Sybex
Sybex is a publishing imprint of John Wiley & Sons that produces print and e-book study guides, practice tests, and certification kits for IT professionals preparing for CCNA, CompTIA, (ISC)2, and PMP exams.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1983
- HeadquartersAlameda, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Sybex does
Sybex is a publishing imprint of John Wiley & Sons, Inc. (NYSE: WLY) that produces IT certification study guides and exam preparation materials. Founded in 1983 and acquired by Wiley in 2003, Sybex publishes print books, e-books, practice tests, and bundled certification kits across major IT certification tracks including Cisco CCNA, CompTIA Security+/Network+/CySA+/Tech+, (ISC)2 CISSP/CCSP/SSCP, and PMI PMP. Products are priced individually from approximately $24 to $85 and sold on a one-time-purchase basis through wiley.com, retail bookstores, and Wiley enterprise sales representatives for institutional buyers.
The catalog is refreshed on a recurring cadence to align with vendor exam updates, as evidenced by 2023-2024 releases of new editions for CCNA, CompTIA Security+, CompTIA Network+, and CISSP tracks. Sybex holds official publisher relationships with (ISC)2 for cybersecurity credentials and with ITProTV for hands-on CCNA lab content, and its titles integrate with Wiley's courseware platforms WileyPLUS and Knewton Alta. Distribution is global, spanning direct-to-consumer e-commerce, retail, and enterprise field sales.
Sybex generates revenue primarily through unit-priced book and kit sales rather than subscriptions. The imprint operates without disclosed headcount, separate revenue reporting, or independent funding, functioning as a focused content brand inside Wiley's diversified professional and academic publishing portfolio. No AI or machine learning capabilities are documented within the imprint.
Sybex firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Sybex
- Legal name
- Sybex (imprint of John Wiley & Sons, Inc.)
- Website
- https://sybex.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1983
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Sybex is a publishing imprint of John Wiley & Sons that produces print and e-book study guides, practice tests, and certification kits for IT professionals preparing for CCNA, CompTIA, (ISC)2, and PMP exams.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Sybex industry classification
Industry- Product category
- IT Certification Publishing
- NAICS
- Book Publishers (513130)
- SIC
- Books: Publishing Or Publishing & Printing (2731), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Professional Licensure & Certification Exam Prep (Bar/CPA/NCLEX/PMP, etc.) (EDAGADAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Professional Certification & Training Content Publishing (Exam Prep, CE/CPD) (MPAJACAL), Certification & Exam Prep Course Marketplaces (EDAFAIAJ)
Keywords
Where Sybex is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Alameda
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Sybex business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Physical Book Sales: One-time purchase model for printed study guides, practice tests, and certification kits. Products are sold directly through wiley.com and through retail distribution channels.
- E-Book Sales: Digital format sales offering instant access to study materials. E-books are available as standalone purchases or bundled with physical books.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Study Guides - Entry level exam preparation materials |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Practice Tests - Assessment and exam preparation tools |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Certification Kits - Comprehensive exam preparation bundles |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels3 records
Sybex product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Sybex publishes printed books and e-books for IT certification exam preparation, covering vendor and industry credentials including Cisco CCNA, CompTIA Security+, Network+, CySA+, Tech+, PMP, and ISC2 CISSP/CCSP/SSCP. The imprint's catalog spans standalone study guides, practice test books, and bundled certification kits combining study materials with assessment tools, sold in print and digital formats through Wiley's e-commerce platform, retail channels, and institutional sales.
Product overview
Sybex is an imprint of Wiley offering IT certification training study guides and resources designed to help professionals develop skills and knowledge for IT certifications. The portfolio is organized as a multi-product ecosystem spanning certification tracks for networking (CCNA, CompTIA Network+), cybersecurity (CompTIA Security+, CompTIA CySA+, ISC2 certifications), IT fundamentals (CompTIA Tech+), and project management (PMP). Sybex products are distributed in multiple formats including print books, e-books, and digital access through Wiley's courseware platforms such as WileyPLUS and Knewton Alta. The portfolio includes study guides, practice tests, and certification kits as distinct product types. Through a partnership with ITProTV, Sybex also provides video-based training with hands-on labs. The company targets IT professionals seeking to obtain and maintain industry certifications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- CCNA Certification Study Guides, Practice Tests, and Kits Comprehensive Cisco CCNA certification preparation materials including study guides, practice tests, and bundled certification kits for Exam 200-301. The CCNA line is paired with ITProTV hands-on CCENT/CCNA labs for an integrated learning package, targeting network engineering professionals and Cisco certification candidates.
- CompTIA Security+ Certification Study Guides, Practice Tests, and Kits Study guides, practice tests, and certification kits for CompTIA Security+ certification (Exam SY0-701), covering security fundamentals, threat analysis and response, and risk mitigation for IT security professionals.
- CompTIA Network+ Certification Study Guides, Practice Tests, and Kits Study guides, practice tests, and certification kits for CompTIA Network+ certification (Exam N10-009), covering network installation, configuration, management, and troubleshooting for network support professionals.
- CompTIA IT Security Certification Study Guides and Practice Tests (CySA+ and Tech+) Study materials for CompTIA IT security certifications including CompTIA CySA+ (Exam CS0-003) for cybersecurity analysts and CompTIA Tech+ (Exam FC0-U71) for IT fundamentals, targeting cybersecurity career entrants and IT professionals advancing into security roles.
