Wendell sat down with Fred Weiller - director of marketing for Learning@Cisco in the Cisco Certification Lounge during the Cisco Live! Show last week in Las Vegas.
Wendell asked Cisco:
"Would Cisco ever make some IOS images available, approved/licensed, for use on either/or real gear/Dynamips, for the purpose of exam prep?"
According to Wendell, this was Cisco's official response:
The idea of legal IOS for study is being discussed.
Then Wendell appeared to get down to the real "skinny ninny" as to why legal Cisco IOS for a cert self study program is NOT imminent:
"A customer buys mostly unauthorized used gear, running un-paid for IOS images, plus a few legit routers/IOS's with a maintenance contract. When the unauthorized gear breaks, the maintenance contract on the small number of legit devices is used used to get TAC help, IOS upgrades, and even in some cases, replacement hardware. A more controlled IOS image (think licenses that tie to the hardware, like Cisco has already begun to implement) may help prevent that, but also may prevent cert candidates from running IOS on their used gear or Dynamips down the road"
My take?
Darn those fiscally conservative Cisco customers who buy "unauthorized used Cisco gear."
