Migrating to and leveraging the cloud has become a top priority for many companies. IDC predicts $162 billion in worldwide spending on public cloud by 2020. To support cloud initiatives, employees across all departments – not just IT – need the skills to make operational cloud decisions. The new CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ IT certification was designed to improve business acumen and equip both IT specialists and non-technical professionals with the skills they need to support their company’s cloud initiatives.
What Is CompTIA Cloud Essentials+?
The new, improved version of CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ is unique because it is the only internationally recognized, vendor-neutral IT certification that utilizes key business principles and fundamental cloud concepts to validate data-driven cloud recommendations.
This means those who earn CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ will be able to make essential comprehensive cloud assessments.
They will also be equipped to perform the following tasks:
- Minimize security risks while making informed cloud decisions
- Grasp new technology concepts and solutions
- Increase a company’s efficiency and manage costs
What’s the Difference Between CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ and CompTIA Cloud+?
CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ and CompTIA Cloud+ are very different certifications. Whereas CompTIA Cloud+ is a technical certification that covers cloud implementation and is designed for IT pros, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ focuses on using solid financial principles to make cloud business decisions, serving both IT specialists and non-technical staff members.
As a cloud computing certification, CompTIA Cloud+ requires at least 2 to 3 years of hands-on IT experience. On the other hand, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ requires 6 to 12 months of experience conducting business analysis in an IT cloud environment.
Although the two cloud certifications are different, they work well together. One of the top reasons that IT professionals who hold CompTIA Cloud+ should consider earning CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ is because cloud business skills are becoming increasingly important to employers. Validating this business acumen through CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ signifies to employers a well-rounded IT professional.
Read more about the similarities and differences between CompTIA’s cloud certifications, as well as the growing need for cloud business skills.
How CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Can Prepare You for Vendor-specific IT Certifications
When deciding on an IT certification, choosing a vendor-neutral option shows that you have the competencies required to perform a job role regardless of the specific tools used. Additionally, vendor-neutral certifications can help prepare candidates to work in multi-vendor environments, which is an increasing trend within organizations.
CompTIA certifications, all of which are vendor-neutral, provide an excellent foundation for earning vendor-specific certifications to increase a professional’s overall skill set and expertise. For example, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ covers the foundational knowledge and approach to cloud computing that professionals need so they can compare and choose vendors and subsequently earn vendor-specific certifications like AWS Certified Cloud Practitioner or Azure Fundamentals.
CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ validates the skills needed for making sound business decisions within any cloud environment. It also prepares individuals to assume a managerial role in which they will demonstrate an understanding of cloud computing approaches and the implications and business impact of cloud migration and governance. This will aid them in making the best possible cloud recommendations.
Making data-driven cloud recommendations is a critical skill in today’s workplace. CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ ensures that professionals understand how to evaluate business use cases, financial impacts, deployment models and cloud technologies.
With this knowledge, employees can make effective cloud recommendations that will reduce costs and add value to their organization. The cloud business skills CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ offers create the ideal foundation for earning vendor-specific cloud certifications down the road.
CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ Meets the Needs of Businesses and IT Pros
Today, more than 90% of organizations have moved at least some of their workload to the cloud. These organizations need business analysts, business process owners, data center staff and technical support staff who can make intelligent cloud decisions. CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ can help companies move employees into these and other cloud-related job roles and close the cloud business skills gap.
In addition to meeting the needs of businesses, CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ can upskill IT pros with cloud business competencies that employers are looking for before they settle on a vendor-specific certification.
Do you want to learn more about the CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ IT certification? Download the exam objectives to see what it covers.
