Properly, plainly we now have arrived in a brand new period of networks, and going, did you strategy us shortly? Wasn’t it simply 5 years that we have been crusing for the “programability age”? The automation of networks, the cloud and the netdevops have been trendy, and we have been celebrating the launch of the Cisco Devnet certifications. Community engineers around the globe have been studying the enjoyment of Python, API and Ansible …
Wait… It was solely 5 years in the past … February 24, 2020, be correct. What 5 years have been …
However that is No A weblog publish on previous success tales. Is No A path via the reminiscence lane on how, as CCIES, we sail via the primary transitions within the networks. Though we should give ourselves some Credit score, we now have actually finished a job in previous transitions.
No … it is a weblog publish At the start of the following essential transition in networks. Properly, possibly this isn’t the start… And the AI is actually not only a transition within the networks, however there may be positively a path in entrance of everybody, and I’m strolling alongside this path with every one among you. So take your backpack and are available!
For these of you who have no idea me, my identify is Hank Preston, and I’m a proud Web employee Cisco Licensed Internetwork (CCIE). I obtained my ccie in routing and alter on February 25, 2013, and later turned the primary Devnet skilled licensed by Cisco Might 2, 2022.
Once I take into consideration my journey to grow to be “an skilled”, it was my ardour to grasp how issues work deeply beneath the covers of complicated techniques to observe the bundle stream (or code), having fun with the artwork of a purification manufacturing … scratch that final. 🙂
The journey to grow to be an skilled is what my boss, David Mallory, CCIe #1933, describes as “deliberate observe.” For when he’s “an skilled”, he has designed, constructed and operated lots of of various networks. You have got made so many errors, after which you have got fastened them. You have got earned information and talent via focus and time.
And when he turns into “an skilled”, he is aware of that nobody is basically “an skilled.” There may be all the time extra approach in entrance of us, new challenges and new issues to be taught. What takes us again to at the moment: How can we sail via the AI period as CCIe?
Navigate AI’s period like a ccie
Undoubtedly, he has heard statements that “synthetic intelligence means that we are going to not want CCIES.” Nonetheless, this refrain is one which we now have heard repeatedly.
Cloud was going to be the tip of the CCIE.
The outlined software program community was going to be the tip of the CCIE.
The programability was going to be the tip of the CCIE.
These are simply examples of the final 15 years. For sure, there have been statements that TCP/IP was going to be the tip of the CCIE when Appletalk, Atm, Decnet, and so on., have been trendy. So, no. AI shouldn’t be going to be the tip of the CCIES. At the very least it isn’t except AI is the tip of every little thing … however I’m attempting to be an optimistic of AI as of late.
CCIES, AI AND CISCO Reside Amsterdam 2025

Just lately I returned from Cisco Reside Emea 2025, which happened in Amsterdam. Whereas it is not going to be a shock for anybody who reads this that AI was a central concentrate on the exhibition ground, which could possibly be a shock for these of you who weren’t there was that this technical expertise, and particularly the CCIES, have been additionally An strategy throughout the week.
Through the Opening Opening, Oliver TuszikPresident of Cisco Emea, took the time to acknowledge the worth that the CCIES have each Cisco and our shoppers and companions. He even took the time to speak to 2 CCIES, Michael, who gained his CCIE in 1993, and ESAAR, who obtained his CCIE just a few months in the past in 2024.
Michael was one of many first ccies in historical past. When Oliver requested him why he continues to worth and stays a CCIe greater than 30 years laterI cherished your reply:
“(Cisco) by no means stopped instructing me about new rising applied sciences and staying on the primary know-how line.”
Thanks Michael. I could not have mentioned it higher.

