Cisco Systems is the world's leading supplier of networking equipment for the internet. The CCNA programme will convey the knowledge, understanding, and skills needed to configure a local-area network (LAN) and wide-area network (WAN) using Cisco equipment.

Kevin Streater, Executive Director, IT&Telecoms at The Open University, says, "As the leaders in part-time distance education, The Open University is committed to helping organisations address the skills gap with relevant courses to build professional skills. Vendor-certified courses such as Microsoft, Cisco, and VMWare are highly demanded additions to our BCS-accredited courses designed to enhance student employability and support specific industry job roles, for example Computer Forensics and Project Management.

As the fastest-growing Cisco Academy, The Open University delivers CCNA and CCNP (Cisco Certified Network Professional) curriculum using an online virtual-learning environment provided by Cisco.

The Open University is also a Microsoft IT Academy, accredited by CompTIA, the Linux Professional Institute, and a BCS-accredited training partner. As a founding sponsor in the Cyber Security Challenge UK, The OU is committed to addressing the shortage of skilled professionals in the cyber-security sector.