Finally Linked In and a blog direction update!

Well it’s probably about time I joined the 85 million other professionals who have linked in with each other over the last number of years.

Here is my public profile -> http://ie.linkedin.com/pub/stephen-bowes/29/863/60b

As you will see from the profile – the Cisco\Networking side has fallen away over the last year from a professional perspective and this is reflected in the additions to my blog. Combining that with the SPv3 changes announced [I have no IOS-XR experience] means there is little benefit to my continuing to pursue the service provider track. Nevertheless I intend to maintain blogging on Cisco and other tech related issues and I’m curious to see how future candidates find the new SP track.

The CCIE is definitely changing and I’m not sure for the better – statements from Wayne Lawson over at IPExpert regarding not providing materials for the CCDE\CCIE SP Operations and other tracks indicates a niche-ness that is not good given that Cisco have in the past dropped tracks that were not profitable – Design springs to mind. Combined with the large % of current CCIE’s allowing the cert to expire speaks volumes.

Anyhow I hope you continue to touch base – feel free to connect up via Linked In and I look forward to talking to you through 2011.

Thanks, Steve.