With the use of cloud computing expanding and the demand for information
technology (IT) workers with cloud skills growing, CompTIA,
the non-profit trade association for the IT industry, has introduced a
new specialty certification focused on cloud computing knowledge.
CompTIA
Cloud Essentials covers a range of cloud computing principles and
concepts – from both the business and technical perspectives – and
what’s involved in moving to and governing the cloud. The specialty
certification was developed in cooperation with ITpreneurs,
a leading provider of competence development solutions for IT best
practices,
CompTIA announced today that the first CompTIA Approved Quality Content e-learning
course for CompTIA Cloud Essentials is now available from
ITpreneurs. Additional training materials are due in Q1 2012 from
Element K.
Momentum behind the move to cloud computing continues to accelerate.
More than half (56 percent) of the organizations surveyed for CompTIA’s
August 2011 Second Annual Trends in Cloud Computing study said
their investment in cloud computing will increase by 10 percent or more
over the next 12 months.
“As use of the cloud expands, the demand for IT workers with cloud
computing knowledge grows as well,” Terry Erdle, executive vice
president, skills certification, CompTIA, said. “CompTIA Cloud
Essentials is designed to bolster the cloud computing credentials of the
IT workforce.”
According to the job listing aggregator Indeed,
in early December there were some 10,000-plus job openings that
specifically mentioned cloud computing.
“There are many more jobs that may not specifically mention cloud
computing, but are directly tied to the cloud,” Erdle noted. “These
include jobs in a data center, which is the back end for anything
involving cloud computing. Database management, network management,
systems administration and integration and many other IT positions also
have a cloud component. Individuals in these job roles and scores of
others are candidates for CompTIA Cloud Essentials.”
Content of the CompTIA Cloud Essentials exam is based on consultation
and insights from leading subject matter experts and organizations in
the cloud computing market, including Amazon, Cisco, Citrix, EMC,
Google, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Rackspace and VMware. Areas covered in the
exam include:
-
Configuration of networks, including archive, backup, and restoration
technologies
-
Business continuity and storage administration
-
System integration and application workload
-
Basic troubleshooting and connectivity
Complete exam objectives are available on the CompTIA
certification web site. Exam vouchers can be purchased through the CompTIA
Marketplace or from Pearson
VUE and Prometric.
In addition to credentials for individual IT workers and comprehensive
market research, CompTIA offers the IT industry a broad selection of
other resources related to cloud computing. The CompTIA
Cloud/SaaS Community addresses the challenges and opportunities in
the emerging field of cloud, computing and application delivery. CompTIA
IT Channel Training provides a comprehensive portfolio of
live workshops, on-demand webinars, printed and downloadable training
guides and other resources for companies active in or contemplating
entering the cloud computing market.