Last year, IDG released a study that showed the popularity and emerging prevalence of cloud computing. As the 2018 IDG Cloud Computing Study points out, 73 percent of businesses are using one (if not more) cloud application, nearly 40 percent of all IT departments feel pressure to migrate 100 percent of their functions to the cloud, and most organizations that were leveraging the cloud were using a mix of delivery models.

And that is where things can get complicated.

It's easy to make a business case for cloud computing because the benefits are immediate and undeniable: reduced IT costs, increased efficiency, and enhanced security being chief among them.

But making the move to the cloud isn't without its challenges--especially if your IT team has to manage multiple clouds. It can be difficult to meet certain data governance and compliance requirements. Knowing with precision where the physical data live can be challenging. And defining what role each member of your IT team plays can take some time.

That's why more and more companies are turning to VMware Cloud Foundation, one of the easiest and most popular ways to deploy and run a hybrid cloud.

If you're among the forward-thinking companies that is transitioning to the cloud but are unfamiliar with VMware Cloud Foundation, keep reading to find out how it can help in both public and private environments.

What does VMware Cloud Foundation do?

If you visit the VMware website, you'll see VMware Cloud Foundation described as a "simple, agile and secure hybrid cloud platform." It's an accurate description of the technology.

It's an integrated software platform that serves as the platform for both private and public cloud environments. Once you approve the move to VMware Cloud Foundation, your workers get a complete set of software-defined services for:

• compute
• storage
• network
• security

In other words, it's a one-stop shop. You'll also get all of the cloud management capabilities you've come to expect and appreciate. All of this adds up to an easy-to-use, incredibly secure cloud infrastructure system that can be deployed and managed on your premises and consumed as a service from a public cloud.

Which integrated systems offerings will it work with?

One of the many nice thing about VMware Cloud Foundation: The company says it works with many integrated systems, including:

• Dell EMC
• VxRack SDDC
• Fujitsu PRIMEFLEX for VMware Cloud Foundation
• Hitachi Unified Compute Platform (UCP) RS
• QCT QxStack

In other words, it can be an effective tool for companies of all sizes who want to easily manage their data and IT systems.

What are the everyday benefits?

So what does all this mean in practical terms? Well, it means your IT team is about to become a lot more efficient and effective because VMware Cloud Foundation delivers a long list of everyday benefits to both your IT team and your company:

• You'll have the ability to run, manage, connect, and protect all of your apps on any cloud, which can increase the pace of innovation;
• You'll get pervasive and secure end-to-end connectivity for all of your apps and data, strengthening your data security systems;
• Your employees will be able to work where and how they choose with the support of end-to-end management and security for all of their applications; and
• You'll be joining every Fortune 500 company in choosing VMware for their cloud computing needs.

Who manages the VMware Cloud Foundation?

If you're exploring solutions for your cloud computing concerns, you probably already have an IT team full of talented and knowledgeable professionals.

That's the good news.

The even better news is that they can all play a role in implementing and managing the VMware Cloud Foundation platform. Each member of your team will need to understand the technology, how it works, and how to employ it to make sure your company is maximizing its benefits.

You'll want to make sure they know:

• how VMware Cloud Foundation helps in managing the physical and virtual infrastructure
• how to manage users
• the ins and outs of configuring and deploying service offerings
• how to upgrade and monitor the environment

It's a lot and it can be complicated, but thankfully there are certifications available for IT professionals to ensure that your team has the skills, knowledge, and confidence needed to succeed.

Why certifications?

If you are going to invest in VMware Cloud Foundation to make your business more efficient, secure, and effective, it makes sense to also invest in certification for your IT team.

It will make them more effective, your business more efficient, and ensure that you are positioned to keep up with the rapid pace of innovation. To learn more about how your team can achieve VMware certification, connect with Infotec today.