CompTIA has introduced a new version of CompTIA Cloud Essentials+, a professional credential for anyone interested in expanding their knowledge to make more informed decisions about cloud service options and strategies.

CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ is the only foundational, vendor-neutral cloud business certification in the market. It establishes an essential foundation of knowledge about cloud solutions that are applicable in any cloud environment regardless of who the cloud service provider is.

“This is a critical differentiator because of the growing prevalence of multi-cloud environments in the IT architectures used by many organizations,” says Loraine Vorster, vice president for business development at CompTIA.

The majority of businesses (74%) have between one and five years of experience with cloud solutions, according to CompTIA research. Most companies were engaged in “integrating cloud and on-premises systems” and “optimizing operations across multiple (cloud) models”.

“As technology deployment, purchase and strategy decisions become more of a collaborative effort between the IT staff and business line executives and managers, organisations have discovered that they need to improve the technical and business acumen of their non-technical staff,” Vorster says.

“This is especially relevant when it comes to making operational cloud business decisions, from determining which cloud service provider to use and deciding which applications to migrate to the cloud, to how to increase efficiency, manage costs and reduce security risks.”

The CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ exam covers four key areas: cloud concepts, business principles of cloud environments, management and technical operations, and governance, risk, compliance and security for the cloud.

Earning the CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ certification demonstrates an individual’s readiness for management-level positions while ensuring an understanding of the fundamental approach to cloud computing, as well as the business impact of migrating and governing in the cloud.

Through the certification process these individuals have validated their ability to develop and implement solid cloud strategies, including:

* Having the knowledge and understanding of the foundational business and technical components included in a cloud assessment.

* Understanding specific security concerns and measures.

* Comprehending new technology concepts, solutions, and benefits to an organisation.

Job roles that will benefit from becoming CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ certified include business analysts, business process owners, sales and marketing staff involved in cloud product and service management, employees of managed service providers, data center staff, and technical support staff.

CompTIA recommends that individuals interested in taking the CompTIA Cloud Essentials+ exam have between six months and one year of work experience as a business analyst in an IT environment with some exposure to cloud technologies.