Fundamental Cisco Training for Collaboration Engineers

Yes, learning to configure and administer Cisco hardware and software solutions for collaboration is a smart career move. Cisco has established itself as a leader in the collaboration space – they offer a comprehensive suite of technology solutions that make seamless collaboration, teamwork and communication possible for teams large and small. Learning to engineer Cisco collaboration tech gives you a specific set of skills that are in high demand.

A Cisco collaboration engineer specializes in designing, implementing, and managing collaboration technologies to optimize an organization's communications. A collaboration engineer is broadly familiar with networking and collaboration standards, but specifically familiar with Cisco tools, technologies, interfaces, and protocols. They use CUCM and Webex and integrate hardware while also managing voice protocols, ensuring Quality of Service (QoS), and troubleshooting network issues. Collaboration Engineers also handle user and group management in Cisco Unity Connection.

Any course on collaboration administration and engineering has to rely on a bedrock of some IT experience. For example, knowing the basics of how to troubleshoot network issues, configure routers, and manage security protocols makes navigating Cisco's Unified Communications Manager and Webex a lot easier. So while this course is great for newcomers to Cisco collaboration technology, the more familiarity with basic IT and networking principles, the better.

No, this course wasn't designed as exam prep for any one Cisco exam. Cisco thinks of collaboration engineering as a specialization of an experienced IT professional. That's why the professional-level CCNP Collaboration is the first cert in their Collaboration tech tree. This course is meant for IT professionals who want to get started in collaboration but may not have the time or resources to commit to earning the full CCNP Collaboration.

Because Cisco collaboration is built on an intricate ecosystem of technologies and advanced hardware components, the learning curve can be a lot steeper than some people anticipate. This course is helpful for new and experienced IT professionals because it helps conceptualize ideas like what real-time protocols are doing and how security configurations are being applied, while also providing opportunities to practice, first-hand, the skills a collaboration engineer needs.