Avaya to drive SDN-Fabric expertise with certification prog.

NEW DELHI, INDIA: Avaya, at the annual Technology Forum in Dubai announced plans to create a new industry certification program to drive expertise in SDN-Fabric based networking.

The Avaya Certified Expert-Fx program aims to bridge the current skills gap in the India and Middle East between traditional, hardware-intensive networking technologies and next-generation, software-defined fabric-based networking.

A 2013 report by the IDC showed that emerging networking technology skills in the India, such as those required for cloud computing, mobility, and virtualization, represented 31.5 percent of the total networking skills gap in 2012, growing to 32.7 percent in 2016.

Designed for individual IT professionals, the ACE-Fx certification can help Avaya channel partners focused on networking reach Platinum Partner status by providing the third certification required for this status.

Networking professionals can also be certified by Avaya for Networking Fabric and Mobility. Existing network industry certifications from other entities will also be recognized, allowing networking professionals to directly enter the ACE-Fx class without reinvesting in other Avaya courses.

The ACE-Fx program is expected to launch in the second half of 2015. The certification program is being structured as a 4 ½-day intensive, hands-on workshop and exam held at Avaya Networking Lab facilities and other locations in the India, Middle East, China, Russia, African and Turkey.