Professional Cloud Technology Associate

Cloud computing is the biggest revolution in the way we use information technology (IT) in years.

About every decade something big happens in IT. When I was young, the mainframe was dominant.

Then came the PC. This totally turned IT on its head: new opportunities, but also a drastic change in who decides about IT.

Then came the Internet, suddenly everything was connected. Computer networks could suddenly be used by everybody. Again, this was a highly disruptive innovation. Entire industries emerged and collapsed as a result of this.

Then came Cloud Computing. It makes professional IT orders of magnitude more accessible. This brings great opportunity to businesses as well as new risks, and it ends the IT department as we know it.

But cloud computing is a many sided elephant, and there is a lot of confusion around it. There are multiple service models, multiple deployment models, and immature offerings.

This confusion is holding back companies

In my training and consulting I find that professionals are struggling to understand the benefits and risks of cloud computing. As a result there cannot be alignment in these companies and opportunities are lost.

It takes a common understanding and language to get everybody on the same page, and start working together towards an optimal deployment of the right type of cloud computing.

Professional Cloud Technology Associate (PCTA) is a certified training. It gives professionals a foundational understanding of cloud computing and the competencies to discuss this with peers, customers and suppliers.

PCTA has 6 modules:

• Module 1 introduces the cloud computing service model, its basic concepts and reasons why it is a successful model.
• Module 2 elaborates on virtualization technologies, which are an important underlying technology for cloud computing.
• Module 3 demonstrates how cloud and cloud technologies are enabling other applications (BYOD, Big data, etc).
• Module 4 focuses on cloud security, risk and governance and systematic ways of managing these.
• Module 5 paves the way for cloud adoption by highlighting important choices around cloud adoption and their consequences.
• Module 6 gives an overview of cloud service management, and how it builds upon existing IT service management principles.

Across these modules a number of practical exercises and quizzes serve to make the content applicable to the participants’ situation.

Professional Cloud Technology Associate launches in 2015. It is based on CompTIA Cloud Essentials and CCC Virtualization Essentials, but otherwise a totally updated rewrite. It was developed by the same team, which also has  multiple years of experience in delivering cloud computing training.

The PCTA certification is organized by the Cloud Credential Council.

There has never been a better time to take the step. Cloud computing has great promises, but also a lot of pitfalls, and taking this training is a great start of the cloud journey, both for individuals as well as for teams.