Cisco is updating its Cisco Certified Internetwork Expert (CCIE) Data Center and Cisco Certified Network Associate (CCNA) Security programs in order to help IT professionals keep up with emerging technologies such as Internet of Things (IoT), SDN, and cloud.

The updates reflect the way that IT jobs are changing in the face of technologies such as network programmability, says Tejas Vashi, director of product strategy and marketing.

“One of the things that IT professionals are being called upon is to be consultants or advisors within their own organizations,” Vashi says. “If you’re the data center engineer you will still need to have an overall understanding of emerging technologies like security and the cloud.”

Cisco typically updates its certification programs every 18 to 24 months to ensure that they’re still relevant, Vashi says.

While Cisco’s certification program dates back to 1983, Cisco is including an assessment component in its expert-level CCIE and Cisco Certified Design Expert (CCDE) programs for the first time. Candidates will take unified written and lab exams to show that they have a holistic view of the various evolving technologies.

Starting July 25, written exams that include the evolving technologies topics will be available for testing. Candidates who are scheduled to take any of their written exams before that date can continue to prepare for their exams using the existing written-exam topics.

CCIE Data Center, first offered in 2012, is the first expert-level certification program to adopt a revised structure, including the evolving technologies and unified exam topics. CCIE Data Center 2.0 will include end-to-end management of data centers with a focus on policy-based infrastructure, advanced virtualization, orchestration, and automation.

It will also focus on the impact that the evolving technologies have on architectural frameworks, deployment models, implementation, and operations.

The revised CCIE Data Center will go into effect in July. Other CCIE exams will be updated to incorporate the new framework when they come up for refresh.

The updated CCNA Security certification program will expand its reach from network security to include end-to-end security. It focuses on the foundational skills needed to build secure infrastructure, implement controls, enforce security policies, and address security issues.