CLASS Advanced Instructor Insights: Meet Cloud Solutions Champion Jason Smith

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

With preparations underway for the Spring 2024 Cohort of CLASS Advanced (April 29–May 10, 2024), we checked in with principal instructor Jason Smith, vice president at Innovation in Software, an IT technology company based in Northern California, where he leads the technical training and consulting team.

Commitment to Collaboration

His goal for the upcoming cohort? “Ensure that attendees can leverage the full spectrum of cloud capabilities, from security to scalability and cost-efficiency,” Jason explained. “In an era where cloud platforms are the future, these skills are indispensable.”

Experience and Expertise 

And he’s the perfect person to guide the CLASS Advanced Spring 2024 cohort participants in gaining these skills. With more than 20 years of experience in solving complex problems and technological challenges in both startup and enterprise environments, Jason has a proven track record of delivering creative and effective solutions for technology adoption, integration, and automation. His core competencies include public cloud and cloud-native technologies, such as AWS, GCP, Azure, Docker, and Kubernetes.

Instructor Insights

Here is Jason’s perspective on the benefits of CLASS Advanced. 

Q: What do you hope attendees will learn from CLASS Advanced training?

JS: Attendees can expect to gain a deep understanding of cloud environments, master infrastructure-as-code (IaC) using Terraform/Ansible, and acquire the skills to implement machine learning and data analytics solutions at scale. They will also learn about optimizing performance and costs, which are crucial for managing efficient and effective cloud-based systems.

Q: What challenges facing the research and higher ed community does the training help address?

JS: The training helps address several challenges in the research and higher education community, such as the need for scalable computing resources, managing large datasets, and ensuring the security and compliance of research data. It also equips staff to make informed decisions about technology investments and to architect robust systems that support complex research projects.

Q: What do you enjoy most about facilitating training?

JS: Facilitating training is most enjoyable when witnessing the moment participants grasp a complex concept or when they successfully apply the learned skills to solve real-world problems. It’s about empowering individuals with knowledge that has immediate and practical application, leading to innovation and advancement in their respective fields.

Q: What’s the #1 reason people should attend CLASS Advanced training?

JS: The #1 reason people should attend training is to stay competitive and proficient in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. Mastery of cloud services and architectures is no longer optional but a necessity for organizations that wish to lead in innovation and efficiency. This training provides the essential skills and knowledge to achieve that competency.

Additional details are available on the CLASS Advanced web page. For more information, contact us at class@internet2.edu. We look forward to seeing you in CLASS!

ICYMI

• Build Real-World Cloud Skills for Research with CLASS Advanced

• CLASS Advanced Alumni Get Great Benefits