- ISC2 Certification Official Study Guides and Practice Tests (CISSP, CCSP, SSCP) Official study guides and practice tests for (ISC)2 cybersecurity certifications including CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional), CCSP (Certified Cloud Security Professional), and SSCP (Systems Security Certified Practitioner), aligned to the Common Body of Knowledge and marketed as the official publisher partnership for these credentials.
- PMP Certification Study Materials Project Management Professional exam preparation materials including study guides, practice tests, and certification kits aligned with the current PMP exam content, for project managers pursuing PMI credentialing.
Quantifiable outcome
- 76% of respondents experienced salary increase or promotion after completing online certification (Simplilearn survey cited on ISC2 page)
Companies that use Sybex
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Sybex technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Sybex partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- ITProTVcoreSybex and ITProTV offer a comprehensive learning package for CCENT/CCNA certification preparation. The partnership combines Sybex's printed and digital study materials with ITProTV's video-based training and hands-on CCENT/CCNA labs. The Sybex Complete Study Guide or Complete Deluxe Study Guide is paired with ITProTV's lab environment for integrated learning experience.
- (ISC)²coreWiley's partnership with (ISC)² provides official study materials for cybersecurity certifications including CISSP, CCSP, and SSCP. Sybex publishes official study guides and practice tests aligned to (ISC)²'s Common Body of Knowledge (CBK). The partnership positions Sybex as the official publisher for (ISC)² certification preparation materials, which are critical for cybersecurity professionals seeking industry-leading credentials.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Sybex competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Udemy: Udemy hosts a large marketplace of IT certification courses from independent instructors at low price points, often used as an alternative to formal study guides. Competes indirectly by offering lower-cost, video-based learning.
- Packt Publishing: Packt publishes technical certification books and video courses, including titles for CompTIA and cloud certifications. Competes in adjacent certification tracks and is a comparable publishing-based alternative.
- Pluralsight: Pluralsight provides video-based IT certification preparation and skill assessments, often used as a substitute or complement to printed study guides. Targets the same IT professional candidate with hands-on labs and practice exams.
- Manning Publications: Manning publishes technical and certification-focused books and video courses (Manning LiveVideo). Comparable as a niche technical publisher with strong author relationships and direct-to-consumer e-commerce.
Direct peers
- McGraw-Hill Education: McGraw-Hill publishes the All-in-One and Sybex-rival series for CompTIA, PMP, and (ISC)² certifications, including the well-known Shon Harris CISSP title. Directly comparable in IT certification exam prep publishing.
- O'Reilly Media: O'Reilly offers IT certification study guides and a deep technical library through its subscription learning platform. Overlaps with Sybex on certification titles while competing via an online-first, subscription-heavy model.
- Wrox (Wiley imprint): Wrox is a sibling Wiley imprint focused on programming and developer-focused technical books, sharing Wiley's distribution, marketing, and sales infrastructure. Useful as a same-parent peer showing how Wiley runs adjacent certification-adjacent product lines.
- Kaplan (PMP and professional certifications): Kaplan offers test prep for PMP and various professional certifications, with live and self-study formats. Directly comparable to Sybex's PMP and certification study guide products.
- Pearson (Cisco Press): Pearson owns Cisco Press and publishes official CCNA and CCNP study materials, making it the most direct competitor in networking certification publishing. Both compete for the same candidate pool with study guides, practice tests, and official publisher relationships with major certification bodies.
Broad incumbents
- Elsevier (Reference and certification content): Elsevier publishes healthcare, science, and professional certification content alongside its dominant academic and journal business. A broader incumbent that occasionally competes in the same exam prep space as Sybex.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Sybex social profiles
Digital presenceSybex financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Sybex leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Sybex funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Sybex M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Sybex
What does Sybex do?
Sybex publishes printed books and e-books for IT certification exam preparation, covering vendor and industry credentials including Cisco CCNA, CompTIA Security+, Network+, CySA+, Tech+, PMP, and ISC2 CISSP/CCSP/SSCP. The imprint's catalog spans standalone study guides, practice test books, and bundled certification kits combining study materials with assessment tools, sold in print and digital formats through Wiley's e-commerce platform, retail channels, and institutional sales.
Is Sybex a public or private company?
Sybex is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Sybex founded?
Sybex was founded in 1983. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Sybex based?
Sybex is headquartered in Alameda, United States, in the North America region.
How does Sybex make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Physical Book Sales are the primary driver. The others are E-Book Sales.
Who are Sybex's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Udemy, Packt Publishing, Pluralsight and Manning Publications. Direct peers are McGraw-Hill Education, O'Reilly Media, Wrox (Wiley imprint), Kaplan (PMP and professional certifications) and Pearson (Cisco Press). Elsevier (Reference and certification content) is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does Sybex have an API?
No public API is recorded for Sybex.
What industry is Sybex in?
Sybex's product category is IT Certification Publishing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAGADAD, Professional Licensure & Certification Exam Prep (Bar/CPA/NCLEX/PMP, etc.), with a secondary code of MPAJACAL, Professional Certification & Training Content Publishing (Exam Prep, CE/CPD). Its NAICS code is 513130 and its SIC code is 2731.