The exponential growth of cloud computing is driving increased demand for IT professionals with cloud expertise. IDC estimates that public cloud IT spending alone will grow from $21.5 billion in 2010 to $72.9 billion in 2015.
To certify IT professionals’ readiness for evaluating, planning and executing cloud solutions, CompTIA collaborated with competence development program-provider ITPreneurs to offer the CompTIA Cloud Essentials exam. The vendor-neutral exam is ideal for IT and business professionals in organizations evaluating, developing or using cloud solutions, and also individuals selling cloud services. Cloud Essentials exam candidates include IT specialists, business analysts, IT technical services specialists (IT, security, infrastructure, services, systems test, etc.), IT relationship managers, sales engineers, IT architects, consultants, business and IT management, business process owners, and risk management employees.
CompTIA partnered with ITpreneurs, headquartered in Rotterrdam, Netherlands, to develop the Cloud Essential exam objectives with input from the independent and vendor-neutral Cloud Credential Council. Exam content is based on consultation and insights from leading subject matter experts and organizations in the cloud computing market, including Amazon, Cisco, Citrix, EMC, Google, HP, IBM, Microsoft, Rackspace and VMware.
Domains covered by the CompTIA Cloud Essentials exam include:
- Cloud Services from a Business Perspective — including terms and definitions, and the relationship between cloud computing and virtualization
- Cloud Computing And Business Value — including the business parameters for evaluating the value of clouds and cloud services
- Technical Perspectives on Cloud Types — including techniques for solution deployment and risk mitigation
- Steps to Successful Adoption of Cloud Computing — including pilot criteria, connecting deployment to organizational goals, and the organizational capabilities needed to realize benefits from cloud solutions
- Impact and Changes of Cloud Computing on IT Service Management — including its effect on service strategy, design, operation and transition
- Risks & Consequences of Cloud Computing — including the issues related to how a cloud solution can impact security, legal, compliance, and privacy risks
Cloud Essentials does not have prerequisite criteria, but CompTIA recommends that candidates for the CompTIA Cloud Essentials exam have a general working knowledge of how an internal or external IT organization operates and at least six months of experience in an IT environment, with direct involvement in IT-related tasks, responsibilities and decision-making.
ITpreneurs’ Cloud Essentials Courseware for CompTIA-authorized training partners and its Cloud Essentials eLearning for individuals will be sold via the CompTIA Marketplace. It is available now via the ITpreneurs website. Other CompTIA strategic partners, including ElementK, and McGraw Hill are also developing Cloud Essentials courseware and expect to have it in market soon. The exam will be available in English only, initially.
