IT industry trade association CompTIA is beginning an effort to support delivery and adoption of cloud computing. The group is working on educational resources, standard definitions, business models and skill requirements.
CompTIA, or the Computing
Technology Industry Association, a key trade association for the IT industry,
has launched an effort to improve "delivery and adoption of cloud
computing."
CompTIA
announced July 26 that participants in a "recent
CompTIA
Cloud/SaaS Community summit ... agreed to work collaboratively on
educational resources, standard definitions, business models and skilling
requirements aimed at improving the delivery and customer adoption of cloud
computing solutions."
CompTIA
describes itself as a "nonprofit trade association advancing the global
interests of ... IT professionals and companies including manufacturers,
distributors, resellers and educational institutions." The organization
says "the CompTIA
Cloud/SaaS Community addresses the challenges and opportunities in the
emerging field of cloud, or SAAS (software as a service) computing and
application delivery. This group develops best practices, education programs,
industry standards and member-driven initiatives specific to the Web-based
technologies."
The
July 26 announcement said:
"More than a dozen industry leaders met
to discuss strategies aimed at moving beyond the hype that envelopes cloud
computing. The group's goal is to define how industry participants can best
deliver technology solutions that provide value to customers and profits to
technology solution providers. Among the areas the CompTIA Cloud/SaaS Community
intends to address are:
- standardizing cloud computing definitions
- developing "ecosystem" business models for the IT
channel; and
- assessing the need for a cloud computing skills certification for
the IT workforce.
"One of the challenges is to find
common ground, not just on how to sell cloud computing and
software-as-a-service solutions, but how to define these emerging technologies
in language that's understandable to laymen and business people both inside and
outside the IT industry," said Jim Hamilton, senior director, member
relations, CompTIA.
The community's work on standardized
definitions and ecosystem models will culminate in a whitepaper scheduled to be
delivered at Breakaway
2010, North America's premier event for IT channel companies, Aug. 9-12 in
San Antonio, Texas.
Another area where the CompTIA Cloud/SaaS
Community is working is evaluating what level of training is required for IT
professionals selling and servicing cloud computing solutions. The group
intends to identify and define job roles specific or fundamental to cloud
computing; evaluate which existing IT certifications are relevant to cloud
computing; and identify skills gaps that can be closed through the development
of new certifications and credentials specific to cloud computing."
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