Well, evidently we’ve got 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?” Network automation, cloud, and NetDevOps had been all the fashion, and we had been celebrating the launch of the Cisco DevNet Certifications. Network 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…
But that is not a weblog submit about previous success tales. It is not a stroll down reminiscence lane about how, as CCIEs, we navigated main transitions in networking. Though we should always give ourselves some credit score, we actually have accomplished a bang-up job in previous transitions.
No… it is a weblog submit in the beginning of the subsequent main transition in networking. Okay, perhaps this isn’t THE begin… and AI is definitely not only a transition in networking, however there’s positively a highway in entrance of us all, and I’m strolling this highway with each one in every of 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 Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE). I earned my CCIE in Routing and Switching on February 25, 2013, and later grew to become the primary Cisco Certified DevNet Expert on May 2, 2022.
When I feel again on my journey to develop into “an expert,” it was my ardour for understanding how issues work, diving deep underneath the covers of advanced techniques to comply with the packet (or code) movement, having fun with the artistry of a debug output… Scratch that final one. 
The journey to turning into an professional is all about what my boss, David Mallory, CCIE #1933, describes as “deliberate practice.” By the time you might be “an expert,” you may have designed, constructed, and operated lots of of various networks. You have made so many errors—after which fastened them. You have earned the data and ability via focus and time.
And if you develop into “an expert,” you already know that nobody actually is “an expert.” There is at all times extra highway in entrance of us, new challenges, and new issues to study. Which brings us again to as we speak’s subject: How will we navigate the AI period as a CCIE?
Navigating the AI period as a CCIE
No doubt you’ve heard claims that “artificial intelligence means we won’t need CCIEs anymore.” However, this chorus is one we’ve heard time and time once more.
Cloud was going to be the top of the CCIE.
Software Defined Networking was going to be the top of the CCIE.
Programmability was going to be the top of the CCIE.
Those are simply examples from the final 15 years. No doubt there have been claims that TCP/IP was going to be the top of the CCIE again when AppleTalk, ATM, DecNet, and so forth., had been all the fashion. So, no. AI shouldn’t be going to be the top of CCIEs. At least it’s not except AI is the top of all the pieces… however I’m making an attempt to be an AI optimist lately.
CCIEs, AI, and Cisco Live Amsterdam 2025
I lately returned from Cisco Live EMEA 2025, which passed off in Amsterdam. While it gained’t be a shock to anybody studying this that AI was a central focus throughout the present ground, what is perhaps a shock to these of you who weren’t there was that technical experience—and particularly CCIEs—was additionally a spotlight through the week.
During the opening keynote, Oliver Tuszik, President of Cisco EMEA, took time to acknowledge the worth CCIEs need to each Cisco and our prospects and companions. He even took time to speak to 2 CCIEs, Michael, who earned his CCIE in 1993, and Esar, who earned his CCIE only a few 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 cherished his reply:
“[Cisco] never stopped teaching me about new emerging technologies and keeping me in the front line of technology.”
Thanks, Michael. I couldn’t have mentioned it higher myself.
There is yet another CCIE-specific spotlight from Cisco Live that I wish to spotlight. For the primary time at Cisco Live EMEA, CCIEs who had been additionally NetVets had been invited to an unique Ask Me Anything (AMA) Session with a gaggle of Cisco Executives, together with Chintan Patel (CTO EMEA), Tim Carnes (SVP Global SEs), Matt Gillies (Fellow and Chief Architect), Phil Wolfenden (VP CX Global TAC), and Oliver Tuszik (President EMEA). The same AMA session has lengthy been held at Cisco Live within the US. Oliver particularly reached out to the Learning & Certifications and Cisco Live EMEA groups to arrange the occasion for CCIEs in EMEA.
These classes actually are “ask me anything,” and the CCIEs in attendance didn’t maintain again. A CCIE requested Phil how he and the Cisco Technical Assistance Center (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 absolutely still needed. Like automation, AI is becoming very good at tackling routine, common issues and problems. But by the nature of how AI is trained, problems that are new, unique, or complex require human expertise, creativity, and ingenuity. There is and always be a huge value placed on CCIEs within the Cisco TAC and CX organization.”
I completely agree with Phil right here.
On the AI highway with Learning & Certifications
For 32 years, the Learning & Certifications group has been strolling the highway of community evolution with each one in every of us. And as new applied sciences are born, the CCIE program and assets for CCIEs have advanced alongside the way in which. As a member of the Learning & Certifications group, I can let you know we’ve got all fingers on deck to assist and navigate our entrance into the AI period proper alongside you.
I gained’t let you know that we’ve got all of the solutions or that we all know what obstacles we’ll face alongside the journey. That wouldn’t be sincere. Things are altering quick, and I haven’t bought a crystal ball. But like we very lately did with community automation and programmability, as a neighborhood, we are going to dive into AI, constructing our experience on a stable basis of deliberate observe, technical studying, sharing with one another, and fixing so many errors and errors. There is perhaps a number of debugs alongside the way in which as nicely.
The greatest place you’ll be able to see how we’re taking AI significantly throughout 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 includes distinctive community, safety, and compute issues. 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 essential hurdle. The certification group moved quick to know these challenges and produce them to the CCDE and the neighborhood.
But how do you “learn” these abilities? Our technical coaching group has been working simply as exhausting and quick to assist there as nicely, and the brand new Cisco U. Learning Path AI Solutions on Cisco Infrastructure Essentials (DCAIE) has been launched. Even higher, the DCAIE Learning Path is out there FOR FREE till March 24, 2025, as a part of our ongoing Rev Up to Recert program. Take benefit of this brand-new AI studying and earn 34 Continuing Education credit if you are at it!
Rev Up to Recert: AI
AI Solutions on Cisco Infrastructure Essentials | DCAIE
Learn and earn 34 CE credit (in 34 hours) free of charge, February 7 – March 24, 2025
In addition to the brand new DCAIE Learning Path, there are a number of free AI tutorials and different content material accessible on Cisco U.
One extra nice (and free) possibility accessible to get began with Artificial Intelligence is the Introduction to Modern 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 study key AI ideas and create some fundamental AI-enabled purposes. Build confidence in only a few hours—and have enjoyable if you are at it.
There will probably be far more to come back within the close to future from myself and the Learning & Certifications group. I’m personally wanting ahead to the subsequent 12 months as I return to high school myself, studying and absorbing all the pieces I can about AI. And you might be certain I’ll be round in additional blogs, movies, stay streams, and conferences, sharing with each one in every of you. Let’s benefit from the highway collectively!
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