A 2011Cloud Adoption study by BitNami, Cloud.com and Zenoss of 500 IT professionals found that one of the biggest inhibitors to cloud computing is a lack of training.  And while I didn't personally participate in the survey, my guess is that the education-related questions primarily focused on post-implementation training.

Don't get me wrong, post-implementation training is critical to the adoption of any solution.  But, in the case of Cloud Computing, one might argue that training should start long before someone on the selection committee enters "Cloud Computing Vendors" into a Google search.   

Why? Because it's critical for the cross-functional team responsible for selecting, governing and managing the organization's cloud strategy to be aligned on the vision, virtues and vernacular. 

For example,  would the members of your IT support staff, developers, architects, consultants, process managers and IT managers (all of whom are impacted by cloud computing) provide the same answer to the following questions?

• What is the definition of cloud computing?
• How does cloud computing affect the general concerns of your CIO?
• What are the ways in which development for the cloud differs from traditional development?
• What makes firewall management more challenging in a cloud environment?
• What are the pros and cons of cloud computing, in comparison to in-house systems management?

"Cloud computing has the potential to deliver strong business benefits and economic incentives," notes Kevin L. Jackson, Contributor for Forbes magazine. "But, selecting a public, private, hybrid or community cloud implementation greatly depends on your specific application, performance, security and compliance requirements."    

CA Technologies recognizes this as a critical step in successful cloud adoption and has partnered with  ITprenuers^TM,  the leading provider of competency development solutions for IT best practices, to offer the Cloud Essentials with CA Technologies course which is intended for  the wide range of IT professionals who will see their process area affected by the implementation of cloud computing. 

Cloud Essentials with CA Technologies is an interactive course that provides students with a balanced curriculum that addresses both the business and technical perspectives of cloud computing so that participants leave the course with a core understanding of how to adopt, operate and govern the cloud, including:

• Understand the common terms and definitions of cloud computing.
• Understand the business benefits and business considerations of cloud computing.
• Understand cloud computing from a technical perspective and recognize the various techniques, methods, challenges, and types of clouds.
• Understand the impact and changes of cloud computing on IT service management.
• Explain typical steps that lead to the successful adoption of cloud computing and understand the implications for organizations.
• Recognize the compliance, risk, and regulatory consequences of cloud computing and its financial and strategic impact on an organization.

Learn more about Cloud Essentials Overview with CA Technologies.

After completing this course, students will be prepared to sit for the associated CompTIA Cloud Essentials^TM Exam that awards the Cloud Essentials^TM Professional (CEP) certification.

Sign up for a Cloud Essentials Overview course or download the web-based version of the course.