Getting started with Cloud Computing!

By Abhinav Singh

Cloud computing is now a well known term in the world of Computer science, but let me begin with a brief and non-technical description of cloud computing here.

Well, Cloud computing is the practice of using computing resources that are delivered as a service over a network. Consider the example of using Microsoft Office and Google Docs. Both are used as office documentation tools. But when we install Microsoft office, it installs many tools like Word, Power-point, and Excel etc. If a user wants to use only Microsoft PowerPoint in order to make his/her office presentations, then what is the need to install so many other non-required tools and thereby pay more.

On the contrary, if you are a Google Docs user, you can simply access its Presentation tool through a web browser without incurring the overhead cost of installing any software. This means that Google is directly providing you its service through its remote servers. So even if you are working on any other machine than your personal computer, you can any time access Google’s remote server in order to make your presentations. I hope these two examples give you a clear understanding of cloud computing and how it is advantageous over traditional computing.

The concept of cloud computing is not new but its wide scale implementation started in the late 2000s. Today, it is deployed and used in almost all big and small firms who depend on computers for their operation. The sudden burst in cloud computing started in 2006 when web-based file sharing websites started getting good response from internet users. Later on it grew into a big network model. The sudden and immense growth in this domain started creating ample job opportunities. According to a recent press release, NASSCOM states that cloud computing is going to be a major focus of IT industries in FY14 to foster a steady growth. This makes Cloud computing a very attractive domain for career building.

IT industries are actively looking to move to cloud driven platforms in order to provide better support to their customers. Also, new organisations/startups are actively moving towards big cloud players like Google, Microsoft etc, in order to use their cloud services to become more cost efficient. This opens two different doors of career opportunities.

For individuals who already have a decent experience in the IT industry and have worked on big platform migration projects can find an easy way towards a cloud computing profile. They can be hired by big IT companies who are looking to move their existing resources on to a cloud platform. Experience with Data Analytics, SAP, SaaS services can also land you into a descent cloud computing profile.

For freshers and those who are relatively new to IT industry and want to grab the virgin opportunities in Cloud domain will have to put in some extra efforts. You will have to specialise in various cloud services provided by big software giants. Some of their products include Microsoft Azure, Amazon Web services, Open stack, SalesForce etc. Gaining specialised training in one or more of these platforms can land you a job wherein a company is looking to deploy their services on one of these platforms. You can also get opportunities where companies are looking for cloud professionals in order to constantly maintain and test their existing use of these platforms. Few more desired qualifications that can be expected from cloud computing professionals can be:

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering
• Experience with software development/testing
• Experience with computer networks and its implementation
• Knowledge of web technologies like PHP, HTML, Javascript, AJAX, SOAP etc.

Currently, there is no prescribed subject in Computer science engineering that extensively covers cloud computing but there are some descent professional courses available that can help you with a kick start in this domain. Some recommended courses include:

• Meghdoot- A CDACC initiative – CDACC has set up its own cloud infrastructure and is actively helping Government bodies and companies in leveraging its services. It provides several short term certification courses for its platform.
• Windows Azure based cloud computing Diploma course provided by NIIT.

• Diploma in cloud technology – APTECH

Apart from these, there are few global certifications that can add weightage to your resume:

• Certificate of cloud security knowledge(CCSK)
• IBM certified Solution Adviser – Cloud computing Architecture
• Google Apps Certified Deployment Specialist
• Certified Force.com Developer
• VMware Certified Professional(VCP)
• CompTIA Cloud Essentials