Digitization is changing the world. All kinds of businesses, organizations and countries are going digital to innovate more quickly, compete more effectively and serve customers better. But digitization is also placing unprecedented demands on the network. Traditional hardware-centric, manually configured networking models will be unable to scale to keep up with the pace of business in the digital era.

This transformation is affecting not only the technological infrastructure but the IT professionals who will create and shepherd digitization.

For IT professionals, the ability to deploy and support a new era of software-centric, fully automated digital network requires new skills. Network engineers need to adapt to rapidly evolving technologies in software-defined networking (SDN), mobility, enhanced security, flexible access and virtualization, while taking full advantage of cloud services.

Changing the DNA of the network

Anticipating this shift, Cisco is changing the DNA of the network. Cisco DNA -our Digital Network Architecture (DNA) -is evolving the network to an automated, software-driven model that responds at the pace of the digital business.

This move toward digital networks is worldwide, and it's building momentum. A recent study by IDC revealed that 45 percent of organizations expect to achieve digital-ready network capabilities over the next two years. That represents three times the current adoption rates. Additionally, companies that have invested in modern network capabilities are experiencing two to three times the rate of growth in revenue, customer retention and profit.

There's a massive opportunity for networking professionals to take on a leadership role driving this evolution within their own organizations. Job functions are evolving from performing device-level, platform-specific configuration to delivering secure, automated services with business-centric analytics capabilities. And to help skill these new job functions, Cisco has introduced certification and training options in network programmability.

Equipping IT for the journey ahead

The digital-ready network includes digital technologies and applications that weren't on the radar even five or ten years ago. Today's digital network engineer or application developer needs to have skills in analytics and automation to connect data, people, processes and things securely.

As businesses transform to embrace the digital world, these automation and programming skills become critical. They enable maximum flexibility while reducing operational costs.

As part of the Digital Network Architecture, Cisco is providing new training to take IT talent to an entirely new level and help networking professionals become stronger strategic business partners in their respective organizations.

I invite you to get the details on the network programmability certifications and training options Cisco has introduced to deliver these critical skills. Visit Antonella Corno's blog on the Cisco Learning Network to learn more.

For more information,

-Click here to see how Cisco Digital Network Architecture (DNA) is changing the game.

-Click here to visit the Cisco Network Automation, Analytics, and Virtualization microsite.