Cloud computing represents a fundamental shift in the way that organizations operate business systems and digital services. The nature of running software workloads in the Cloud, with on-demand resources, pay-as-you-go pricing and security and compliance requirements make Cloud Acquisition processes very different from traditional IT procurement models. This course provides an overview of the differences, illuminates the procurement process and its key aspects, the role of key stakeholders in the organization (legal, budget/finance, security, IT, and business leadership) and how to go about planning change management with the digital transformation enabled by the cloud. It explains common pitfalls and best practices, strategies for successful cloud adoption including how to work with cloud providers, and their partners such as the APN, management and governance and success evaluation in procurement and deployment.

As companies and governments leverage the cloud to migrate their workloads or build in the cloud natively, having a good strategy for cloud acquisition is key for organizations to start and maintain their digital transformation. Organizations in the public and private sector have expressed their frustration at the lack of a standardized process and skills for cloud acquisition, compared to traditional IT procurement. This has led to unrealized benefits from moving to the cloud, constrained deployments and wasted time for organizations.