Can you give a brief overview of what CloudShare does, as well as tell us about your newest training solution?
ZG: CloudShare is a specialty cloud provider that helps software companies replicate software applications and IT environments in the cloud for training, sales enablement and sandboxing for testing and support. We provide completely automated end-to-end solutions for business users for training, sales, marketing, R&D and support without the need for IT support. In addition, our specialized data centers and technical expertise let vendors of complex on-premise solutions bring their environments to the cloud unchanged, without having to modify their applications in any way.
Our training solutions let companies provide students with hands-on training in safe, realistic environments so trainees can learn various types of scenarios that mirror their daily work activities. Our customers use CloudShare for instructor-led training in traditional classroom settings and at large industry events, as well as for virtual instructor-led training, self-paced courses and certification programs.
Our newest solution, CloudShare Training Solution for SaaS, is a cloud-agnostic offering that can support any SaaS application, regardless of where it is hosted. Students access with one click from any browser, without the need for set-up or installation, and instructors can schedule classes and send student invitations in minutes. We launched this solution because SaaS applications are growing in complexity and to solve one of the biggest roadblocks facing SaaS companies – canceled subscriptions due to adoption and usage failure.
Do most organizations provide an adequate amount of IT staff training?
ZG: Unfortunately, the answer is no. The IT skills shortage is an ongoing concern for enterprises and IT vendors alike. With thin IT staff, companies often find themselves in a catch- 22 situation: their teams are so busy with day-to-day tasks that they can’t afford to send staff away for days of training. According to the 2018 State of IT Training Report by New Horizons, only about one in 10 decision-makers (11 percent) believe sufficient training exists for their organization. Yet there is good news, and signs of progress. Corporations are increasing training budgets to address the issue, but they are still facing challenges of finding the most effective mix of training without incurring extensive costs or time commitments.
What are the biggest benefits for organizations and sales teams when it comes to a hands-on training environment?
ZG: For sales teams, the ability to let prospects spin up a realistic copy of their solution quickly, with all the features, and get hands on with it in a safe sandbox. They can also test integrating it with other solutions in their environment. Prospective buyers want the chance to fully experience a product; prospective users need that experience to learn. Even a scaled down demo of a solution may not cut it if you cannot show realistic scenarios that matter to the customer.
CloudShare’s virtual labs are specifically designed to facilitate sales demos and POCs make technical engagements with complex environments smoother, providing: A hands-on experience for multiple users; the ability to manage and track all deployments from the cloud; visibility into users’ actions; and capacity that can be quickly scaled up or down.
What makes CloudShare so unique?
ZG: CloudShare is the only cloud service provider that provides full end-to-end solutions for training, sales demos and POCs, marketing trials, as well as sandboxing solutions for development and customer support. In addition, we are uniquely able to support vendors of both complex on-premise environments, as well as SaaS applications.
Many of our customers credit CloudShare for the fast growth of their training businesses and overall software sales as a result of our ability to enable effective training of employees, customers and partners on their complex applications.
How can CloudShare help combat IT skills shortage in industries like security and SaaS?
ZG: For the security and IT personnel who need to protect their systems, there is no better way to learn and prepare for an actual incident than hands-on practice with realistic scenarios in a safe, sandboxed replica of your IT environment, whether they are learning on-premise or SaaS solutions. Students and vendors still value instructor-led trainings, where they can ask questions and get help immediately. Students also need the flexibility to participate in trainings on their own terms, according to what best fits their schedules. By supporting both virtual instructor led training and self-paced labs, CloudShare gives vendors and students the flexibility to provide and scale training whenever and wherever needed.
How can people find out more about CloudShare’s SaaS Training Solution?
ZG: SaaS vendors and training organizations are encouraged to visit the CloudShare website www.cloudshare.com and see our training solution for SaaS page. In addition, they can explore our blog and resources section for additional material. Of course, when they are ready, they can easily book a demo with one of our virtual labs experts from our website.
