Nicely, evidently now we have arrived in a brand new period of networking, and boy, did it come up on us rapidly. Wasn’t it simply 5 years in the past we had been navigating the “Programmability Age?” Community automation, cloud, and NetDevOps had been all the craze, and we had been celebrating the launch of the Cisco DevNet Certifications. Community engineers all over the world had been studying the enjoyment of Python, APIs, and Ansible…
Wait… it was simply 5 years in the past… February 24, 2020, to be precise. What a 5 years it has been…
However that is not a weblog submit about previous success tales. It’s not a stroll down reminiscence lane about how, as CCIEs, we navigated main transitions in networking. Although we must always give ourselves some credit score, we actually have carried out a bang-up job in previous transitions.
No… this can be a weblog submit initially of the subsequent main transition in networking. Okay, possibly this isn’t THE begin… and AI is actually not only a transition in networking, however there may be undoubtedly a street in entrance of us all, and I’m strolling this street with each one in all you. So seize your knapsack, and let’s go!
For these of you who may not know me, my identify is Hank Preston, and I’m a proud Cisco Licensed Internetwork Skilled (CCIE). I earned my CCIE in Routing and Switching on February 25, 2013, and later turned the primary Cisco Licensed DevNet Skilled on Might 2, 2022.
Once I suppose again on my journey to grow to be “an skilled,” it was my ardour for understanding how issues work, diving deep beneath the covers of complicated programs to comply with the packet (or code) movement, having fun with the artistry of a debug output… Scratch that final one. 🙂
The journey to changing into an skilled is all about what my boss, David Mallory, CCIE #1933, describes as “deliberate follow.” By the point you’re “an skilled,” you could have designed, constructed, and operated a whole bunch of various networks. You’ve got made so many errors—after which mounted them. You’ve got earned the data and talent by focus and time.
And while you grow to be “an skilled,” you realize that nobody really is “an skilled.” There may be at all times extra street in entrance of us, new challenges, and new issues to be taught. Which brings us again to in the present day’s subject: How can we navigate the AI period as a CCIE?
Navigating the AI period as a CCIE
Little doubt you’ve heard claims that “synthetic intelligence means we gained’t want CCIEs anymore.” Nonetheless, this chorus is one we’ve heard time and time once more.
Cloud was going to be the tip of the CCIE.
Software program Outlined Networking was going to be the tip of the CCIE.
Programmability was going to be the tip of the CCIE.
These are simply examples from the final 15 years. Little doubt there have been claims that TCP/IP was going to be the tip of the CCIE again when AppleTalk, ATM, DecNet, and so forth., had been all the craze. So, no. AI just isn’t going to be the tip of CCIEs. Not less than it’s not until AI is the tip of all the pieces… however I’m making an attempt to be an AI optimist lately.
CCIEs, AI, and Cisco Reside Amsterdam 2025
I not too long ago returned from Cisco Reside EMEA 2025, which happened in Amsterdam. Whereas it gained’t be a shock to anybody studying this that AI was a central focus throughout the present flooring, what is perhaps a shock to these of you who weren’t there was that technical experience—and particularly CCIEs—was additionally a spotlight in the course of the week.
Through the opening keynote, Oliver Tuszik, President of Cisco EMEA, took time to acknowledge the worth CCIEs must each Cisco and our clients and companions. He even took time to speak to 2 CCIEs, Michael, who earned his CCIE in 1993, and Esar, who earned his CCIE just some months in the past in 2024.
Michael was one of many first CCIEs ever. When Oliver requested him why he continues to worth and stay a CCIE over 30 years later, I beloved his reply:
“[Cisco] by no means stopped instructing me about new rising applied sciences and protecting me within the entrance line of expertise.”
Thanks, Michael. I couldn’t have mentioned it higher myself.
