In today's fast-paced digital landscape, the realm of cloud computing—where data, software, and services are housed on the internet rather than on local servers—has become integral to businesses worldwide.
This extends to management accountants, since structured databases, raw data storage, and efficient knowledge management are at the heart of what they do. But how do they get up to speed on these new technologies?
The good news is, the major players of the cloud world—Google Cloud Platform (GCP), Microsoft Azure (Azure), and Amazon Web Services (AWS)—offer a wealth of free training resources on their unique tools and services. Let’s explore where to begin with each.
GCP: More Than Just Search
When you think of Google, you might think of search engines or emails. But Google's cloud arm, GCP, is a force in its own right. GCP's Quickstarts and Qwiklabs give new users walkthroughs of the system, providing intuitive guidance and hands-on experiences as they get up to speed. Accountants will find value in GCP's BigQuery for SQL-based operations and Cloud Storage for raw data stashing, and its emphasis on encryption and two-factor authentication ensures that data stays secure.
Google Cloud Platform (GCP)
Overview: GCP offers a variety of services for various business needs, from Big Data analytics to artificial intelligence.
Free Training: GCP's official website offers a Quickstarts section, making it easier for beginners to dive into its many services. Qwiklabs also offers hands-on labs and quests to help users understand various GCP tools.
Relevance for Accountants: For structured databases, GCP provides services like BigQuery, ideal for SQL-based operations. Management accountants can use GCP's storage services, such as Cloud Storage, for storing raw data.
Security: GCP emphasizes end-to-end encryption, regular security patches, and two-factor authentication, ensuring data remains protected.
Azure: Beyond Windows
Azure, Microsoft’s cloud platform, integrates effortlessly with other Microsoft products—a boon if your office is already in the Microsoft ecosystem. Newcomers can grasp the basics of Azure with Microsoft Learn's modules, especially Azure Fundamentals. Tools like Azure SQL Database and Blob Storage are useful for data-savvy accountants. Azure’s security center ensures data protection isn't just an afterthought.
Microsoft Azure (Azure)
Overview: Azure, Microsoft's cloud platform, supports a wide array of applications, including those crucial for accountancy work.
Free Training: Microsoft Learn offers a series of modules and learning paths, tailored for different needs. The Azure Fundamentals path is particularly suited for beginners, detailing the platform's primary functions.
Relevance for Accountants: Azure's SQL Database service is a managed relational database service. Azure Blob Storage can also be employed for unstructured data, ideal for large data sets.
Security: Azure boasts a comprehensive security center, offering advanced threat protection and insights into security health. Regular audits ensure strong security practices.
AWS: The Cloud Vanguard
Amazon Web Services (AWS) is vast and varied. While its breadth might seem daunting, AWS’s digital training, AWS Training and Certification, helps guide learners through the system. Accountants might find Amazon Relational Database Service (RDS), with its versatile database engines, and the S3 storage service particularly useful. AWS has a shared responsibility model, meaning security is a shared responsibility between AWS and the customer, with AWS responsible for protecting the infrastructure running the services in the AWS Cloud.
Amazon Web Services (AWS)
Overview: A dominant force in the cloud industry, AWS provides a broad set of products and services.
Free Training: AWS Training and Certification offers a vast digital library of free resources. For beginners, the AWS Cloud Practitioner Essentials is recommended. This course offers a general overview of the platform and its core services.
Relevance for Accountants: Amazon RDS supports multiple types of database engines, including MySQL, which might be familiar to many accountants. AWS’s S3 service is also an optimal solution for raw data storage.
Security: AWS maintains robust encryption capabilities, both in transit and at rest. Its shared responsibility model ensures AWS manages the infrastructure's security, allowing users to focus on securing their data.
The Importance of Security and Data Protection
As management accountants dive deeper into cloud platforms, understanding security and data protection is paramount. All three platforms prioritize security:
- Encryption: Data, when stored or in transit, is encrypted, ensuring unauthorized users can't access it.
- Compliance: Regular audits are conducted to adhere to international data protection regulations.
- Access control: Two-factor authentication, role-based accesses, and other features ensure only authorized personnel can access sensitive data.
Which Cloud to Choose?
Choosing a provider requires reflecting on your primary objective for diving into the cloud. Think about your organization's prevalent tools—does it lean more toward Microsoft or Google? Are there industry trends pointing to a particular platform? Think also about the future costs, should you wish to expand your usage down the line.
Speaking of costs, you’ll also want to compare the costs of each platform for professional use. Given the sensitive nature of data in accountancy, delve deep into the platform's security credentials. Once you’ve chosen a solution, you may also consider getting a certification to validate your expertise and give you a professional edge.
Whichever cloud you choose, remember that the journey is as important as the destination. Dive into the training resources, experiment, make errors, learn, and soon enough, you'll find yourself navigating the digital skies with confidence. After all, in the world of cloud computing, the sky's not the limit; it's just the beginning.
