E018: Cloud Strategy

E018 is a three-unit graduate course in the Master of Science, Information Technology at Western Governors University. It is listed in the standard program only (the Product Management version has different later courses), and WGU lists no prerequisites.

The guidebook says students research available cloud technologies, decide which align best with business needs, propose policies for the organization's use of the cloud, and recommend a broader cloud strategy for a specific organization.

The difficulty is judgment. Cloud vendors offer many services, and the course rewards the student who chooses fewer, better-justified options over a long catalog.

What E018 Covers

Key Concepts Explained

Needs First, Services Second

Start with the business need, such as faster delivery, lower capital cost or resilience. Only then ask which type of service fits. A strategy that starts with a favorite product tends to read as a sales pitch.

Policy

Cloud policy sets guardrails: who may create resources, how data is classified and stored, how costs are monitored and how vendors are reviewed. Policy is a decision about behavior, so write clear, enforceable statements.

Evaluating a Service

Compare candidates on fit, cost, security and governance, integration with existing systems, and the risk of becoming locked in to one vendor.

Typical Assignments and How to Approach Them

A Simple Comparison Grid

A grid keeps your evaluation honest. List two or three candidate services across the top and your criteria down the side, then rate each against the scenario and write one sentence explaining the rating. Finish with the recommendation and the main risk it carries.

A Short Worked Evaluation

Suppose a small training company wants to host video lessons and an online booking system. The business needs are reliable access for learners across several time zones, predictable monthly cost and simple administration with a two-person IT team.

Notice how each choice points back to a stated need. This pattern, need then option then reason then risk, works for almost any evaluation task in the course.

A Study Approach for Each Competency

For the evaluation competency, collect the facts you need first: the organization's goals, its existing systems, its budget and its skills. Only then compare services. Doing it in this order prevents the common habit of picking a favorite service and searching for reasons afterwards.

For the policy competency, think in terms of decisions people will make. Who may buy cloud services? Where may data live? How is spending reviewed? Each answer becomes a clear policy statement.

For the strategy competency, tie the whole submission together: say where the organization is, where it wants to be, and which cloud steps bridge the gap in a sensible order.

Where Students Get Stuck

• Product tours. Describing features instead of matching them to needs.
• Vague policy. Statements such as keep data secure cannot be enforced; say who does what.
• Strategy without goals. Each recommendation should point to a business objective.
• Overlooking cost and lock-in. A fair evaluation names the downsides of the preferred option.

Study Tips for E018

• Learn the service models (infrastructure, platform, software) and deployment models well enough to explain when each fits.
• Write the business goal at the top of your notes and test every recommendation against it.
• Keep policies short and testable.
• Review the rubric against your headings before submitting.

How We Help with E018

Send the scenario, task instructions and rubric. A writer can prepare a model evaluation and strategy, explain how to word policies, or review your draft. The work is a study aid; submit your own work under WGU's academic integrity policy.

GradeEssays is independent of Western Governors University. Orders are written from scratch, include free revisions within the scope of your original request, and are refunded in full if late. See also our business paper help guide.