendor-neutral CSX Practitioner (CSXP) Certification. Candidates must pass an exam in an adaptive, performance-based laboratory environment. In addition, ISACA’s Cybersecurity Nexus has two new free tools to help security professionals develop their CSX career road map.
ISACA updated the Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) exam to better reflect new job requirements. The revised job practice will be effective starting with the June 2016 CISA exam.
GIAC (Global Information Insurance Certification), a developer of cyber-security certifications, launched a new certification for Continuous Monitoring. The GMON certification targets architects, engineers, analysts and managers.
VMware revamped its certification road map when it moved from Version 5 to Version 6. The new SDN track includes data center virtualization, cloud management and automation, and network virtualization, while the desktop road map now includes mobility.
The OpenStack Foundation launched a professional certification program for OpenStack Cloud administrators. The virtual Certified OpenStack Administrator (COA) test will be available anywhere in the world.
Red Hat added two engineer-level training and certification offerings—Red Hat Certified Engineer (RHCE) in Red Hat OpenStack and Red Hat OpenStack Administration III (CL310)—designed to help organizations meet demand for Red-Hat distributed OpenStack Clouds.