“Cloud computing continues to evolve, with new technologies emerging to support the dynamic creation of cloud services. IT departments in large enterprises should play the role of IT as a service broker, and train staffs to manage cloud provider relationships.” — Gartner, 10 Cloud Computing Trends White Paper, 6 February 2013.

From movement into the mobile cloud era, to balancing public, private and hybrid cloud priorities, the cloud playing field is ever-changing. These shifts in cloud computing are tinged with a desperate need to educate and stay informed in this fast-paced environment. According to Gartner’s 10 Cloud Computing Trends White Paper, enterprise cloud strategies are evolving in five key areas:

If there is one thing to note from this evolution of cloud growth, it is that staying educated and taking action are two necessary steps for the coming year. The goal here is to secure customer retention and help position your company as a relevant thought leader in the industry today. How do you keep tabs on industry trends?

Learning and educating come in many forms. Whether it is through a company’s own training service, professional online videos or hands-on interactions at partner events, there is no denying that knowledge is power. With the new year ahead, there is no better time to learn, grow and invent by investing the time to become a master of your trade.

This year, VMware is asking its partners to get educated and Master the New Reality of cloud computing at Partner Exchange 2014. With a goal of becoming the catalyst between education and success, VMware has taken its own industry advice and invited Salman Khan to come speak at PEX. Sal Khan is the founder of the Khan Academy, a nonprofit with the mission of providing free, high-quality education to “anyone, anywhere” in the world. A former hedge fund analyst with degrees from MIT and Harvard, Khan is also the author of The One World School House, which explores the potential impact of the web as a teaching tool. It may be one of the most influential books about education in our time.

At this year’s event, partners can attend boot camps and workshops to further their education, partnership and success. In addition to the training available at PEX, we also offer the following educational tools on our partner website:

1. Quarterly launch presentations: Receive the latest and greatest news on recent product announcements.

2. Hands-on-labs: Access to VMware products in a cloud environment. With 16 new virtual labs now available, partners can explore products, review architecture and validate use cases. These labs are great for training or promoting solutions with customers.

3. Training through Partner University and the Partner Mobile Knowledge Portal: Watch streamlined eLearning content from anywhere.

4. Free workshops around the globe: Partners who attend can build their skills, expand their product knowledge and earn a VMware solution accreditation.

Investing in our partner’s education is part of our 2014 road map. Please join us at Partner Exchange 2014 and learn for yourself, how together, we can master the New Reality.

See you there!

Colleen Kapase is senior director, Partner Readiness at VMware. Guest blogs such as this one are published monthly, and are part of The VAR Guy’s annual platinum sponsorship.