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Introduction

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Cisco has since become an unrivaled worldwide leader in networking for

the Internet. Its networking solutions can easily connect users who work
from diverse devices on disparate networks. Cisco products make it simple
for people to access and transfer information without regard to differences
in time, place, or platform.

In the big picture, Cisco provides end-to-end networking solutions that

customers can use to build an efficient, unified information infrastructure of
their own or to connect to someone else's. This is an important piece in the
Internet/networking-industry puzzle because a common architecture that
delivers consistent network services to all users is now a functional impera-
tive. Because Cisco offers such a broad range of networking and Internet ser-
vices and capabilities, users who need to access their local network or the
Internet regularly can do so unhindered, making Cisco's wares indispensable.

Cisco answers this need with a wide range of hardware products that

form information networks using the Cisco Internetwork Operating System
(IOS) software. This software provides network services, paving the way for
networked technical support and professional services to maintain and opti-
mize all network operations.

Along with the Cisco IOS, one of the services Cisco created to help sup-

port the vast amount of hardware it has engineered is the Cisco Certified
Internetwork Expert (CCIE) program, which was designed specifically to
equip people to effectively manage the vast quantity of installed Cisco net-
works. The business plan is simple: If you want to sell more Cisco equipment
and install more Cisco networks, ensure that the networks you install run
properly.

However, having a fabulous product line isn't all it takes to guarantee the

huge success that Cisco enjoys--lots of companies with great products are
now defunct. If you have complicated products designed to solve compli-
cated problems, you need knowledgeable people who are fully capable of
installing, managing, and troubleshooting them. That part isn't easy, so
Cisco began the CCIE program to equip people to support these complicated
networks. This program, known colloquially as the Doctorate of Network-
ing, has also been successful, primarily due to its extreme difficulty. Cisco
continuously monitors the CCIE program, changing it as it sees fit, to make
sure that it remains pertinent and accurately reflects the demands of today's
internetworking business environments.

Building upon the highly successful CCIE program, Cisco Career Certifi-

cations permit you to become certified at various levels of technical profi-
ciency, spanning the disciplines of network design and support. So whether

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