2020|was|a year that we will all remember. I don't know about you, but I am ready to 'Turn IT Up' at Cisco Live 2021. This year we will bring you the excitement, inspiration, and education that you have been looking for. We are celebrating you, the IT hero!

A look back

Over the last 20 years, traditional networking has not changed much. Each networking device had to be managed individually remotely through SSH or by an engineer physically accessing the device to enter a configuration on the command line. This process is not efficient, and you can imagine how this can also be error prone.

Today we are in a brand-new landscape where networks are being configured, implemented, and managed by code. The tools that we used 5 years ago are being phased out and replaced by open-source resources and custom-built applications. Network professionals need the ability to manage the network through integrated workflows, while leveraging automation and programmability. This requires a new and unique set of skills that traditional network engineers may not have.

In other words, the industry is evolving, but what's driving this need for change?

From business needs to our data centers and our production environments, how we work and where we work has taken on some major changes. Infrastructures now need to deliver networks and services rapidly and at scale to support new business needs.

Connect, Secure, and Automate

This brings me back to Cisco Live 2021. Cisco's new mission statement is to Connect, Secure and Automate and you will find this theme throughout the event through technical sessions, hands-on labs, workshops and much more.

This year, I am excited to be hosting the Reimagine Applications Channel with the great Hank Preston. You may know Hank from his Ask Hank blog series and his post are all about answering your questions on network automation.

Additionally, I am looking forward to participating in a panel discussion called "Cisco Certified Professionals Engineers of the Future" with Cisco Distinguished Engineer Joe Clarke, Cisco Global Certifications Director Yusuf Bhaiji, and NetCraftsmen Network Architect Carole Warner Reece. Here's a link where you can register to attend this session.

In this session we will cover:

• Why the need for network automation
• What skills are needed for Engineers of the Future
• How Cisco's certification portfolio will help you obtain those skills
• Explore real-world examples of automation applied

As a Developer Advocate for Cisco DevNet and a former network engineer, automation is a topic that I am very passionate about. I am looking forward sharing my experiences and hearing the expert insights from each our panelists during this discussion.

We would love for you to be a part of the conversation. If you have not already signed up for Cisco Live 2021, here's a link to register today.

If you are looking to get started with network automation there is no better time than now!
Get started with Cisco DevNet today.

If you have any feedback let me know in the comments section below -leave me a message, ask a question, whatever you want. Hope to see you there, virtually!

Contact info:
-Follow @labeveryday
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