Microsoft’s new cloud trainings and certifications to bridge skills gap and drive cloud adoption in UAE

In its efforts of fueling digital transformation in the region, Microsoft has launched Azure Skills - Cloud related trainings and certification offers for IT Professionals across UAE. With the aim of increasing adoption for new Cloud technologies, the Azure Skills program will help participants advance their technical acumen on Cloud; driving true digital transformation in line with UAE Vision 2021, and contributing to the country’s innovation, economic competitiveness, and smart initiatives. 

IDC forecasts that by 2020, more than one in three IT positions will be cloud related. Moreover, the research reveals that the availability and skill level of Cloud professionals have a direct impact on businesses. While IT employment worldwide will grow about 4% every year from 2015 to 2020, all of that growth will occur in cloud-related positions. Azure training and certification offers are a high-value, simple, and customizable way to increase the technical skills of individuals and enterprise IT teams, and help participants to earn valuable Microsoft Certified Professional (MCP) status to advance their careers and clearly stand out.

IT professionals signing up for the courses will have access to a broad range of technical resources and trainings at different levels -  from free Massively Open Online Courses (MOOC) in a self-paced interactive environment, to full certification offerings. Those opting for a free training will have access to Microsoft’s online catalogue of new Azure fundamentals and technical trainings, added each month. Digital certificates of completion for each course will be given upon successful achievement. IT Professionals choosing more advanced options will be required to take Azure certification exams of their choice, including practice tests, to gain Microsoft Certified Professional status. Microsoft will also provide special courses for participants to get the best of multi-cloud platforms and advance their careers. 

“Industries are facing a bold new world with the amazing technological developments in the cloud, giving rise to unprecedented challenges and opportunities.” Said Samer Abu Ltaif, Regional General Manager, Microsoft Gulf. “Emerging technologies in the fields of hybrid cloud, mobility, data analytics and machine intelligence are changing nearly every aspect of the IT landscape, making it imperative for organizations to identify and fill the skills gap. Microsoft trainings and certifications will enable IT Professionals to address these technological challenges and develop skills crucial for embarking on this massive transformation.”

Over 80% of enterprise IT organizations will commit to hybrid cloud architectures encompassing multiple public cloud services, by the end of 2017. These adoptions will change and reprioritize skills required, and IT organisations will need to design and orchestrate a full stack of services to support new applications. Azure and hybrid cloud related trainings will enable organisations to plan, build, and operate cloud services to reduce management complexity and lower operating costs; ultimately reducing risk, increasing compliance, and delivering better business value.

“Acquiring cloud skills has become a critical component in organisational success. Our Azure Skills courses and certifications will enable IT experts to reimagine their firm’s IT infrastructure, preparing them for a competitive digital future” added Abu Ltaif.

IDC also reported that investment in digital transformation initiatives will reach $2.2 trillion by 2019. With more than 80% of Microsoft customers having already deployed or embraced the cloud, the surging cloud momentum is real and will continue to rise.  Microsoft cloud is a growing collection of integrated services — analytics, computing, database, mobile, networking, storage, web apps and more — for moving faster, achieving more, and saving costs. Adding Azure skills to an organization’s toolbox will enable it to become more nimble and successful in a digital economy, meeting customer needs on any cloud platform.