With so much buzz around cloud services and architecting your business for the cloud, it’s easy to feel left behind. Don’t fret; there are plenty of ways to keep up with the latest and greatest news, information and training. If you’ve not heard about the Microsoft Virtual Academy before then you’re in for a treat! Quite simply, it’s free on demand training on a range of IT Professional topics. Furthermore, the content is in the cloud and you can access it as and when you need it! Everyone has their own learning style. So with this in mind, there are a range of different learning materials on offer, such as whitepapers, webcasts, training videos and access to experts. The site has been set up in a game based learning style with points for modules. As you pass each module you gain points which are then ranked both globally and locally. Alongside the training materials, there are some great opportunities to gain assistance from Microsoft through events such as the 6 Weeks of Azure programme of events. The sign up for this is available now! All in all, this is a NO cost approach to learning, which in the current economic climate means that you can still get trained up on the latest technologies no matter what your departments budget is. Learning is something that every good IT professional does throughout their career, so this is a great opportunity to hone those skills and be at the very top of your game.