Cloud Architect training provides the skills needed to practise this essential profession for digital transformation, acting as a bridge between a company's strategic vision and its technical implementation. Find out why and how to succeed in this dynamic, fast-growing field!
Over the last few decades, the technological landscape has changed radically. The digital age has revolutionised the way we work, communicate and live our daily lives.
This revolution is largely based on a flagship technology, an innovation that has revolutionised the way businesses manage their IT resources and deploy their applications: Cloud Computing.
However, behind this now ubiquitous technology lies a profession that plays an essential role in realising the promises of Cloud Computing. This is the job of cloud architect.
Emerging in the 2000s, at the same time as the first public cloud services offered by Amazon, Google and Microsoft, this profession was born out of the need to design, plan and implement solutions that meet business needs while maximising operational efficiency.
Over time, the cloud has become the norm, but organisations adopting it face increasingly complex challenges relating to data security, cost management and the integration of technologies such as AI and IoT.
That’s why cloud architects are increasingly sought after by businesses, but they also need to acquire real expertise through high-quality training….
What is a Cloud Architect?
This is a professional specialising in the design and implementation of Cloud infrastructures, whose role is to meet the specific needs of an organisation.
Unlike a simple cloud administrator or developer, the architect adopts a holistic perspective. They take account of business requirements, budgetary constraints and security considerations to design solutions that are both robust and scalable.
They are responsible for designing a cloud architecture tailored to business needs, using appropriate services and technologies such as IaaS, PaaS or SaaS.
In addition, in order to optimise expenditure while maximising performance, they must assess the costs associated with cloud services and put strategies in place.
But the cloud architect’s job doesn’t stop there. They must also put in place robust security measures to protect data and applications, while ensuring compliance with relevant regulations such as GDPR or HIPAA.
This professional also works with technical teams, stakeholders and suppliers to ensure the successful delivery of cloud initiatives, on time and on budget.
All business sectors need this profession. For example, in the healthcare sector, an architect can design a secure storage and access solution for electronic medical records to guarantee the confidentiality of information while providing fast, reliable access for carers.
Similarly, in e-commerce, such an expert might be called in to develop a scalable infrastructure capable of handling traffic peaks during promotional events. This ensures an optimal user experience, while maximising revenues.
That’s why the cloud architect is a key player in digital transformation, combining technical expertise with an understanding of business challenges to design innovative, high-performance solutions.
Working in this exciting profession means that you can enjoy a high level of remuneration, with an average salary of €65,000 a year according to Glassdoor. However, it is a demanding profession that requires the acquisition of solid technical expertise…
What skills do you need?
Cloud architects need to have a thorough understanding of the main cloud service providers, such as AWS (Amazon Web Services), Microsoft Azure and Google Cloud Platform.
They need to know their respective services inside out, as well as the various deployment models and associated costs. This ability to compare and select the services best suited to the needs of each organisation is essential.
Virtualisation and networking are also fundamental pillars of cloud architecture. It is essential to master concepts such as server virtualisation, routing, switching and cloud network configuration.
And with cyber-attacks on the increase, security expertise is essential to assess risks, implement protection strategies and ensure compliance with standards.
As a cloud architect, one of the main challenges is to design solutions that can evolve with the changing needs of the business, while remaining secure and economically viable.
There’s no secret to this: it requires a comprehensive understanding of architecture principles, pricing models and design best practice.
As the orchestrator of cloud transformation, he or she also needs excellent project management skills to coordinate efforts between teams, establish schedules and manage risks.
Effective communication with technical and non-technical stakeholders is also essential to ensure a clear understanding of requirements, constraints and objectives!
How can I train to become a cloud architect?
Fortunately, there are many ways to train and acquire the skills listed in the previous chapter. Traditional academic training includes degrees in computer science, software engineering or a related field.
However, theoretical education is not enough to excel in this profession. Practical experience is crucial, and can be gained through internships, academic projects or professional opportunities in cloud-related roles.
Using e-learning platforms, hands-on labs and free resources can also help build technical skills. The best solution is therefore to opt for online training focused on getting to grips with tools, such as the BootCamps offered by DataScientest!
At the same time, developing cross-disciplinary skills such as leadership, problem-solving and critical thinking is essential for success. This can be achieved through training courses that include a component dedicated to project management, communication or personal development.
To complement the learning offered by a training course, you can read books such as “Cloud Architecture Patterns” by Bill Wilder or “Architecting Cloud Computing Solutions” by Kevin L. Jackson, covering key concepts and best practices.
Similarly, platforms such as the AWS or Azure blogs and forums such as Stack Overflow can provide valuable information, tutorials and community discussions on specific topics.
