Cloud Technologies
New Horizons

Impending Changes

It's important to consider how cloud computing is changing the face of corporate IT, and how it's changing the workplace for the IT professional.

Why will companies want to shift to Cloud computing technologies?

• Companies no longer need to purchase, store and maintain expensive network equipment, reducing the resources (time and money) involved in maintaining, updating and repairing their own server hardware and software. Cloud providers deliver the software via the internet, ensuring that the software comes to you installed with the latest patches and security installed every time you connect to the cloud.
• Companies become more agile because they are able to grow or shrink computing resources as demand increases or decreases, paying only for the resources they actually use. This prevents companies from having to pay more to build bigger servers in order to handle the occasional end of month demand on their servers or the seasonal spikes in demand for their products.
• Remote employees can easily access necessary applications via the Internet from any location, using their mobile and handheld computing devices increasing both their efficiency and the ability to collaborate from their desk and on the go.
• With custom applications, companies can turn their services into products that customers can access via the Internet. Companies can sell the application or functionality via the cloud to other customers who are also in need of that service.

How will Cloud computing change the workplace for the IT professional?

• It will allow a reapplication of in-house IT staff, especially for jobs focusing on server and desktop support. As companies switch to cloud-hosted services, these maintenance, repair and upgrade services will be provided by the provider which will free up these support personnel to work on other important company projects.
• It will create an increased demand for cloud specialized consultants, developers, and architects to meet the growing markets immediate and specialized needs.
• It will drive a switch in emphasis from support to innovation, as companies require new and better cloud-hosted applications to support their business needs. Developers, programmers and coders will be increasingly in demand, particularly in the area of mobile and handheld computing.
• It will require stringent security demands with a need for experts to ensure data stored on the Cloud is protected and meets industry-specific regulations. This includes the need for private Cloud creation, where companies build out their own private cloud network and offer it to their customers and employees.

New Horizons stays up to date with the latest technologies, in order to provide you with the relevant skills you need in order to succeed in the ever-changing technology landscape.

Our partnerships with four major developers of cloud technology allow us to offer the courses you need to get ahead.

Microsoft Cloud Technologies

Microsoft is a leading provider of cloud technologies and applications with solutions that fit every level of business need, including Microsoft Office 365, Microsoft Windows Azure, Windows Server Hyper-V and Microsoft Dynamics CRM. New Horizons is among the largest networks of Microsoft Partners for Gold and Silver Learning Solutions in the world.

There are three fundamental types of cloud implementation:

• Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)
• Platform as a Service (PaaS)
• Software as a Service (SaaS)

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS)

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is the most basic cloud deployment. Microsoft's IaaS solution hosts all your server capabilities for file and print, file storage, networking, and security. Microsoft can host Windows Server, System Center, Forefront Security, & Windows Intune to keep your network up and running and secure, while applications and client operating systems still reside on your own computers. All server and network technology would be hosted and managed in the cloud.

Windows Server

Take advantage of Windows Server's new applications and services on-premises and in public Cloud environments to deliver a whole new level of business value.

System Center

Manage your IT environments across traditional datacenters, private and public Clouds, client computers, and devices.

Platform as a Service (PaaS)

Here not only do you host your networking in the cloud but you also move over your development solutions as well. Microsoft's PaaS solution adds in support via Windows Azure (the cloud development component) to support SQL Server in the Cloud as well as any custom solutions. Data is hosted in a cloud SQL database and then uses that platform to write a custom app that works through a browser to access the data and determine the best prices and options. Windows Azure App Fabric is a tool that helps stitch all these parts together into a single cloud platform that developers can build off of.

Windows Azure

Build, host and scale applications in Microsoft datacenters with no up-front expenses, no long term commitment, and only pay for the resources you use.

SQL Server

Microsoft SQL Server is a Cloud-ready information platform that will ease data sharing across organizations and enable quickly built solutions to extend data across on-premises and public Cloud.

Visual Studio

At the heart of developing enterprise applications destined for the cloud, Visual Studio is your ultimate all-in-one development environment.

