From: Joseph Brunner (joe@affirmedsystems.com)
Date: Sun Sep 16 2007 - 21:42:28 ART
Don't worry about voice too much. Cisco's voice product will always be a
red-headed step child in the marketplace, even though I think it's the best.
Many large companies will not and can not put all their eggs in one basket.
They will simply not use Cisco Voip and Cisco network hardware exclusively
in their network. If you walk into the big financial players you will see
Nortel/Avaya/Lucent. I know many large retail banks do use Cisco Voip,
interesting.... I hope many more companies adopt Cisco's product. It a value
in TCO and other metrics.
So if you "do what you like" and learn voice, consider learning those
platforms also. Don't trash the Cisco product. I have worked with both, and
I have seen the very very best Nortel has to offer in product, service and
support.
I can tell you nortel's solution for voip is FAR FAR inferior to Cisco's.
Their "architect" level engineers who bill out at $250+ per hour have no
clue how to do a trace file equivalent as I explained how to do with Call
manager. To troubleshoot a one-way speech issue they were lost, and wasted
my client's time and money. These guys just have no strong networking
knowledge behind them and don't consider the effects of networking on a
network based solution. Qos, a-sym routing, speed/duplex, I had to keep
pitching all this stuff to them underhand, something they should consider in
a large deployment... sad, huh? Doing VOIP the Cisco way probably at least
helps you in the long run consider these things...
As far as putting money in your pocket, you need to stop looking at
networking/IT as a job and start looking at it like a business. Every moment
of your time is valuable. I'm stopping my studies right now to answer your
post, in hopes you change your mind as well. There is value in that.
If you just do the things your "boss" wants you to, accept raises, bonuses,
and promotions on his time table, then stop reading. Good luck.
Sooner or later you'll step up and see that we only have one boss we ever
have to listen to. Whether you a Christian, a Jew, a Muslim, Buddist, or any
other religion, or whether you don't believe in God at all, you must learn
that no man on earth may hold dominion over you; for you are not a beast of
burden, but a person.
You must do what is best for you and your family.
I implore you to consider all options, but seriously research what it would
take for you to start and cultivate your own successful business, built
around your expert level knowledge of networking. Many have stated security
will always be a constant focus in IT business plans and if you like it
pursue it. Be careful of adopting the SP track, unless your company wants to
sell that managed service to a service provider. Again, think independently,
you'll be surprised how nice it is.
-Joe
-----Original Message-----
From: nobody@groupstudy.com [mailto:nobody@groupstudy.com] On Behalf Of
darth router
Sent: Sunday, September 16, 2007 8:00 PM
To: Cisco certification
Subject: Increase my value, which CCIE to do next
Ok guys,
I have asked this question before, and I keep getting these weenie "Do what
you like" answers. Well I like it all! So, which one of these CCIEs is gonna
open up more $$$$$$ opportunity for me. The CCIE SP, or Security. Maybe I
ought to just cave in and do Voice (yuck), as that obviously has the most
demand. I just dont dig working on crappy products (CCM on servers), and
listening to end users whine about their phones is well, just TERRIBLE. Help
me out here, industry experts.
DR
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