Top 5 cloud computing courses and certifications for IT professionals

The outlook is bright for companies providing cloud based services and even brighter for IT specialists with cloud computing skills. Research conducted by managed services provider Claranet suggests that 73 per cent of organisations now use some form of cloud services, making cloud knowledge a top asset for any IT pro.

Here are our top 5 course choices for 2014:

1/ VMware Certified Professional – Cloud

Best for: System engineers~

Virtualization market-leader VMware introduced its VCP-Cloud certificate in 2013. Validating a candidate's ability to install, configure and administer a cloud environment using vCloud Director and other components, successful candidates demonstrate they have core vSphere knowledge and skills. There are three paths to earning the VCP-Cloud certificate based on your technical requirements and whether you're VMware certified.

2/ Cloud Security (CCSK)

Best for: IT professionals working or planning to work in the cloud

As more businesses embrace the cloud, data security and privacy issues have become hot topics. The Cloud Security (CCSK) certificated course is a partnership between the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) and European Network and Information Security Agency (ENISA) and is the first of its kind in the industry. It looks at best practices included in the CSA and ENISA books on security risk assessment and guidance and gives students advice on the measures necessary to guarantee security in the cloud.

3/ AWS Certification Program

Best for: Developers using Amazon web services

AWS Cloud has helped transform the business landscape by offering the flexibility and scalability most modern businesses need. The AWS Certified Developer – Associate Level Certification is aimed at individuals with experience operating applications on the AWS platform and who have designed and built an AWS-based application. It demonstrates a student’s understanding of core AWS services, its uses, and basic architecture best practices. It also shows proficiency in designing, developing and deploying cloud-based solutions using AWS.

4/ IBM Certified Solution Advisor – Cloud Computing Architecture V3

Best for: Solutions advisors working in cloud environments

You need to understand how cloud computing works in order to be able to explain it to others. That’s the underlying message behind this single-test qualification aimed at those responsible for promoting cloud computing to clients. The course guides the candidate through cloud computing concepts, architecture and design principles and looks at the benefits of cloud computing to customers. It also touches on mapping customer requirements to the IBM Cloud Computing offerings.

5/ Google Cloud Platform

Best for: Developers using Google apps

While certificated courses are helpful in setting you on the path to learning and a shiny new certificate can support career advancement, self-motivated developers may prefer to learn in their own time and way. The Google Cloud Platform fully embraces this idea by offering for free all the resources developers need to build cloud-based applications and gain much in-demand Cloud-based knowledge and skills.