As more and more companies begin adopting cloud solutions, finding the next step in growing their cloud knowledge becomes more and more important. Especially, role-based training that addresses different cloud job roles. Enterprise architecture is one such area that requires “tailored” training in order to achieve successful development and execution of business strategies.
Solution Architects, ones trained in frameworks such as TOGAF®, need to understand the impact that cloud is having on business, information architecture, application design, data management and security architecture. They need to be familiar with the topology and the ecosystems created as a result of the increased adoption of cloud technologies and operating models.
When speaking with your clients, it’s helpful to understand what cloud training means at both management and leadership levels. A few key points, below, can guide you on this.
Selling to Management
You can focus on the IT and Business Architecture (e.g. TOGAF) considerations—that the training they invest in will help in the following:
| From a Strategic Perspective | From an Operational Perspective |
|---|---|
| Define the business vision and business case for adopting cloud | Understand the demand and supply capacity planning models to support cloud consumption and usage |
| Identify good practices for Cloud solutions, understanding the different needs between commodity standard cloud services versus custom cloud development and Integration architecture practices | Identify cloud fit and selection of the best cloud solutions for IaaS, PaaS, SaaS functionality |
| Define the right sourcing strategies in relation to cloud computing; covering private cloud, public cloud or hybrid cloud, plus specific contractual and technical considerations in outsourcing options | Understand unique cloud solution architecture features for social media, big data, and mobility |
| Construct the business and technology roadmap to manage and roll out services based on cloud computing | Understand migration and legacy IT services to cloud computing solutions |
| Identify key service management, recovery and monitoring solutions for the cloud computing environment | |
| Understand key cloud security issues and architecture considerations |
Selling to Leadership
Cloud transformation is a strategic program requiring strong sponsorship by the leadership team and clear definition of the Deployment and Services model. Here, you can focus your message on the impact to the strategic business goals of the company, i.e., proper training enhances:
- Better management of the cyber security risks of different cloud architecture solutions.
- Better control of the quality of architect design templates and compliance to TOGAF standards that use virtualization and cloud technology correctly.
- Better understanding of demand and supply capacity to optimize cloud vendor performance.
- Better control of CAPEX and OPEX spending by defining a clear cloud solution portfolio and business case funding models.
Training enables IT architects and cloud solutions providers to audit and assess their cloud credentials for good cloud architecture best practices, based on independent, vendor-neutral, internationally recognized standards such as TOGAF, ITIL, COBIT and Industry forum guidelines including, ODCA, NIST, CSA, and ISO.
The Professional Cloud Solutions Architect course, accredited by the Cloud Credential Council, is now available at ITpreneurs.
More information on the TOGAF courses is available in the ITpreneurs Course Catalog.
Need more information? Please contact ITpreneurs.
About the author
University Professor at Warwick Business School and Head of Innovation Research international projects at Enzen Global in Artificial Intelligence, automation, Blockchain BCT DLT, Internet of Things IoT, Cybersecurity, business transformation strategy. Advisor to corporates, startups, VCs, Incubators, Academic Institutions, and Governments. Multi-book author. Keynote speaker and strategic advisor. 35 year experienced professional consultant held senior IT Director roles, worked 20 countries, 1500 clients all industry sectors. Advised CxO, lead building teams strategy to implementation. Invited subject matter expert to the UK Government House of Commons and House of Lords and EU Commission advisor on Robotics and AI Impact Policy.
