Network Infrastructure Fundamentals (NIF®)

Since its foundation in 1996, CNet has been acknowledged with numerous international awards and today, as part of Uptime Education, is the largest education provider in the world dedicated to the digital infrastructure industry, comprising the data centre and network infrastructure sectors. 

In 2023, CNet was acquired by Uptime Institute. Together, CNet and Uptime Education are the Leading Education Authority for the Global Digital Infrastructure Industry.

Their combined educational expertise, technical competency, and global experience establish them as the leading education authority for the global digital infrastructure industry and the pre-eminent organisation in professional knowledge progression, designing and delivering technical education that leads to recognised credentials in the form of accreditations, certifications and qualifications, from entry level to advanced specialist programs, including the Masters Degree in Data Centre Leadership and Management.

CNet delivers Instructor-led programs in classroom locations across the world and via live remote attendance, in addition to providing distance learning options.

Each program awards learners with the credentials needed to succeed across the network cable installation and data centre sectors. CNet operates with three core values consistently at heart; driven by quality, motivated by legacy, committed to sustainability.

A significant part of CNet’s history is the development of the unique and highly acclaimed Global Digital Infrastructure Education Framework, which provides clear education and career progression pathways in line with actual roles throughout the industry.

Trusted and followed by multinational organisations across the globe, it helps map educational and knowledge development plans for individuals, teams and organisations.

CNet also introduced the world’s first Competence and Confidence Assessment Modelling (CCAM®) system for the industry: a psychology-based platform that is helping mitigate people-related risk within mission critical facilities worldwide by identifying and addressing knowledge competence and confidence gaps.

CNet is committed to building a sustainable future for the digital infrastructure industry, working to promote industry engaged education, creating established career entry pathways for new talent into the industry and elevating the overall skill and quality level within the industry.

A key milestone in CNet’s work in this area is its role as founding partner of the Activate Learning Education Trust (ALET) University Technical Colleges (UTCs) Digital Futures Programme; the world’s first curriculum delivered in a mainstream school that is specifically aimed to equip 14–18-year-olds with the skills to start careers in the digital infrastructure industry.

In addition to its impressive client list of global organisations, CNet is proud of its close relationships with the world’s leading trade associations and industry bodies including 7×24, Data Centre Alliance, Infrastructure Masons, ISO quality standards and Pearson.

So trusted is CNet’s expertise, it also designs and delivers vendor-specific programs for many of the world’s leading manufacturers of data centre and network infrastructure solutions.