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Training with a clear view for a cloudy future

In the rapidly evolving world of IT, skilled IT professionals and students alike should be on the lookout for the next 'big thing' and be ready with the right expertise to ride the next wave of innovation.

In the evolving world of IT where the only constant is change, students and professionals alike are always looking out for IT trends, and skills they need to update themselves with in order to stay relevant. According to Forrester, the global cloud computing market is set to explode from US$40.7 billion in 2011 to US$241 billion by 2020.

CIOs everywhere are dedicating increasingly larger budgets to cloud computing, indicating the growing importance of clouds in many organizations’ IT strategies. This comes as no surprise, considering the task and cost efficiency of cloud for daily business operations. Higher cloud adoption will come with increasing demands for people who can operate them. IT professionals who also become cloud experts are likely to find their expertise highly valued by many organizations preparing for this impending cloud explosion.

Be ready for the OpenStack reality

OpenStack is no longer just a buzzword. It is one of the biggest cloud computing trends today and organizations of all shapes and sizes have shown increasing interest in proof-of-concept deployments. The relatively low costs involved reduce the barrier of entry for many start-ups to adopt growth-conducive cloud investments. At the same time, the variety of modes and systems available helps it to serve all types of organizations from small businesses to large multinational companies.

In order to stay at the forefront, IT professionals need to continuously update their skills set, in anticipation of upcoming demand opportunities. Given that interest in OpenStack is increasing, with more than 17,000 members in 140 countries today, knowing how to operate an OpenStack platform or network can be an important skill to be cultivated for the future.

In order to stay at the forefront, IT professionals need to continuously update their skills set, in anticipation of upcoming demand opportunities. Given that interest in OpenStack is increasing, with more than 17,000 members in 140 countries today, knowing how to operate an OpenStack platform or network can be an important skill to be cultivated for the future.

Finding the right training

With the variety of cloud training courses available, it may be overwhelming when trying to decide which certification path to explore or which vendor to approach. All students shopping for training programs should invest sufficient time and effort into researching the courses to determine the suitability and relevance to their own cloud education journey. Vendors with proven track records in platform and cloud deployments are a good place to start looking, but students should also look out for the structure of the program to see if it is compatible with their individual learning styles.

This is especially pertinent when talking about OpenStack training courses as it is after all a relatively new field. Having a vendor who has the capacity to provide quality, reliable education is important in order to gain a firm foundation in OpenStack, which would allow a smoother learning process for further studies.

Fortunately, there are established and trusted vendors who offer a variety of training methods, be it hands-on courses or online lessons to meet the interest in cloud knowledge. Red Hat has trained more than two million students worldwide and have expanded our course offerings, including updated OpenStack training courses to address student needs. We think cloud and OpenStack are set to be the next big thing, and there is no better time to prepare for them. Begin your cloud education journey today.

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