Cisco, EMC, VMware Training Aims to ‘Build Thought Leaders’
April 19, 2012
As cloud computing demand explodes, Cisco, EMC and VMware have joined forces to teach IT professionals how to become experts in cloud architecture, and data center and virtualization technologies. And while the training was not created specifically for the channel, resellers, managed services providers and other partners keen to earn cloud certifications still may take advantage of the curricula.
The goal is to "build thought leaders," said Alok Shrivastava, director of education services for EMC, which makes storage hardware. For that to happen, companies, including channel partner businesses, need to understand their role in the cloud, he said. To that point, he said Cisco, EMC and VMware have consolidated what they have learned – and what would take individual companies almost two years to research for themselves – into about three weeks’ worth of learning…
"At the very least, this will help an entire transformation," Shrivastava said of the training debuted earlier this month.
The platform contains seven modules: cloud architecture, systems, storage, backup/recovery, data center networking, data center design and management. You can learn about one or two topics, or all of them. Training takes place either in person or online, depending on whether there’s a group enrolled, or just one or two people; the modality also depends on which company (Cisco, EMC or VMware) is delivering the program. For example, some EMC courses are held in person while others are taught over the web.
Pricing also varies but expect to pay about $4,000 per person.
Overall, while the training was not created solely for partners, those who want to be involved will bring new value to their businesses, said Anthony Bryant, director of learning services for Learning@Cisco. "Partners moving into cloud-based services … can definitely take advantage of this training and quickly enable their organizations to focus on managed services," he said.