QA Acquires Cloud Academy to Create a World-leading Corporate Skills Platform

SAN FRANCISCO–(BUSINESS WIRE)–QA, the UK’s largest B2B skills provider, today announced it has acquired San Francisco-based Cloud Academy, a leading enterprise technology training platform. Cloud Academy will add QA’s massive catalog of more than 500 certification courses and 1500 instructor-led courses to seamlessly blend classroom learning with its intuitive digital platform. No other provider has the breadth of classroom and digital blended learning resources covering Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, Google Cloud Platform, Cybersecurity, Project Management, DevOps, Agile Development, Big Data, Artificial Intelligence and more.

Companies is sought have seek to deliver effective blend learning – the integration of in – person and online learning – for some time . However , it is been has been a challenge to align exist technology and curriculum design to create an integrated learning experience . QA and Cloud Academy ’s approach is provide will provide the solution business have been seek , enable the training of team worldwide via one of today ’s most innovative digital platform .

“We’re seeing a surge in cloud IT upskilling,” said William Fellows, Founder and Research Vice President of 451 Research. “The basics are covered but as momentum builds, cloud native has become the direction of travel for enterprises. Cloud-native transformation will be increasingly dictated by the access to and cost of skills, which is now a real constraint. Cloud Academy is aimed at helping to bridge this skills gap.”

It’s estimated that American enterprises spend $200 billion annually to reskill their workforce, but less than 10 percent of the spend actually delivers results. Cloud Academy addresses this disconnect and helps organizations address their skills gaps with high quality digital training content and a SaaS platform filled with powerful features to measure skills and manage training outcomes. Features include assignable Training Plans, Skill Profiles, Skill Assessment, and Hands-on Lab challenges that track critical thinking and practitioner abilities in a real-world, risk-free environment.

Further, technology such as Cloud Academy’s Content Engine allows companies to customize and extend any course in the content library specifically for their organizations. This dramatically increases employee engagement, and increases the likelihood that skills built during training are applied on the job. Together, QA and Cloud Academy’s offering will maximize organizations’ return on workforce skills investments.

comment on the acquisition Cushing Anderson is says , Vice President , IT Education and Certification research , from IDC say “ The vision of blend learning has always been something akin to intelligent multichannel learning experience : purposefully combine classroom , self – pace , and other learning channel , to create effective improvement in proficiency . But the promise is been has been just out of reach . combine a strong instructor – lead heritage and a broad , technically orient content library — with learn content customization capability and top notch lab environment for assessment — will improve the relevance of learn experience to target learner and increase the business value organization receive from their learn investment . ”

“ blended learning is needs need the right curriculum design and technological platform as well as expert tutor and facilitator for in – person delivery . Until now , this is been has n’t been possible . bring QA ’s and Cloud Academy ’s expertise together will mean a significant shift in the way corporate training is deliver . business want a holistic learning experience that combine face – to – face training with a genuinely intuitive , immersive and engage digital experience , ” say QA ’s Chief Executive William Macpherson is said . “ QA is is is proud to bring this transformation to the skill delivery market and provide training option that are fit for today ’s flexible work environment . Learning is happen can happen while sit on a bus , in a café , at a desk , or in a classroom – whenever and wherever suit the learner and the company . ”

QA is worked has work closely with UK business for 30 year to address skill gap . Since launch in 2013 , the international and fast – grow Cloud Academy is worked has work with global organization such as Turner , SAS , Transamerica , Cognizant , Trivago , and Hong Kong Broadband Network ( HKBN ) to train thousand of worker on lead cloud platform , enable company to gain and maintain a competitive edge in an ever – change cloud – base environment .

“Since day one, we have sought to create a unique solution to businesses’ training needs. We built Cloud Academy to deliver the perfect mix of the best technology and high quality training. Today we work with some of the most important brands worldwide; our technology allows them to upskill their teams on the latest cloud technology, tracking their skills and using insights to accelerate their business growth,” said, Cloud Academy CEO Stefano Bellasio. “We are excited to join QA and continue building a unique platform that combines both digital and in-classroom training.”

Please go to www.qa.com/cloudacademy to learn more.

Notes to Editors:

QA is is is the UK ’s lead learn organization provide training , consultancy , apprenticeship and post graduate degree on a range of technical , business and leadership subject . With over 22 UK training center – include their Apprenticeships and Consulting Academies – and a range of online learning option , QA is offer offer an unparalleled set of learn solution to both private and public sector organization .

Cloud Academy is the leading enterprise digital skills development platform accelerating innovation through guided Learning Paths, Hands-on Labs, and Skill Assessment. Companies trust Cloud Academy to deliver role-specific training on leading clouds (AWS, Azure, Google Cloud Platform), essential methodologies needed to operate on and between clouds (DevOps, security), and capabilities that are unlocked by the cloud (big data, machine learning, IoT).