What’s in the course? 

At the end of this course, you’ll be able to: 

• State what the cloud is, and define the different types of cloud service provision and deployment models; 
• Explain the key business benefits of cloud services; 
• Define the primary risks and opportunities when using cloud services, including the security implications; 
• State what virtualization is and how it relates to cloud computing; 
• Describe the role DevOps and cloud computing play in business transformation and agile ways of working;  
• Describe the important implications for migrating services to the cloud. 

 The course is aimed at anybody who needs a basic understanding of what the cloud is, how it works and what the important considerations for using it are. It has four modules: 

• The first one explains what servers and data centers are, before explaining what the cloud is and contrasting the different types of cloud service models. 
• After that, the second module introduces the key concept of virtualization and the role this plays in effectively delivering cloud services, before defining the four different cloud deployment models. 
• The third module focuses on the business implications of the cloud by looking at the cost considerations, the important security and legal factors and the implications for people management.  
• Then, the final module is all about the relationship between the cloud, DevOps and Agile ways of working, reflecting on the importance of the right application mindset and practices, before identifying the key considerations for migrating services to the cloud. 

Getting the most from this course 

Each module delivers the knowledge you need through video presentations and reference guides, which are supported by quizzes to help you check your understanding as you go through the course. You can do the quizzes as many times as you like, and you’ll be given feedback after each question so you can check how well you’re getting on. 

The course is designed to give you a good understanding of the cloud and it’s broader implications, and there are some important resources that you can use alongside the videos to support this: 

• The Art of the Possible examples provide case studies of the cloud at work to help you understand how other organizations are using it.  
• The Glossary defines a few of the key terms used throughout the course.  
• And the Cloud Literacy Resources guide has links to websites and other resources which give you further detail in key areas of the course if you want to find out more. They’re signposted at the end of each video where you see this icon. 

Before you start, take some time to look through these resources and work out how you’re going to use them. You can review them online or download them to your device.   

Working through the course 

You’ll need to schedule around 1½ – 2 hours to complete all the videos and quizzes. Here are a few pointers to help you get the most from the course: 

• Try to complete the whole thing in three months – that way, you’ll still remember what you’ve learnt at the start when you look at the later videos
• Try to complete an entire module at a time – or, if you can’t, a complete video at a time.  
• Do the quizzes as you go – they’ll help you consolidate what you’ve picked up and tell you which areas you need to go through again.