Collections, collections, collections is the main theme at this week’s AnsibleFest event, with much discussion about automation and the need for development skills to fulfill new job roles driven by today’s business demands. 

Automation is at the core of what DevNet developers and engineers at Cisco Systems Inc. are currently working on, according to Mandy Whaley (pictured), senior director, DevNet & Cisco Certifications, at Cisco. 

“We’ve seen the move to more work from home and all the virtual things that we’re dealing with, so there’s even more emphasis on companies needing to do automation and needing to have the skills to build that within their teams,” Whaley said.

Whaley spoke with John Furrier, host for theCUBE, SiliconANGLE Media’s livestreaming studio, during AnsibleFest 2020. They discussed the demand for automation up and down the technology stack, from modern apps to the network, and how Cisco is working with companies to move through a walk-run-fly model of progression as they embark on the automation journey. (* Disclosure below.)

Cisco works with Ansible to prepare for new Collections structure

DevNet users increasingly expect platforms to have open APIs, integrate with tool sets, and give them a choice in how they integrate tools into their different workflows, according to Whaley. At the same time, there is a demand for training.

“We’re seeing a big demand for people wanting to learn about automation, learn about Ansible, learn about Python,” she explained. 

To meet the demand for training, Cisco is offering new DevNet certifications that cover Cisco platforms and industry standard topics, such as Python and Ansible. So far, Whaley’s team has seen “really great feedback” from the community about this combination, as it allows users to work deeply with Cisco technologies while skilling up on automation tool sets. 

“IT leaders are looking for how do they work with their teams to go after these skills and add them into the way that they approach problems and solve problems. And then individuals are looking for how they add them to open up new job roles and new opportunities for themselves,” Whaley stated.

Whaley’s team has been working with Ansible to bring Cisco and Ansible technologies together. 

“As Ansible moved to the new Collections, we stepped in very early [because] we knew it was important to have a seamless transition around that for our community. And that’s been a big part of our work this year in terms of how we’ve been working with Ansible and getting ready for the new Collection structure,” Whaley concluded.

Watch the complete video interview below, and be sure to check out more of SiliconANGLE’s and theCUBE’s coverage of AnsibleFest 2020. (* Disclosure: TheCUBE is a paid media partner for AnsibleFest 2020. Neither Red Hat Inc., the sponsor for theCUBE’s event coverage, nor other sponsors have editorial control over content on theCUBE or SiliconANGLE.)

Photo: SiliconANGLE