Google has acquired Qwiklabs to help train the next generation of developers on its cloud.
Qwiklabs is a hands-on learning platform designed to provide a learning environment for developers and IT professionals to gain experience working on cloud platforms.
The company was launched in 2012 and had previously focused on teaching the skills that are required for using the Amazon Web Services cloud. AWS also uses Qwiklabs for offering labs for developers on its platform.
Qwiklabs wrote on its blog: “We will be joining the Google Cloud team to help deliver hands-on lab learning for Google Cloud Platform, G Suite, and other products. We’re incredibly excited to now be a part of Google’s legendary cast of innovators.”
Qwiklabs was founded in 2012.
Google said that its plan with the platform will be to help close the IP skills gap in the cloud and said: “We’re focused on offering the most comprehensive, efficient, and fun way to train and onboard people across all our products on Google Cloud, including Google Cloud Platform and G Suite.”
The acquisition could potentially be a significant loss for AWS, although Qwiklabs said that it will continue to offer lab learning credits and subscriptions, but it seems unlikely that a Google Cloud owned company will be wanting to train developers to use AWS.
Nothing has yet been announced as to the kinds of training that will be provided to the Google Cloud.
Qwiklabs had built a growing user base with its work providing courses for AWS users. The company said that since 2012 over half a million users have spent over five million hours learning cloud technology through its platform.
Financial details of the transaction have not been revealed.
