Nortel certification partnership with Cisco

Was just checking in at the Nortelpress website to see what was new and it appears that Nortel are partnering with Cisco on their certification track, where if you have a CCNA, CCDA or CCDP this counts as a credit towards the Nortel NCDS or NCSS in ERS product sets i.e. passport 8600 etc

You only need to pass one exam on top of your CCNA/DA/DP and you're certified as NCSS! Not quite sure how this works, you must have to validate your Cisco cert on the Nortel cert manager site surely!

I work with ERS every day so this may just have swayed my immediate study plans.

Interesting development

http://www.nortel.com/corporate/news/publications/nortel_press/ers_solutions.html

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Comments

Phliplip112

thats kind of cool i was thinking about another vendor i could certify in with cisco and i was trying to decide between nortel an juniper. This makes me lean more towards nortel now, lol.

It looks like the CCNA will get you the NCTS. am i reading that right?

It says the CCNA gives credit for Nortel Data Networking Technology exam (920-805). which is the only exam required for NCTS - Nortel Data Networking Technology?

http://app97.nortelnetworks.com/cgi-bin/teds/cs/maintc.jsp?ns=1&level=2&category=12&subcategory=10&genurl=certification/cert_tech_criteria.html

malcybood wrote:

Not quite sure how this works, you must have to validate your Cisco cert on the Nortel cert manager site surely!

i just came across on how to start the process

its says...

"The Nortel Certification team will work with individuals to confirm their third-party certification and provide credit toward the appropriate Nortel Product Certification Designation. Proof of one of the third-party certifications and the Prometric Testing ID used with a previously challenged Nortel Certification exam is required.

To request pre-requisite credit, contact the Nortel Certification team at certification@nortel.com. "

I'm not sure what previously challenged Nortel Certification exam means.

malcybood

Phliplip112 wrote:

It looks like the CCNA will get you the NCTS. am i reading that right?

It says the CCNA gives credit for Nortel Data Networking Technology exam (920-805). which is the only exam required for NCTS - Nortel Data Networking Technology?

Nah it only counts if you go for the NCDS or NCSS which requires 920-805 or CCNA/CCDA/CCDP + 920-220 for NCDS and 920-221 for NCSS, see below from the same link

"Individuals who hold one of the above third-party certifications may request pre-requisite credit required for achieving certain Nortel Product Certifications. Only credit for the technology pre-requisite will be granted, after the individual has challenged a Nortel certification exam.

Note that holding the above listed certifications will not be deemed as having met the requirements for achieving the Nortel Technology Specialist (NCTS) or Nortel Technology Expert (NCTE) certifications."

Phliplip112 wrote:

I'm not sure what previously challenged Nortel Certification exam means.

Think it just means your prometric ID number, but you'll be able to find out by emailing them!

Phliplip112

malcybood wrote:

Note that holding the above listed certifications will not be deemed as having met the requirements for achieving the Nortel Technology Specialist (NCTS) or Nortel Technology Expert (NCTE) certifications."

oh i didn't see that part, that makes more sense. Either way id go for it if i worked with Nortel.

wat08

Sounds like Nortel is coming to the realization that it's a sinking ship?

mamono

That is definitely interesting news...

Kasor

Unless you are working with telecom company, otherwise I don't see the point. Just stay in your Cisco and certification that help your career. You cannot be everywhere in IT.

mamono

I see a lot of Nortel involvement in LA County. It really depends on where you are and what technologies that you support.

Phliplip112

wat08 wrote:

Sounds like Nortel is coming to the realization that it's a sinking ship?

how did you come to that conclusion?

malcybood

Kasor wrote:

Unless you are working with telecom company, otherwise I don't see the point. Just stay in your Cisco and certification that help your career. You cannot be everywhere in IT.

That's your opinion and I respect that, but believe it or not though there is a world outwith Cisco!.....along with a demand for Nortel skills which is partly due to this type of "stick to cisco" attitude.

I don't work at a telecom company and deal with Nortel and cisco kit on a daily basis. These types of sweeping statements along with Nortel "being a sinking ship" from people who probably know very little about the technology and the products on offer make me laugh.

I have no biassed towards either technology, they both have their strengths and weaknesses as does every other vendor in the world.

Having multi-vendor hands on skill sets with certification to back it up, is more beneficial than having one. Finding people with expertise in both is extremely difficult.

Not suggesting that people "be everywhere in IT".....the thread is aimed at people like myself who work with the both technologies to advise there is a fast track way to become certified just like with Juniper.

Would you say the same thing about getting certified in F5, Riverbed, Juniper, Checkpoint, Genesys or Avaya technologies?

dtlokee

Nortel is having difficulty as a company:

http://moneycentral.msn.com/detail/stock_quote?Symbol=NT

It is difficult to get beyond the fact that a company may not be here tomorrow when advising a customer on what is the best path to choose. I have 2 customers that are hybrid Cisco and Nortel shops and I find Nortel equipment to have its strong points, however it is also easy to find far more strong points in what Cisco has to offer.

What is it they used to say? No one ever got fired for buying IBM? Look where they are today!

wat08

malcybood wrote:

These types of sweeping statements along with Nortel "being a sinking ship" from people who probably know very little about the technology and the products on offer make me laugh.

