As more and more companies shift their businesses from local servers to virtual cloud-based services, there is an increasing demand for professionals who can sophisticatedly manage these digital servers and other related services. Companies are looking for Cloud Architects who have rich experience and proper skills.
This increasing demand also owes to the rising growth in the cloud sector, which is increasing almost exponentially. The cloud industry is showing a Cumulative Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 17.5% and is expected to cross the $300 billion mark. In just the previous three years, the jobs in this sector have increased by a whopping 42%.
This growth and increasing demand is prompting many students, especially recent graduates, to pursue online certificate courses in Cloud Computing. The bright future ahead and lucrative salary packages are the two driving factors behind this. Among various cloud courses, the highest craze is for the Cloud Architect certification. It is one of the most important roles, including tasks like Data Migration, Consultation, Monitoring Vulnerabilities, etc.
To become a certified cloud architect, there is no specific eligibility condition. However, you are expected to be skilled in basic programming and have around 2-3 years of a professional job. These criteria prove helpful in the later stages of a career.
Let’s explore this in detail and find out what all is required to become a cloud architect.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud computing is an on-demand service that provides you access to various computer resources, whenever you want and from wherever you want. It acts as an alternative to the conventional practice of storing chunks of data on local servers and maintaining them. In cloud computing, the data is stored on the internet and thus can even be shared with anyone spontaneously.
Understanding the potential of this sector, many big names in the IT world have entered the cloud arena with their services. Google, Amazon, and Microsoft are the top 3 names today regarding cloud-based services. With its AWS (Amazon Web Service), Amazon is leading the cloud market currently with a share of around 32% globally.
Microsoft’s Azure cloud platform is also extensively used, with more than 95% of fortune 500 companies relying on it for their day-to-day tasks. Azure comes 2nd after AWS in terms of market share, standing at 19%. A relatively new cloud service is being offered by tech giant Google, going simply by the name Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
What are the Benefits of Cloud?
Some of the key benefits available by shifting data to online cloud servers are:
- Reduced cost as you no longer need to maintain physical servers.
- Better accessibility to resources from anywhere at any time.
- Better security to help, as the cover, is provided directly by the cloud company.
In addition to these, cloud servers have become of significant help during the COVID-19 pandemic, as employees must work from home.
What is a Cloud Architect, and What are the Job Roles?
A cloud architect is one of the most important job roles in an organization, with its data placed on online cloud servers. This professional not just maintains the cloud services but also acts as an intermediary between various departments, between the company and the client, and between upper management and the regular employees.
Some of the key job roles of a cloud architect are listed below.
- Looking after the entire strategy that goes into managing cloud services for the organization.
- Deciding upon which cloud service the company should choose, migrating data, and then continuously monitoring it.
- Updating others with the latest trends in the cloud industry and thus providing consultancy services.
- Participating in meetings with company management and even the clients.
- Preparing budgetary plans and other reports.
- Leading the team of developers and network administrators, full of brilliant minds. Solving the queries and doubts of team members, and guiding them towards successful project delivery.
- Cloud Architects are also responsible for checking whether there are any vulnerabilities in the system. If yes, finding immediate solutions for them and minimizing the risks at later stages.
What are the Experience and Skills Required to Become a Certified Cloud Architect?
Cloud Architect is a popular job role, and thus the competition is also high. As the competition increases, it becomes vital for you to have some essential skills and experience to crack this job interview.
Though it is not necessary to possess any special qualification to become eligible for a Cloud Architect certificate, there are some things you need to know.
It is preferred that you have work experience of at least 2-3 years. A job role trains you in the domain better than bookish knowledge and gives hands-on experience. When there are so many applicants for a single job role, any company would prefer a more experienced candidate than others.
In addition to work experience, there are some other skills which are required of you.
- Programming Knowledge: Cloud is a core software skill and having basic coding skills is necessary to understand it. A guy without any coding skills would be trapped in a labyrinth.
- Operating Systems: It is also required that you have some knowledge related to various operating systems like Windows, Linux, macOS, DOS, etc.
- Networking Concepts: Cloud computing is not just about developing code. You would also be required to deal with networking concepts like IP addresses, TCP/UDP communication, Protocols, OSI Models, HTTP, DNS, etc.
- Security: Cybersecurity is an additional advantage as no organization runs any project without ensuring its cybersecurity mechanisms.
Which are the Best Companies to Work For as a Cloud Architect?
Cloud is a reputed job sector, and almost every company offers a suitable remuneration for such professionals. The average salary in India for a cloud computing job is ₹20,00,000. Some of the best companies in India where you can work as a Cloud Architect are:
- Amazon
- Microsoft
- IBM
- Accenture
- Cognizant
- Mahindra
- FICO
- Wells Fargo
Learning cloud computing is in itself a very enriching journey, in addition to the rewards it brings later on. So do not delay anymore and join an online cloud computing certification course now. If you fulfill all the essential criteria, you will be heading towards a bright future ahead.
