As Cisco implements procedures to help stamp out exam cheating, Gambit Communications is touting its four-year-old MIMIC Virtual Lab product at companies wanting to be certain that their job candidates 
actually know their Cisco networking stuff. Mostly used by IT pros as a tool to help them prepare for Cisco lab exams, the product includes a ready-made lab with Cisco routers, switches and end systems via LAN, WAN, ISDN and serial links, says the company. It supports thousands of IOS commands and many protocols like IPv6, OSPF, RIP, BGP, EIGRP, eBGP and VLAN. It can be used to create a test with basic 'What is' and advanced 'How to' questions about the networking specific to Cisco devices. Users can test a job candidate's knowledge about configuring a specific switch, router or a protocol, setting up network connectivity, and so on, adds the company.
The company says it's preparing to release a version with ICND 2 certification support.
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Will this render the exams moot?
If a company can test a candidates Cisco skills directly, why bother with certification at all.
Should candidates with certifications be compensated for their time while taking this test? If you asked your doctor to sit for a test, do you think he'd do it for free?
Give me a break!
They are trying to push their products. In a large enterprise this could at best be used as a tool to wee out people for interviews, but it is readily apparent if a job candidate knows what they are talking about. In a smaller environment they aren't going to want to shell out the cash for this. This is just a ploy to sell a lame product. Cisco has already added simulations to its certification tests. So you say people can cheat on those, I say they will be able to do the same thing on this product. Please don't post this trash on NetworkWorld!
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This "news" article is nothing but an Advertisement for the product.
defeats the whole purpose of certification
if an employer can test the Cisco skills of potential candidates with this so called "tool" then this tool defeats the whole purpose of Cisco certification. If employers around the globe use this tool during interview process then I'm assuming they really don't care what certifications potential candidate is bringing to the table because he/she will be tested on this "tool". pretty sure this "tool" manufacturer paid pretty penny to NW.
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If we were paid to write this story, as some suggest, I wouldn't be here working late in the basement of my house... Yes, the vendor acknowledged that the product is not new; it saw that Cisco is implementing measures to stamp out cheating and is touting its product to companies that want to check the claims of candidates who may or may not have cheated in their tests. The company is "repositioning" its product to serve this purpose. Is this product a good thing - not for me to say, I'm just reporting that this product is in the market and is being touted by the vendor for this purpose. If there are other companies that offer a similar product - or another service that serves a similar purpose, we'd love to hear about it.
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to NW editors and writers:
to NW editors and writers: if distribution of Network/Telecom related news for free is becoming an issue then you should consider paid subscription option instead of advertising crap as an article or blog.
Skills
Why bother for the cisco cert if a person can do well on the simulation ?
certification is a foot in the door...
... just like a college degree is a foot in the
door.
Many employers give their prospective candidates
practical tests, rather than just relying on the
degree or certificate (or claim on a resume).
The new angle of this product is that it serves
that purpose, too.
The difference between this simulator and others
is that our lab actually simulates IOS, not just
a flow of dialogs. You can enter commands in
any sequence and they will perform just like in
the real world. Thus, you can develop
pre-employment tests that actually measure skills,
rather than memorization or guessing.
Regards.
Uwe Zimmermann
Gambit Communications, Inc.
This actually is a good tool
This actually is a good tool for Cisco students to learn more about hands on programming.
Cisco certs are a crock. I'd rather employ someone who could show his skills on a tool such as this.
...or use some old routers and switches
Having fallen foul of the look at all my certificates candidate, I can honestly say that the best thing I did was dust of a CCNA lab set and test a candidate using a more practical method - amazing how many fail to set up a vlan properly!
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