WESTWOOD COLLEGE STUDENTS LEARN MORE THAN POLITICS WHILE WORKING WITH CISCO AT THE DEMOCRATIC NATIONAL CONVENTION

Eight students from Westwood College's Cisco Networking Academy have been selected to help install and support the vast communications infrastructure for the Democratic National Convention (DNC). Westwood students will work alongside Cisco engineers to install more than 700 voice over IP (VoIP) telephones, a wireless service canopy and the routers and switches that will transform Denver's Pepsi Center into a global hub for collaboration and communication.

"This is a-once-in-a-lifetime learning opportunity for our Computer Network Management students," said Clay Chandler, national program advisor for the Cisco Networking Academy, Westwood College. "Most people take for granted that the telephone, Internet access and secure data networks are always available, but in fact, the technologies behind those tools are extraordinarily complex. The fact that Westwood students were selected by Cisco after rigorous selection process demonstrates shows how capable our students are."

Eight Westwood College-Denver North students in the Computer Network Management's three-year bachelor degree program will work before, during and after the conventions to install Cisco solutions, conduct, monitoring of those solutions, and staff the I.T. help desk. Their work will allow political reporters and bloggers to post the latest news from the convention floor to the Internet in real time as well as provide the communications backbone for thousands of conventioneers, delegates and political operatives.

"Providing DNC participants with a fast, reliable and secure network is a great example of the kinds of connections that we try to facilitate in the Networking Academy program," said Mags Doty, DNC project manager, Cisco. "By applying the lessons learned in the classroom to relevant, real world experience and collaboration, Westwood and Cisco are helping to educate the next generation of networking talent."

Westwood College students will be on hand lending support to the Cisco engineers from July 28-Aug. 31. The DNC takes place Aug. 25-28.