Building Professional Skills for the Internet of Things

In my conversations with our customers and partners, one of most frequent topics is the need of aligning the skills of the Operational Technology (OT) and Information Technology (IT) professionals to the new capabilities offered by Internet of Things (IoT) related technologies and solutions, and the changing conditions and demands of the business.

There is plenty of training in the market about configuring and maintaining all the new smart objects that are coming to the market. But the specific nature of these devices radically changes the way the essential infrastructure that is needed to interconnect them should be planned, designed, deployed and maintained. These are not traditional networks.

The IoT network infrastructure for all these new “things” has to deal with several new challenges. For one, IoT devices are not traditional computing devices. There are literally hundreds of different protocols used by these devices.  They may have very specific needs in terms of speed and frequency of connectivity.  Many of them are super susceptible to changes in delay and latency, some of them connect intermittently, while some others just come in range from time to time.  Many operate 24×7 under the harshest conditions, and a lot of them where designed to operate in hierarchical and closed loop networks.

But with the IoT the opportunity of driving convergence and even some degree of standardization will deliver huge efficiency gains, and will enable better automation and increased visibility and control. Building these new networks can be a lot of fun, and they will certainly enable new business models, but it will not be easy without the appropriate knowledge and skills.

This is why I was very happy to see that Cisco has announced the availability of our first Industrial Networking Certification. The course is a result of our partnership with Rockwell Automation and will be offered through Cisco and Rockwell. This certification is part of a larger training and certification announcement from Cisco Learning Network. This as an investment that both companies are making to advance the Internet of Things, and to open new opportunities for professionals both in IT and OT that want to deliver more value for their companies in this new age.

The Cisco Industrial Networking Specialist certification is for IT and OT professionals in the manufacturing, process control, and oil and gas industries who install, maintain, and troubleshoot industrial network systems. This certification ensures candidates have the foundational skills to provide network availability, reliability, and cybersecurity within an industrial network and company. Unlike other industrial networking programs, this certification tests hands-on skills through simulations as well as testing theoretical knowledge. This approach ensures that candidates are ready for real-world implementations.

So I am calling all IT and OT professionals with a passion for innovation and a desire to grow and develop their skills, and become an active participant on the new stage of the evolution of the Internet. Go to  Cisco Industrial Networking Specialist certification and learn more about this training.

And before I forget, Cisco will be hosting the 2nd annual Internet of Things World Forum in Chicago this October. This executive event is bringing together thought leaders from the industry, government and academia to discuss and share what we all are doing to foster the growth and development for the IoT. Join us!