Tuesday, August 9, 2016

Vendor Neutral Training: Proven Protection Against Cloud Horror Stories






Cloud computing is now entering adolescence.  With all the early adopters now swimming in the cloud pool with that “I told you so” smug, fast followers are just barely beating the early majority. The gold rush to cloud is also driving the IT herd to get cloud computing training.  Training vendors from multi-billion dollar behemoths to little Mom and Pop shops are ready to cash in with fast and easy, vendor-specific certifications for just about any cloud service provider.

Although at first glance, all is well with this vision, the industry’s adolescent hubris has started to show some troubling warning signs. The source of the trouble, however, is not with the Cloud Service Provider (CSP). The problems are actually caused by the CSP customers themselves!

Driven by an almost reflexive assumption that the planet’s largest providers are always best, most customers fail to conduct even the most basic CSP adoption due diligence tasks. These same customers also have a very limited appetite for learning foundational cloud computing concepts. These facts have combined to make cloud computing pilot errors typical and CSP transition failures much more common. The broadening use of hybrid cloud solutions and the rapid growth in the sheer number of cloud service provider options have also contributed to this unfortunate trend. Although there is always great value in vendor-specific training, this type of focused investment should be made after enterprise IT professionals have been well grounded in cloud computing fundamental and well versed in the now plentiful cloud service provider options. This is why vendor-neutral cloud computing training is so critical to today’s IT professional and, by extension, the modern business enterprise.

As more companies take advantage of cloud service benefits, the need for IT professionals to be skillful in the use and implementation of a wide range of cloud services becomes even more acute. This form of training also serves as a layer of protection against well-known cloud transition missteps, cloud service vendor lock-in and the multitude of other cloud computing horror stories. Provider agnostic training can give protection against operational failures by providing a strong foundation in cloud technologies, cloud architectures and in the management of cloud infrastructure.

This is even more important now because in about thirty days the National Cloud Technologist Association (NCTA) and Logical Operations will be jointly launching the NCTA CloudMASTER® Certification Training Program. This global event represents the first time that NCTA content will be delivered outside of the association’s higher education partners. Through Logical Operations, NCTA content will be delivered through a broad channel that will provide outstanding delivery options to a wide spectrum of professionals interested in cloud computing.

For more information on this exciting program please visit https://goo.gl/0vPP3l


Logical Operations helps organizations and individuals maximize training with an adaptable expert-facilitated learning experience. Its more than 5,100 titles are available globally through flexible delivery platforms that are designed for any learning environment. Logical Operations also offers a growing portfolio of high-stakes certifications such as Logical Operations Certified CyberSec First Responder and assessments including Logical Operations Certified CyberSAFE. Logical Operations' CEO, Bill Rosenthal, is a board member of the National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) and works alongside representatives from organizations such as AT&T, Bank of America, Facebook, Google, Intel, Microsoft, Verizon, Visa, and more, to make sure that everyone has the education and resources needed to stay safe and secure online. For more information, connect with Logical Operations at http://logicaloperations.com and on Twitter @logicalops.

The National Cloud Technologists Association was created in 2012 with the intent to provide vendor-agnostic cloud technology training for IT professionals within all levels of an organization. In comparison with other cloud computing certifications, the NCTA CloudMaster certification demonstrates real-world knowledge through practical activities and lab exercises, allowing students to learn and showcase a complete portfolio of skills on a wide range of common cloud technologies.

 “Cloud Horror Stories” were adapted from the following sources:
·         http://www.cio.com/article/2460967/cloud-computing/how-to-survive-4-cloud-horror-stories.html
·         http://www.computerweekly.com/opinion/Cloud-vendor-lock-in-our-experience
·         http://www.computerweekly.com/news/2240187687/Lock-in-fears-detering-busineses-from-moving-data-into-the-cloud
 http://www.cio.com/article/2460967/cloud-computing/how-to-survive-4-cloud-horror-stories.html


( This content is being syndicated through multiple channels. The opinions expressed are solely those of the author and do not represent the views of GovCloud Network, GovCloud Network Partners or any other corporation or organization.)



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