Certifications introduced for Cisco Mobility Specialists

Cisco has introduced new Service Provider Mobility Specialist certifications and updates to its Cisco Certified Internetwork Engineer (CCIE) Service Provider written and lab exams.

The new Cisco mobility certifications are the following:

• Cisco Service Provider Mobility UMTS to LTE Specialist certification: This certification endorses a service provider network engineer has the knowledge and skills needed to understand components, technologies and architectures found in Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) and Long-Term Evolution (LTE) packet core networks, as well as migration from UMTS to LTE evolved packet system.
• Cisco Service Provider Mobility CDMA to LTE Specialist certification: This certification authenticates a service provider engineer network's knowledge and skills for understanding components, technologies and architectures found in Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and LTE packet core networks, as well as migration from CDMA to LTE evolved packet system.

Cisco also announced that key attributes from the CCNA-CCNP-CCIE Service Provider certifications will be integrated into the CCNA-CCNP-CCIE Service Provider (Network Engineer) certifications.

CCNA-CCNP-CCIE Service Provider Operations certifications will officially retire on Jan. 31, 2015, Cisco said.

As for the exam updates, Cisco said the CCIE Service Provider v4.0 exams will be available May 22, 2015. The exams will emphasize conceptual design technologies, implementation and troubleshooting, and focus less on specific hardware platform knowledge.

The format for the lab exam is now composed of three modules -- Troubleshoot, Diagnostic and Configuration -- and will be delivered using a 100% virtual or software-based platform to better simulate a Service Provider backbone environment.

The written exam number will now be 400-201 in accordance to the new prefix exam numbering structure.