Cisco Partners with VRMADA to Launch First-Ever IT Certification Virtual Reality Experience

  MADRID, SPAIN - 07/12/2017 (PRESS RELEASE JET)

Global IT and networking corporation Cisco has partnered with virtual reality agency VRMADA to create a pioneering new form of certification: the Cisco CCIE Virtual Reality Experience.

This technology made its debut at the recent Cisco Live US event in Las Vegas; an event that sees the coming together of many top industry professionals.

The Cisco CCIE Virtual Reality Experience has been developed to demonstrate the effective use of VR technology with Cisco networking components. Together, VRMADA and Cisco have developed two VR applications: Troubleshoot The Lab and Be The Router. Both offer an engaging and immersive 3D experience in a stimulating training environment.

Paulo Tromp, CEO of VRMADA, said of the partnership, "We are thrilled to be working with Cisco and its CCIE team on these exciting applications. These projects are a true testament to Cisco's vision of changing the way we work, live, play, and learn."

The VR applications interact with real Cisco software via a simulated physical environment and virtualized infrastructure. This means that although the participant’s experience takes place in the virtual world, the devices are actually virtual machines running real Cisco software. This seamless integration between Cisco and VRMADA software is what provides the participant with an incredibly realistic experience.

Yusuf Bhaiji, CCIE/CCDE Certification Program Senior Manager at Cisco said: "The beauty behind these applications is that there is a real marriage between virtual reality and Cisco networking technologies. These are not simply simulations, there is a real network running in the background that is fully in sync with the virtual world.”

Troubleshoot The Lab places the participant in a data center. It gives the user the chance to experience a Cisco powered data center first hand and challenges them with tasks that allow them to troubleshoot real problems.

Be The Router uses a science fiction backdrop to place the participant inside a Cisco router. The user takes on the role of the ‘control plane’, a function where they have to make networking decisions based on the technical information provided.

Chris Jacobs, Director of Global Certifications at Cisco, said, “We believe that augmented and virtual reality will play an increasingly vital role in fields like certification, education, telepresence, and video communication. These virtual reality experiences are a groundbreaking technology for the certifications industry and mark a big step towards redefining IT certification. This bold statement in VR strengthens our ongoing commitment to innovation and digital transformation.”

This state-of-the-art virtual reality software creates an interactive experience for Cisco networking and lays the groundwork for new possibilities in certification. With the promise of more effective and efficient certification and training possibilities, this unique VR experience offers a glimpse into the future, one that it is hoped will lead the way for new evolutions in IT certification.