Um, guy...

Nortel's new plan of attack for gaining market share? Scare tactics.

i.e., The Cisco Energy "Tax"? Please..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y3FG1-TxWg&feature=related

A nice take on it:
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/27596

Now I'm laughing.

msteinhilber

wat08 wrote:

malcybood wrote:

These types of sweeping statements along with Nortel "being a sinking ship" from people who probably know very little about the technology and the products on offer make me laugh.

Um, guy...

Nortel's new plan of attack for gaining market share? Scare tactics.

i.e., The Cisco Energy "Tax"? Please..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y3FG1-TxWg&feature=related

A nice take on it:
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/27596

Now I'm laughing.

Not to take you away from your Nortel bashing, but the thread was actually about how you can obtain Nortel certification with minimal additional exams if you already hold Cisco certifications. Then came along you injecting your distaste for Nortel. Sounds like a good opportunity for someone who works with both types of equipment in their shop.

malcybood

wat08 wrote:

malcybood wrote:

These types of sweeping statements along with Nortel "being a sinking ship" from people who probably know very little about the technology and the products on offer make me laugh.

Um, guy...

Nortel's new plan of attack for gaining market share? Scare tactics.

i.e., The Cisco Energy "Tax"? Please..
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y3FG1-TxWg&feature=related

A nice take on it:
http://www.networkworld.com/community/node/27596

Now I'm laughing.

I'm not disputing that Cisco is the market leader in the telecomms/networking space or that Nortel are on the same level as Cisco, however that is not what the thread is about.

Both of your posts have been completely irrelevant to the thread purpose, but great constructive input, thanks.

msteinhilber wrote:

Not to take you away from your Nortel bashing, but the thread was actually about how you can obtain Nortel certification with minimal additional exams if you already hold Cisco certifications. Then came along you injecting your distaste for Nortel. Sounds like a good opportunity for someone who works with both types of equipment in their shop.

Right on the money.

Turgon

malcybood wrote:

Was just checking in at the Nortelpress website to see what was new and it appears that Nortel are partnering with Cisco on their certification track, where if you have a CCNA, CCDA or CCDP this counts as a credit towards the Nortel NCDS or NCSS in ERS product sets i.e. passport 8600 etc

You only need to pass one exam on top of your CCNA/DA/DP and you're certified as NCSS! Not quite sure how this works, you must have to validate your Cisco cert on the Nortel cert manager site surely!

I work with ERS every day so this may just have swayed my immediate study plans.

Interesting development

http://www.nortel.com/corporate/news/publications/nortel_press/ers_solutions.html

Im all for it and I will attend to this later next year. I have wanted to certify in another network vendor for sometime. The only problem is that while I have worked with vendors other than Cisco such as Foundry, Riverstone, 3Com, IBM etc the only experience I have with Nortel is the Meridian. Any ideas where one can get some remote time on Nortel gear?

malcybood

Turgon wrote:

malcybood wrote:

Was just checking in at the Nortelpress website to see what was new and it appears that Nortel are partnering with Cisco on their certification track, where if you have a CCNA, CCDA or CCDP this counts as a credit towards the Nortel NCDS or NCSS in ERS product sets i.e. passport 8600 etc

You only need to pass one exam on top of your CCNA/DA/DP and you're certified as NCSS! Not quite sure how this works, you must have to validate your Cisco cert on the Nortel cert manager site surely!

I work with ERS every day so this may just have swayed my immediate study plans.

Interesting development

http://www.nortel.com/corporate/news/publications/nortel_press/ers_solutions.html

Im all for it and I will attend to this later next year. I have wanted to certify in another network vendor for sometime. The only problem is that while I have worked with vendors other than Cisco such as Foundry, Riverstone, 3Com, IBM etc the only experience I have with Nortel is the Meridian. Any ideas where one can get some remote time on Nortel gear?

Not sure where to get remote lab time.

Globalknowledge are their training partner but probably not what you're looking for - expensive courses.

We have Nortel coming in to see us in the next few weeks for an account review as we are on CS1k 4.5 and need to start thinking about planning to upgrade to 5.5 (or moving to Cisco UC / LAN infrastructure) so I can ask them and will pm you if I can find any helpful info regarding remote access lab rental etc.

Something else worth mentioning is alot of the new Nortel LAN switches have a more IOS feel to the CLI.

Would you be looking to focus on the LAN or PBX side of things?

wat08

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/121008-nortel-mulls-bankruptcy.html?ts0hb&story=ts_nortel

malcybood

wat08 wrote:

http://www.networkworld.com/news/2008/121008-nortel-mulls-bankruptcy.html?ts0hb&story=ts_nortel

Still not getting it are you.....The certification is for my own benefit, not Nortel's or to help Nortel survive as a company. Once again read the previous posts properly or start a "Nortel are going bankrupt" thread.

Anyway great news thanks for that......... I'll look forward to helping all of those poor Nortel customers out there migrate you know having multi-vendor certification and experience and all that. "When" Nortel go bankrupt and worldwide companys are having to operate in mixed vendor environments I'll be so annoyed I decided to get certified in Cisco and Nortel technologies.

http://www2.nortel.com/go/casestudies_index.jsp?locale=en-US&viewList=Show_All