If you haven’t already, it’s time to take training and certification online. Here’s why:
If you are reading this, odds are you have heard the term “the cloud” when referring to technology and the internet, most notably for its ability to add efficiency, security, accessibility, and flexibility to any organization. The cloud is an incredible technological innovation that has transformed the way everything is done online… including training and certification programs. This technology isn’t exactly new, but only now has ancillary technology caught up to take full advantage of the massive server in the sky (or underground, or underwater, or in a warehouse down the street or overseas).
First, let’s get some context for how the cloud interacts with your day-to-day life. Raise your hand if you have heard of DropBox, Google Drive, Apple iCloud or Microsoft OneDrive? You know how you can save files from your computer to a folder on one of these platforms and then access that file from your phone or a different computer anywhere in the world? That’s the cloud. Do you take pictures on your phone that automatically get backed up to Amazon Photos, Google Photos, Apple Photo Stream, or Facebook? These are part of the cloud. Simply put, the cloud enables you to securely access files and data from virtually anywhere, as long as you have access to the internet. If your personal or work computer crashes and you lose all of your files.
While the explanation above is very high level, it may already be getting more apparent for how training and certification programs integrate beautifully. You may even be thinking about ways to transform your training and certification programs to take full advantage of cloud technology. Before you get ahead of yourself, let’s discuss three key applicable reasons why you should be moving your training and certification program to the cloud.
The Cloud is Secure: When it comes to cloud computing, the most important factor to consider is security. We are currently in a decade where cybersecurity has become the center of attention for governments and giant corporations as well as everything in between down to individual users. It also goes without saying that ensuring the integrity of training and certification programs, results, assessments, etc. are maintained at every level and at all times. The good news is, top-tier cloud platforms are at the forefront of cyber-security threats, after all they are really just selling you peace-of-mind. Let’s consider the alternatives.
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- Paper and Physical Storage: Do we really have to dive deep into the vulnerabilities and inefficiencies of this path? If so, you may also want to consider learning about the benefits of email over fax machines. Just in case you need more, we’ve included an image below that clearly illustrates why using paper and physical storage for training and certification are no longer an adequate approach.
- Paperless and In-house Server: Welcome to the twentieth century. You cleared out your old storage room and file cabinets, then digitized everything, and have it all securely stored on a server that sits in a small office down the hall that only your IT people enter. This is a huge leap forward but is frightening for anyone who understands the importance of keeping things secured and safe. One virus, one flood, fire, or disgruntled employee and… kiss your server and valuable certification records goodbye. When you move to the cloud, your files are stored on multiple servers, so if one goes down or is compromised, you are protected.
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The Cloud is Accessible: Let’s examine a hypothetical situation. Imagine there is a worldwide health pandemic that requires people to isolate themselves in their homes for an extended period of time. Business operations cannot shut down, nor can training and certification efforts. The cloud makes it possible for your team, regardless of where they are (as long as they have an internet connection), to access what they need when they need.
The Cloud is Fast: Powered by high-speed internet and wireless technology, you and your team can complete training and/or assessments without having to wait, for example, on a trainer or proctor stuck in traffic. Some people worry about lag time in internet speed, which was a real concern 5-10 years ago, however the high-speed technology that exists today is nearly uninterrupted and provided at a degree of reliability that was once thought impossible.
We could go on and on about the benefits of using the cloud for your training and certification program, but we don’t want to beat a dead horse. We’re living in the future, and it’s time you joined us.
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