An Introduction to Cloud Computing for Students

Written by Alexandra Embree

Thumbnail Photo by İsmail Enes Ayhan on Unsplash

“The cloud” is one of those terms that is thrown around often, so many of us young digital natives have long had a general sense of what it means to “upload something to the cloud”. You hit the little cloud button to synchronize a file to your Microsoft account or save a document to your Google drive and then, like magic, it’s now on your account for you to access anywhere, anytime.

The implications that this magic trick has had on major institutions and businesses are surprisingly robust. Beyond simplifying file storage and access, the cloud has allowed businesses large and small to save money, use resources more efficiently, reduce downtime on digital platforms, and more.

As more companies and organizations decide to migrate to the cloud, and as entrepreneurs opt to use this technology to make their digital products world class, the demand for professionals with expertise in cloud computing only grows. According to Indeed, the number of job postings related to cloud computing grew by 55% between October 2015 and October 2019. Getting certified in the use of one of the top cloud providers thus represents an excellent opportunity for today’s students to jump in on the cloud computing revolution.

How do they get the computers in the clouds, anyways?

Cloud computing works on a very simple premise: the provider buys, protects, maintains, and configures physical servers and computers, and the user pays to use them. This hardware is securely stored in large data centres that are positioned in key locations across the world – ideally in areas that have a low risk of natural disaster. Secure networking allows the computers maintained in the data centres to communicate with those who are paying to use the equipment. An application hosted on the cloud is accessible by intended end-users in the same way a traditional application would be.

Why should I care?

Cloud providers take advantage of economies of scale to profitably provide the computing equipment that modern businesses rely on at a pay-per-use basis. This means that budding businesses or tech enthusiasts no longer need the capital to buy their own physical servers or supercomputers: they can simply pay for the amount of time, or the number of calculations that they need. In addition to the provisioning of raw computing power, cloud service providers often go a step further, offering pre-built platforms and applications that can be run on their cloud. These platforms and apps often allow a team to do more with fewer hands. All of this makes cloud technology particularly appealing for entrepreneurs, especially for those establishing start-ups with a tech component.

Cloud computing offers a lot of value to businesses, which means that students looking to start or get involved in a business with a technology component would do well to at least understand the basic concepts and terminologies of the field. Being armed with extra knowledge can be a huge confidence boost once in the workforce.  

I’m sold – where can I learn more?

The cloud services market is currently primarily dominated by five major providers; AWS (Amazon Web Services), Azure (owned by Microsoft), Google cloud, IBM cloud, and Alibaba cloud. Other names in this space include Salesforce, Tencent, and Oracle. AWS currently holds the largest market share at approximately 32%; this means that AWS currently generates more revenue than its competitors, and it’s likely that Amazon’s infrastructure and platforms are being actively used at more companies. This is a consideration for many when deciding which platform to first get familiarized with.

Each of the major public cloud providers has a number of certifications for those who wish to demonstrate a level of expertise or awareness of cloud computing. Even better, these certifications are often available at a heavily discounted rate for students and educators - for example, Azure currently lists all certifications at $15 for students and those impacted by COVID-19. These exams can cost up to and over $200, so $15 is a steal! Demonstrating a genuine interest in the current trends of the IT world by attempting one of these certifications can undoubtedly be a resume boost for any student considering a career in technology or technology adjacent roles.

To begin the exploration of cloud platforms, there is usually an entry-level certification that can be completed. For Azure, there is the AZ-900:  Azure Fundamentals exam; for AWS, the AWS Cloud Practitioner exam; for Google, the Associate Cloud Engineer exam; and for IBM, the new IBM Cloud Technical Advocate v3 exam. The depth that each certification reaches varies, so some research and consideration is recommended before beginning any study path. Once completed however, there is opportunity to pursue more niche certifications. Whether your interest is development, data science, networking, cybersecurity, or database administration – there’s a certificate for that. Of course, for those who prefer a more hands-on learning style, public cloud providers also allow individuals to make an account and try things for themselves.

For more information about certifications, associated costs, or to make a trial account to play with cloud technology, check out the links below:

AWS: https://aws.amazon.com/certification/

Microsoft Azure: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/

Google Cloud: https://cloud.google.com/certification

IBM Cloud: https://www.ibm.com/certify/index

Claire Keenan