Rent A Cert: A good idea for Cisco partners and cert holders?

Cisco News Alert This newsletter is sponsored by Riverbed Technology Bring the world closer with Riverbed Accelerate your Cisco networks up to 100 times faster. And take your apps, VoIP, video, and QoS to the next level. Discover how over 2500 Cisco customers bring their world closer with Riverbed. Get the "ESG Lab Field Audit". Network World's Cisco News Alert, 09/28/07 Welcome to the Friday edition of Network World's Cisco News Alert in which we focus on the top items from Cisco Subnet, your gateway to Cisco news, blogs, discussion forums, security alerts, giveaways and more. Enjoy! * TOP PICK OF THE WEEK: Rent A Cert: A good idea for Cisco partners and cert holders? Brad Reese on Cisco writes about Rent A Cert, a Web site launched a week ago: "Rent A Cert seeks to line the pockets of Cisco certification holders with extra cash, while simultaneously preying on the desperation of those in the channel who wish to improve their partnership levels on the cheap, to either Cisco Silver or Cisco Gold status (and the coveted partner discounts that go along with each status)." It's not illegal for Cisco cert holders to do this nor is it illegal for companies to simply pay these folks for the use of their names and certification numbers, but is it ethical? Aren't customers ultimately the losers in this? What do you think?  Network World VoIP and Convergence Buyers Guide Find the right products for your enterprise - fast. Our extensive database of detailed product information will quickly help you pinpoint the hardware or software you need to build out a converged voice and data network. With the side-by-side comparison tool you can evaluate product features and make the best decision for your enterprise. Click here to go to the Buyers Guide now. ALSO: Entrepreneur describes what it's like to be acquired by Cisco Cisco Catalyst flaw enables hackers to bypass certain security restrictions Cisco offers security, unified communications to branch offices Cisco wants to become a $50 billion company by 2010 - how? * FROM OUR BLOGGERS: Brad Reese on Cisco: Suggestion for maintaining control of a self-funded Cisco CCIE number A discussion has been ongoing at RouterIE.com about maintaining control of a self-funded Cisco CCIE number. A Cisco gold partner employee has been self-funding the expenses of his CCIE lab exam, including taking unpaid leave. Therefore, the employee does not want his CCIE number assigned to his employer upon passing the CCIE lab exam. Instead, the employee wants the option of leaving his employer and immediately having his CCIE number associated with his new employer. Jeff Doyle on IP Routing: Fast Reroute without MPLS? I’ve been a long-time advocate of MPLS, because it enables simplification: You can eliminate your ATM and Frame Relay infrastructures and consolidate your virtual circuits onto your routed IP infrastructure. Author Expert Wendell Odom: VTP clients updating servers (and answers to questions) When I first heard that a VTP client can update a VTP server under the right conditions, I was frankly a non-believer. No way. I'd seen evidence to the contrary in several documents at cisco.com and in Cisco courses - but all the evidence was written, without my doing any experiments. So, I spent some time experimenting a few years ago, and found that it's true - clients can overwrite VTP server's VLAN databases. And this matters for the exam and for real life in some cases, so it seemed a good topic to talk about this week. ChannelSurfing with Ken Presti: Rented certifications: What’s that about? There’s a series of TV commercials in which people are confidently doing some skilled, professional task and then admit they’re not really experts, but they did sleep in this particular hotel last night. That theme came to mind when I read Brad Reese’s blog about a company that’s offering to match channel partners with certified personnel (CCIE, CCNP, etc.) – not for hiring them -- but for renting their badge so they can appear on paper to be more skilled than they really are. Michael Morris' Notes from the Field: Calculating a simple ROI for your next project Designing and buildings networks is a great job and career. However, all networks are built for a purpose, most often a business purpose. When proposing new network projects, decision makers (i.e. managers) want to know what business benefits they will get from a project. While there are many different business benefits - such as increased productivity, better customer service, and strategic relationships - one of best benefits to demonstrate to management is Return on Investment (ROI).  Jamey Heary: Cisco Security Expert: Security collaboration: Cisco IPS and Cisco Wireless Not many people realize that the Cisco IPS 4200 Series sensors can collaborate with a Cisco Wireless LAN Controller(WLC) to defend the network. This solution allows you to extend your security protection way beyond what the embedded wireless signatures can offer. It moves your wireless attack detection/prevention capabilities from the solely Layer 2 realm, that embedded wireless signatures offer, into the Layer 2-7 realm. And since Layer 2-7 protection is arguably where you want/need to be this solution gets you there. HOT DISCUSSIONS AMONG CISCO SUBNET READERS: Doyle: My favorite interview question Reese: Cisco engineers with top secret security clearances are available for hire new Odom: How Cisco uses question styles to better evaluate us Morris: Using burstable circuits to reduce costs FREEBIES, GIVEAWAYS AND OTHER NOTABLES: ** LAST FEW DAYS TO ENTER TO WIN ** * Enter to win a Skyline-ATS training course of your choice worth up to $3,495. Details here. *Enter to Win a Cisco Press Book: Up for grabs are 15 copies of Wendell Odom's book "Official Exam Certification Library (CCNA Exam 640-802), 3rd Edition," a comprehensive review and practice package for the latest CCNA exams.. Details here. Get a sneak peek of a chapter from one of the books here. * Read a free chapter from "Deploying IPv6 Networks" by Ciprian P. Popoviciu, Eric Levy-Abegnoli, Patrick Grossetete. Free excerpt here. * Check out Cisco Subnet's library for more free chapters from Cisco Press books.

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Contact the author: Senior Editor Jim Duffy covers Cisco for Network World. Linda Leung edits Cisco Subnet. Cisco Subnet: The independent voice of Cisco customers   This newsletter is sponsored by Riverbed Technology Bring the world closer with Riverbed Accelerate your Cisco networks up to 100 times faster. And take your apps, VoIP, video, and QoS to the next level. Discover how over 2500 Cisco customers bring their world closer with Riverbed. Get the "ESG Lab Field Audit". BONUS FEATURE IT PRODUCT RESEARCH AT YOUR FINGERTIPS Get detailed information on thousands of products, conduct side-by-side comparisons and read product test and review results with Network World’s IT Buyer’s Guides. Find the best solution faster than ever with over 100 distinct categories across the security, storage, management, wireless, infrastructure and convergence markets. Click here for details. PRINT SUBSCRIPTIONS AVAILABLE You've got the technology snapshot of your choice delivered to your inbox each day. Extend your knowledge with a print subscription to the Network World newsweekly, Apply here today. International subscribers, click here. SUBSCRIPTION SERVICES To subscribe or unsubscribe to any Network World newsletter, change your e-mail address or contact us, click here. This message was sent to: networking.world@gmail.com. Please use this address when modifying your subscription. Advertising information: Write to Associate Publisher Online Susan Cardoza Network World, Inc., 118 Turnpike Road, Southborough, MA 01772 Copyright Network World, Inc., 2007