Subscribing to newsletters, podcasts and specialist blogs can also keep you up to date with the latest innovations, product updates and industry trends. This technology watch is important in a context of constant technological change.
And don’t hesitate to attend events, conferences, webinars and workshops such as AWS re:Invent, Microsoft Ignite and Google Cloud Next to meet experts, exchange ideas and discover best practice.
Professional groups, online forums and associations such as the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA) are also great places to make contacts, share knowledge and collaborate on projects for networking purposes.
The best Cloud Architect certifications
Training can also be an excellent way of obtaining cloud architect certification, to validate your skills and convince employers to choose you over another candidate.
One of the best known is the AWS Certified Solutions Architect, which is designed to certify skills in designing and deploying applications on the AWS platform. It is available at two levels: Associate (intermediate) or Professional (advanced).
For its part, Microsoft offers Azure Solutions Architect Expert certification. It assesses skills in designing cloud solutions on the Azure platform, and is aimed at professionals with in-depth expertise in designing and implementing cloud solutions.
The third cloud giant, Google, has created the Google Professional Cloud Architect certification, which focuses on the design and management of secure, scalable and highly available cloud infrastructures on GCP. It measures skills in solution design and enterprise architecture.
Another example is the CCSP (Certified Cloud Security Professional) offered by (ISC)², which focuses on security skills in cloud environments: governance, compliance, risk management, etc.
The renowned software publisher Red Hat is offering the Certified Solution Architect Professional (CSAP), which tests skills in designing solutions for Red Hat technologies such as virtualisation, storage, cloud computing and hybrid architectures.
VMware, the world leader in virtualisation, issues its own VCDX – Cloud certification. It assesses skills in designing cloud solutions on the platform, including virtual infrastructure design, operations management and performance optimisation.
Naturally, the choice of certification depends on your career goals, your level of expertise and, above all, the platforms you plan to work with.
Make sure you choose a course based on these criteria!
What are the job opportunities and future prospects?
With the increased adoption of the cloud and the emergence of new technologies such as AI, Edge Computing and IoT, the role of the cloud architect is becoming increasingly complex and multi-dimensional.
What’s more, we can expect cloud architects to become more specialised, with experts focusing on specific areas such as security, automation and cloud governance.
In the future, cloud architects will play a key role in integrating emerging technologies to optimise operations, improve user experience and drive innovation within organisations.
With the ongoing transition to the cloud, the demand for qualified architects is expected to remain strong, offering numerous opportunities for career development and professional growth.
With a little experience, professionals can progress to leadership roles such as Chief Technology Officer (CTO), Director of Cloud Architecture or Principal Consultant, guiding technology strategy and innovation at an organisational level.
Conclusion: training to become a Cloud architect, the key to a career with a bright future
By giving you all the skills you need to practise this profession, Cloud Architect training offers you new, forward-looking career opportunities.
As businesses continue to adopt Cloud technologies, this expertise will be increasingly in demand. So you’re guaranteed an exciting, highly-paid job that will open doors to all industries.
To acquire this qualification, you can choose DataScientest! Our online AWS Certified Solutions Architect course enables you to become an expert in just 4 days full-time.
You’ll learn how to use AWS services to make an infrastructure scalable, how to identify procedures for migrating to the AWS cloud, and how to design solutions incorporating security, authentication and access functions.
As an official AWS Training Partner, DataScientest prepares you for the AWS Solutions Architect exam and enables you to obtain the state-recognised certification “Designing secure and robust cloud solutions using AWS technologies”.
To take this further, we also offer a systems, network and cloud administrator training course designed directly in partnership with Amazon. You’ll learn how to design, implement, administer, secure and maintain an infrastructure.
In particular, you’ll learn about systems and network administration, virtualisation and the Cloud, automation, information systems security and IT asset management.
This course covers more than 120 hours of content, and can be completed as a 4-month BootCamp, a 12-month continuing education course or an 18-month sandwich course.
At the end of the course, you will be awarded the state-recognised title of “Secure Infrastructure Administrator”. You can also choose to take the AWS Solutions Architect or AWS Certified SysOps Administrator certification.
Similarly, our DevOps Engineer course teaches you how to use all the DevOps tools and techniques, and enables you to obtain AWS Solutions Architect certification.
All our courses are delivered entirely by distance learning, and our organisation is eligible for funding options. So don’t wait any longer, and discover DataScientest!
Now you know everything you need to know about training to become a Cloud architect. For more information on the same subject, take a look at our complete dossier on the job of Cloud architect or our dossier on the AWS cloud.