There may be yet another CCIE-specific spotlight from Cisco Reside that I wish to spotlight. For the primary time at Cisco Reside EMEA, CCIEs who had been additionally NetVets had been invited to an unique Ask Me Something (AMA) Session with a bunch of Cisco Executives, together with Chintan Patel (CTO EMEA), Tim Carnes (SVP World SEs), Matt Gillies (Fellow and Chief Architect), Phil Wolfenden (VP CX World TAC), and Oliver Tuszik (President EMEA). An analogous AMA session has lengthy been held at Cisco Reside within the US. Oliver particularly reached out to the Studying & Certifications and Cisco Reside EMEA groups to arrange the occasion for CCIEs in EMEA.
These classes really are “ask me something,” and the CCIEs in attendance didn’t maintain again. A CCIE requested Phil how he and the Cisco Technical Help Middle (TAC) group had been getting ready for the AI transition. Did they nonetheless see a necessity for CCIEs on their very own group? The session isn’t recorded, so I can’t give Phil’s precise reply, however the gist was emphatic:
“CCIEs are completely nonetheless wanted. Like automation, AI is changing into excellent at tackling routine, widespread points and issues. However by the character of how AI is skilled, issues which might be new, distinctive, or complicated require human experience, creativity, and ingenuity. There may be and at all times be an enormous worth positioned on CCIEs inside the Cisco TAC and CX group.”
I completely agree with Phil right here.
On the AI street with Studying & Certifications
For 32 years, the Studying & Certifications group has been strolling the street of community evolution with each one in all us. And as new applied sciences are born, the CCIE program and sources for CCIEs have developed alongside the way in which. As a member of the Studying & Certifications group, I can inform you now we have all fingers on deck to assist and navigate our entrance into the AI period proper alongside you.
I gained’t inform you that now we have all of the solutions or that we all know what obstacles we’ll face alongside the journey. That wouldn’t be sincere. Issues are altering quick, and I haven’t bought a crystal ball. However like we very not too long ago did with community automation and programmability, as a neighborhood, we are going to dive into AI, constructing our experience on a strong basis of deliberate follow, technical studying, sharing with one another, and fixing so many errors and errors. There is perhaps just a few debugs alongside the way in which as properly.
The largest place you may see how we’re taking AI critically inside the CCIE program is the addition of AI Infrastructure as a brand new space of experience within the CCDE certification. Designing the infrastructure required to assist GenAI workloads and knowledge facilities entails distinctive community, safety, and compute concerns. Organizations in each geography and vertical are investing in AI, and having consultants able to serving to them quickly design and make this funding is a vital hurdle. The certification group moved quick to know these challenges and convey them to the CCDE and the neighborhood.
However how do you “be taught” these abilities? Our technical coaching group has been working simply as laborious and quick to assist there as properly, and the brand new Cisco U. Studying Path AI Options on Cisco Infrastructure Necessities (DCAIE) has been launched. Even higher, the DCAIE Studying Path is on the market FOR FREE till March 24, 2025, as a part of our ongoing Rev As much as Recert program. Benefit from this brand-new AI studying and earn 34 Persevering with Training credit if you are at it!
Rev As much as Recert: AI
AI Options on Cisco Infrastructure Necessities | DCAIE
Be taught and earn 34 CE credit (in 34 hours) without spending a dime, February 7 – March 24, 2025
Along with the brand new DCAIE Studying Path, there are a number of free AI tutorials and different content material out there on Cisco U.
Another nice (and free) choice out there to get began with Synthetic Intelligence is the Introduction to Fashionable AI course from Cisco Networking Academy. Don’t let the “NetAcad” location make you overlook this useful resource. This course supplies a wonderful introduction, with hands-on workouts to be taught key AI ideas and create some fundamental AI-enabled functions. Construct confidence in just some hours—and have enjoyable if you are at it.
There might be far more to return within the close to future from myself and the Studying & Certifications group. I’m personally trying ahead to the subsequent 12 months as I return to highschool myself, studying and absorbing all the pieces I can about AI. And you’ll ensure I’ll be round in additional blogs, movies, stay streams, and conferences, sharing with each one in all you. Let’s benefit from the street collectively!
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