Software as a Service (SaaS)

The highest level of cloud implementation is Software as a Service (SaaS). Here all of your networking, your development platform, your operating systems, and individual applications are hosted in the cloud - you simply have to have a computer with a web browser and a fast internet connection. Through Microsoft's SaaS solution, all the services for networking, Office applications, SharePoint, Exchange, CRM, and Lync Communications come across the web to your computer. This allows for the least physical footprint of equipment in an organization.

Exchange Server

Microsoft's premier messaging platform is fully equipped to take your messaging services into the Cloud.

Lync Server

Microsoft Lync Server delivers a fresh, intuitive user experience that brings together the different ways people communicate in a single interface. This unified experience facilitates rapid user adoption, while the ability to support a full range of communications from a single platform reduces both capital and operational costs.

SharePoint Server

Microsoft SharePoint makes it easier for people to work together, and when running on Hyper-V, customers can experience the benefits of virtualization, such as reduced hardware and energy costs, without sacrificing high levels of performance and scalability.

Dynamics CRM

Plan, initiate, and track your campaigns from one central platform. The interface appearance is built on familiar software like Outlook and can be used flexibly thanks to web-based services.

Cisco Cloud Technology

Cisco believes the network platform is a foundational component of Cloud. The network is critical to providing intelligent connectivity within and beyond the data center. It also enables distinctive functionality in a secure, trusted, and ubiquitous platform. The network is the natural home for management and enforcement of policies relating to risk, performance, and cost. Only the network sees all data, connected resources, and user interactions over the public internet, as well as within and between Clouds. The network is thus uniquely positioned to monitor and meter usage and performance of distributed Cloud services and infrastructure.

The network also has a pivotal role to play in promoting resilience and reliability. For example, the network supports dynamic orchestration, scheduling, and redirection of workloads and intelligent automation to reconfigure resources. The network platform is also critical to advanced Cloud services. The network is inherently aware of the physical location of resources and users. Context-aware services can anticipate the needs of users and deploy resources appropriately, balancing end-user experience and cost of service.

The following Cisco courses are an excellent starting point to building the fundamental networking and security knowledge you'll need to work in the cloud:

Routing and Switching

CCNA (Cisco Certified Networking Associate)

CCNP (Cisco Certified Networking Professional)

Security

CCNA Security (Cisco Certified Networking Associate - Security)

VMware Cloud Technologies

Virtualization is the cornerstone for cloud computing by maximizing the efficiency and availability of IT resources and applications through virtualized servers and desktops. VMware's suite of cloud-enabled solutions delivers resources, applications, and even servers when and where they are needed saving customers 50-70% on overall IT costs by consolidating their resource pools and delivering highly available machines.

As a VMware Authorized Training Center, New Horizons is prepared to offer you the knowledge and skills to help you take advantage of the latest VMware virtualization and cloud computing products.

If you specialize working with VMware vSphere, View, or vCloud, VMware's industry-leading virtualization solutions for building, deploying, and administering a cloud infrastructure, then earning one or more VMware certifications is an excellent way to advance your knowledge and career.

VMware Courses

VMware Certified Professional – Cloud (VCP-Cloud) Certification

VMware Certified Advanced Professional –
Cloud Infrastructure Design (VCAP-CID)

VMware Certified Professional (VCP5-DV) Certification

VMware Certified Professional – Desktop (VCP5-DT)

CompTIA Cloud Technologies

The CompTIA Cloud Essentials course covers knowledge and understanding of the main cloud computing principles and concepts. Topics include: Characteristics of cloud services from a business perspective; the business value of cloud computing; technical perspective/cloud types; steps to successful adoption; impact and changes on IT service management; and risks and consequences.

Cloud Essentials is a foundational course for anyone interested in getting involved with the Cloud. It is designed for students across job roles and functions who are interested in beginning to understand the cloud. Students can take the CompTIA Cloud Essentials exam and upon passing the exam, will earn a Cloud Essentials Specialty Certification.

CompTIA Cloud Courses