APC Student Kyle Dumbrique Passes Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam (AZ-900)
by Julian Bass
The tech industry is a very lucrative and engaging field for many budding enthusiasts and seasoned professionals. You don’t need to be some licensed cyberhacker or data-analyzing guru to see just how much of a growing impact technology is having with each passing day; for clients like you and me or developers working behind the scenes.
There are some big names in the ballpark when you think of technology. Microsoft, IBM, Amazon, and Alibaba are just a few, and they’re all eager to source the talents of the youth as new tech proteges make names for themselves through portfolio projects and certifications.
APC has had its fair share of recognized graduates reaching heights through these global communities, and last Friday (March 12, 2021) we saw our latest addition through Computer Science student Kyle Dumbrique who passed the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam (AZ-900). She took the exam through the exam-from-home service offered through Certiport.
Microsoft Azure is a leading cloud computing tool suite that provides computing resources over the internet like virtual machines, data storage and backup, machine learning and data analysis and even streaming media content. When you see Microsoft Azure at any point in a person’s CV or list of credentials, you’ll know it’s something big.
Being a specialist in online services like these is a big boon for the scalability of your work opportunities since more and more applications are making their way to the cloud. It’s also highly efficient and expansible for work-from-home situations where access to physical resources for tech products is likely unavailable. Even small-scale portfolio projects can benefit greatly from these cloud services to boost your performance and scalability for reasonable prices, especially when you take the time to research what it is you really need from these platforms.
“Microsoft Azure is efficient with its ‘pay-as-you-go’ method where you only pay for the exact services you’re using. It really helps you stay within the needs of your projects.” Kyle said.
You might also be wondering, “Do I have to be a developer to make use of cloud computing services?” The answer is; it depends. One of the greatest advantages of many cloud computing suites out there is that they’re slowly evolving into low-code environments which makes them more accessible to less code-savvy folk. There are still some code specifications for working with these applications, but they’re relatively simple and adaptive. A perfect example of this is the set of virtual machines given by APC for each student’s use. This lets us connect to school resources and access premium software services. It’s a cost-efficient way to allow students to make full use of the software benefits of the institution, especially during the quarantine period.
“You do need a bit of code knowledge to make the most of Microsoft Azure services, but these are mostly with JSON and XML elements. The virtual machines of APC are a good example of a service that can be set up with cloud services. You don’t necessarily need to be a hard-core developer to explore these options.” Kyle said.
APC students are blessed with many certification opportunities thanks to our institution’s partnerships with the likes of Microsoft and IBM. Vouchers are a relatively common offering for students to gun for these learning opportunities which is how Kyle spent her time reviewing for the exam.
“APC offers a lot of vouchers for these kinds of things, so I think it’s a good idea for students to claim as many of these certifications as possible. It will help when you connect with people in the future.” Kyle said.
Kyle’s recognition through the Microsoft Azure Fundamentals Exam should be seen as a wake-up call for all young students of APC. It’s a normal feeling to be intimidated by big names and computer jargon especially from something like Microsoft, but that’s likely going to be the best part of your experience. We’ve all gone through our fair share of LinkedIn and Udemy courses for classes, so why should this be any different? As someone coding the future, time and dedication will always be your greatest assets for breaching the surface and soaring to new heights.
If you wish to read more about this certification or Microsoft Azure as a whole, you may use these links:
- Microsoft Azure Homepage: https://azure.microsoft.com/en-us/
- Exam AZ-900, Microsoft Azure Fundamentals: https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/learn/certifications/exams/az-900
- Certiport Exams from Home: https://certiport.pearsonvue.com/Support/Install/Exams-from-Home.aspx