There’s a extra particular Cisco Reside CCIE level that I wish to spotlight. For the primary time in Cisco Reside Emea, the CCISs that have been additionally Netvets have been invited to an unique session of Ask Me Something (AMA) with a bunch of Cisco executives, together with Chintan Patel (Cto Emea), Tim Carnes (SVP International Ses) , Matt Gillies (companion and chief architect), Phil Wolfenden (vp CX International Tac) and Oliver Tuszik (President EMEA). An identical Ama session was held for a very long time at Cisco Reside in america. Oliver communicated particularly with studying and certifications and Cisco Reside EMEA groups to arrange the occasion for CCIES in EMEA.
These classes are actually “ask me something”, and the current CCIS didn’t cease. A CCIE requested Phil how he and the group of the Cisco Technical Help Middle (CT) have been making ready for AI transition. Did you continue to see the necessity for CCIES in your personal group? The session shouldn’t be recorded, so I can not give Phil’s precise reply, however the essence was emphatic:
“CCIS are completely crucial. Like automation, AI is turning into superb to deal with routine, frequent issues and issues. However due to the character of how AI is skilled, new, distinctive or complicated issues require human expertise, creativity and ingenuity. There are and all the time there’s a nice worth positioned in CCIES throughout the Cisco Tac and CX group “.
I completely agree with Phil right here.
On the trail of AI with studying and certifications
For 32 years, the training and certifications has been strolling alongside the trail of the evolution of the community with every one among us. And as new applied sciences are born, the CCIE program and the sources for CCIS have advanced alongside the way in which. As a member of the Studying and Certifications group, I can let you know that we now have all palms on the deck to help and navigate our entrance to the Age of the Truthful by your aspect.
I cannot let you know that we now have all of the solutions or that we all know what obstacles we’ll face all through the journey. That will not be sincere. Issues are altering shortly, and I haven’t got a glass ball. However as we did not too long ago with the automation of networks and programability, as a group, we’ll immerse ourselves in AI, constructing our expertise in a stable deliberate observe, technical studying, share with one another and repair so many errors and errors. There could also be some purification on the highway too.
The largest place in which you’ll see how we take the AI contained in the CCIE program The addition of AI infrastructure as a brand new space of expertise in CCDE certification. The infrastructure design required to confess Genai workloads and information facilities implies distinctive community, security and calculation issues. Organizations in every geography and vertical are investing in AI, and having specialists able to serving to them shortly design and making this funding is a important impediment. The certification group moved shortly to grasp these challenges and take them to the CCDE and the group.
However how do you “be taught” these abilities? Our technical coaching group has been working so exhausting and quick to assist there too, and the brand new Cisco U. AI Options of Studying Route in Cisco Infrastructure Necessities (DCAIE) It has been launched. Even higher, Dcaie’s studying route is offered totally free till March 24, 2025, as a part of our present Accelerating to recount program. Benefit from this new studying of AI and win 34 persevering with training credit whereas doing it!
Resert revolutions: ai
AI Options in Cisco Necessities Infrastructure | DCAIE
Study and win 34 CE credit (at 34 hours) Free, February 7 – March 24, 2025
Along with the brand new DCAIE studying route, there are Many free AI tutorials and different content material accessible on Cisco U.
A extra wonderful (and free) choice accessible to start out with synthetic intelligence is the Introduction to the Cisco Networking Academy Fashionable Course. Don’t permit the situation “Netacad” to disregard this useful resource. This course gives a superb introduction, with sensible workout routines to be taught key ideas of AI and create some fundamental purposes enabled for AI. Develop confidence in only a few hours, and have enjoyable while you’re in that.
There might be far more to come back within the close to way forward for me and the training group and certifications. Personally, I’m anxious for subsequent yr after I return to high school myself, studying and absorbing every little thing I can about AI. And you may ensure that I might be near extra blogs, movies, reside broadcasts and conferences, sharing with every one among you. Let’s take pleasure in the way in which collectively!

Enroll in Cisco U. | Be a part of theCisco studying community.
Observe Cisco Studying & certifications
unknown |Rags| Fb|LinkedIn|Instagram|YouTube
Put on #Ciscou and#CiscortTo hitch the dialog.
Cisco Studying promotes the preparation of AI with AI Studying Journey and new certifications
Cisco helps to construct an AI workforce with certification of latest abilities
Share: