Google Cloud acquires learning platform Qwiklabs
Google Cloud announced Monday that it has acquired Qwiklabs, a startup that offers lab-learning environments for cloud platforms and infrastructure software vendors.
Qwiklabs, founded in 2012, offers step-by-step instructions for using popular cloud services. It also lets users test different use cases and train teams. More than half-a-million users have collectively spent over 5 million hours on the platform.
"With Qwiklabs, we're closing the IP skills gap in the cloud," Jason Martin, director of professional services for Google Cloud, wrote in a blog post. "We're focused on offering the most comprehensive, efficient, and fun way to train and onboard people across all our products on Google Cloud, including Google Cloud Platform and G Suite."
A recent Cloud Foundry survey of close to 900 executives found that 64 percent of companies see a shortage in workers with cloud skills. As many as 38 percent said they were primarily looking for employees who can deploy on a specific infrastructure like Google Cloud Platform, Azure, or AWS.
Qwiklabs said on its blog that it will continue offering lab learning credits and subscriptions for sale on Qwiklabs.com and that owners of existing credits and subscriptions will have the same access to its labs library. Partners who deliver instructor-led training sessions and events can continue to do so.