5/6/2003 -- Tomorrow Cisco Systems will launch a pilot version of a new exclusive Web site for its certified professionals.

Only those holding a Cisco certification will be allowed to access the community portal, hosted at http://www.cisco.com/go/certcommunity.

The portal will provide an interactive forum for people to network online with Cisco subject matter experts, employees, partners, resellers and other certified professionals, said Nader Nanjiani, marketing programs manager, Cisco Internet Learning Solutions Group (ILSG).

Don Field, senior manager, ISLG, Cisco Systems, said the genesis of the site comes from feedback in and outside of the community asking for "a greater flow of information and greater connection with what we're doing currently at Cisco."

Cisco Pros Only: Tomorrow Cisco will officially launch this Web portal for its certified community (click on graphic for larger version).

"Besides offering practical advice on networking to Cisco certified individuals, the certification community portal will allow Cisco certified individuals to share knowledge - perhaps one of the best ways to learn," Field continued.

"Cisco has a strong group of advocates that have made an investment in their learning with Cisco," commented Nanjiani. "It makes sense to provide them with a program that provides them with lifelong learning."

Current sections of the portal include:

• Home Page -- News and information about program updates, plus links to other areas of the site. According to Nanjiani, certification news items presented here may be more in-depth than those published on the general certification section of the Cisco Web site.
• Career Certifications and Certification Programs -- Links to discussion forum threads for certified professionals. Initial threads consist of questions and answers about recent program changes, moving beyond the CCNA, and security and specialist credentials.
• Learning Programs -- Tools for finding out about Cisco authorized training and locating training partners and information on how one class might differ from another. Also provides links to short videos on certification topics as well as quizzes and prize giveaways from Cisco Press.
• Networking Know-How -- Links to articles posted on the Cisco site and culled from Cisco resources such as the Technical Assistance Center, Packet Magazine and IP Journal.

More content will be added as the pilot progresses. "We look forward to feedback from the site's users as we develop and enhance this new benefit," said Field.

The final version of the site will launch sometime this fall, Nanjiani said.

To participate in the forums, candidates are required to use their Cisco ID to sign in. Those with a Cisco ID who are also certified will be given access, Nanjiani said.

For more information on the pilot or to obtain a Cisco ID, click on the link above. -D.S.