140 million results are returned in 0.48 seconds when you search for cloud computing in a Google search. With that much information available, and that many conversations active around the globe, do we really know what cloud is? Are we confident in knowing what cloud can do? Can we explain why the cloud is changing everything?

If 10 people were asked what cloud computing is and why it is important, we would get at least 12 different answers. Where is the disconnect? We know leaders want it. CFOs support it. Strategists recommend it. Technical teams request it. Users demand it. Isn't cloud easy? Cloud is often associated with acceleration, cost control, added flexibility, increased agility, lower complexity, and rapid innovation. Cloud is never described as easy. It takes an incredible amount of work and planning to be simple. CIOs are stating that cloud skills are a top hiring priority in 2018. What do we need to stay relevant? How do we keep up with an industry that is changing every day?

Cloud computing is changing strategies and enabling innovation at every turn. Cloud is changing IT economics. Cloud is blurring the lines and breaking down traditional silos. Cloud is blending roles and redefining boundaries. Regardless of which industry we are in, or the position we hold, cloud computing is changing everything: how we work, how we play, and how we communicate.