In-demand industry cloud computing now being offered at Laurel Ridge

For Immediate Release:
August 13, 2020

Primary Media Contact:
Sally Voth
Public Relations Specialist
[email protected]
Phone: 540-868-7134

cloud computing

The sky’s the limit for one of the newest programs being offered at Laurel Ridge. This fall, students can enroll in the cloud computing career studies certificate program.

Designed for individuals just starting their careers, as well as those already in a technology career but looking for a new focus, the 16-credit program can be completed over two semesters.

Cloud technology allows a business or organization of any size to store vast quantities of data without the need for on-site servers. A $100-billion industry, cloud computing is considered one of the biggest growth areas in technology today.

“Whether from home or from the office – both are often in one place these days – more and more workers are relying on the cloud to provide the infrastructure, data, collaboration tools, and a host of other technologies that in the past had to be maintained in-house by their employer,” said Professor Art Lee, Laurel Ridge information technology program lead. “It is expensive to perform that constant maintenance while also keeping up with upgrades.

“Cloud computing provides more of a pay-as-you-go model, which is growing increasingly attractive to businesses of every size. While Amazon Web Services, Google Cloud and Microsoft Azure are the top three cloud service providers, Oracle and IBM Cloud are also vying for a share of this industry, which has grown to more than $100 billion and becoming more crowded by the day.”

Students in Laurel Ridge’s cloud computing program will take courses in administration of network resources; cloud computing: infrastructure and services; information storage and management; virtual infrastructure: installation and configuration; and more.

Learn more at laurelridge.edu/cloud, or by contacting Professor Lee at [email protected]

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Founded in 1970, Laurel Ridge Community College is a multi-campus public institution of higher education. With four locations — Middletown, Warrenton, Luray-Page County and most recently, Vint Hill— the College serves eight localities in the Shenandoah Valley and northern Piedmont regions. The localities are the counties of Clarke, Fauquier, Frederick, Page, Rappahannock, Shenandoah and Warren and the city of Winchester. Laurel Ridge offers more than 75 associate degree and certificate programs in a wide variety of disciplines, in addition to providing access to bachelor’s, master’s and doctoral degree programs offered on site by a four-year institution. Laurel Ridge also serves the business community by offering workforce preparation programs for employees and employers. Laurel Ridge serves more than 9,000 unduplicated credit students and more than 11,000 individuals in professional development and business and industry courses annually.

Laurel Ridge Community College (Laurel Ridge) is accredited by the Commission on Colleges of the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools to award associate degrees. Contact the Commission on Colleges at 1866 Southern Lane, Decatur, Georgia 30033-4097 or call 404-679-4500 for questions about the accreditation of Laurel Ridge Community College. Laurel Ridge Community College is an equal opportunity institution providing educational and employment opportunities, programs, services, and activities and does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sex, age, religion, disability, national origin, marital status, political affiliation, sexual orientation, or other non-merit factors. Laurel Ridge also prohibits sexual misconduct including sexual violence or harassment.

Laurel Ridge Community College was known as Lord Fairfax Community College until June 2022. For consistency purposes, the college will be referenced as Laurel Ridge going forward.

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