The cloud has transformed the world of business. However, constant technological change means it’s easy to get left behind. So how can you realise the benefits of digital transformation? How can your business leverage its existing assets to become fully cloud-mature? How can you make the cloud work for you?
The answer is AWS Cloud Training. By upskilling and reskilling your workforce, you can fully leverage the power of your cloud. It’s not enough to simply implement cloud technologies anymore; you need to optimise them with the right knowledge. Here are the four key reasons why AWS training is essential for your organization.
1. Closing the Cloud Skills Gap
Skill shortages are rife in the data, digital, and cloud-computing sectors, and this shortage is only growing year-on-year. In 2016, 451 Research found that just over 50% of businesses were experiencing skills gaps related to the management and operation of their clouds. Yet by 2020, a follow-up survey showed that 85% of organisations were suffering from shortages in cloud expertise.
If you want to join the ranks of cloud-mature companies and begin using cloud-native frameworks and tools, this cloud skills gap could hold you back. In fact, without training, it won’t be feasible for you to maintain, let alone develop your cloud as its maturity grows. Meanwhile, Amazon Web Services (AWS) currently takes up 33% of the market share as the largest cloud provider - so only AWS-specific training can close your cloud skills gap.
2. Optimising the Cloud
Cloud maturity is all about optimisation. As a business becomes cloud-mature, it moves from focussing on adoption and migration, to focusing on optimisation; leveraging cloud technologies to the furthest possible extent. For example, loud-mature companies can use AWS for mission-critical applications, and squeeze more value out of their data by processing it accurately at scale. A well-optimised cloud can even be more cost-effective, giving businesses access to more advanced technologies at a lower cost.
However, the benefits of optimisation can only be realised with the necessary expertise, or the necessary training. According to ESG surveys, 75% of organisations found that AWS training and AWS certification brought them business benefits, including better operational efficiencies, greater innovation, and increased competitiveness. They could architect services more proficiently, build better apps on AWS, and leverage cutting edge technologies.
Better still, 90% of respondents reported that AWS training put their company in a better competitive position to succeed over the next three to five years. Clearly, AWS training and certification is the best way to optimise your cloud. With the right skills, you can develop your capabilities, experience full benefits realisation, and maximise your ROI. It could even help your business thrive in the future.
3. Mitigating Risks
A more mature cloud is a more complex cloud, and a more complex cloud means more risks to mitigate. The paradigm shift from traditional IT to cloud-based systems has changed the face of tech security. If your workforce lacks the skillset to understand and mitigate these new risks, they’ll continue to approach them like traditional IT functions – and leave your systems vulnerable.
Cloud risks are like traditional ones in some, limited ways. Clouds - like any software
- have vulnerabilities, which can suffer outages or be exploited through cyber-attacks. However, systems like AWS have a completely different security structure to conventional IT, as security responsibility is shared between the CSP and the cloud consumer. This means cloud security is all about knowledge, and understanding your client-side responsibilities.
Consumers failing to understand or meet their security responsibilities is the leading cause of security incidents in cloud-mature systems. So, if your workforce lacks training in complex aspects like configuration and access management, you’re leaving your cloud and your data at risk.
A lack of training could leave your staff and your customers disillusioned, too. If you don’t provide them with the knowledge they need to work with the cloud – or staff that can impart that knowledge – you risk alienating them. Operating in the cloud brings a whole new set of skills to learn. Yet with training, you can make sure the transition is as smooth as possible.
4. Making it “Your Cloud”
Ultimately, training is the only way to make the cloud yours. Every business is different, so they each require in-depth work to tailor the cloud to their needs. It needs to be integrated with your existing systems, and calibrated to work for you.
For example, it’s easy to think of “the cloud” as a one-size-fits-all product. But in reality, a service like AWS is an intricate network of products that must be architected to fit your specific business. Currently, AWS offers over 175 fully-functional services as part of a dynamic ecosystem that’s growing all the time.
If you want to build the best for you now, and in the future, you need people who truly understand both your business and the cloud. On top of this, AWS, also provides you with the capability to develop your own applications – a massive potential boon that’s only accessible with the correct training.
According to a 2017 IDC report, around 80% of companies find that cloud training and certification is effective in developing the skills they need to make the cloud work for them. On top of this, IDC also found that comprehensively-trained companies are 3.8x more likely to meet their specific cloud ROI requirements. As you can see, formal training is truly the best way to build “your cloud”.
What QA Cloud Training Can Do For You
QA is the UK’s leading tech talent and training organization, and a certified AWS Advanced Training Partner. Our cutting-edge courses cover all the key technology areas you need, including analytics, security and developer tools. Whether you’re a cloud-mature organisation or just approaching adoption, we can provide comprehensive training to make the most of your cloud. Visit our AWS course page.
Want to learn more? We're running a free session on AWS Cloud Essentials on 31st May - click here to sign up:
About AWS
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is a cloud computing platform provided by Amazon. We’re the most experienced authorised training provider for AWS in the UK. Our courses and certifications will keep you up to date with all of the latest AWS technologies and developments. We have the largest schedule of AWS training courses in the UK. And you’ll be in safe hands – being taught by AWS accredited training experts.