Load the Game

Microsoft Virtual Academy: the challenges of the future

• Egon Kilin
• February 12th, 2015

The Microsoft Virtual Academy has kicked off a new challenge for developers and those who are interested in software development, called the Know It – Prove It Challenge. Through the Microsoft Virtual Academy, tech enthusiasts can make use of the services and resources made available through the platform in order to create their own software solutions in the cloud or for the Internet of Things. The Virtual Academy is a way in which Microsoft gathers information about products like Azure, Office 365, Windows 10, apps, games and cloud storage, all the while providing a platform where developers can work on their own projects.

The Know It part of the challenge lasts until the end of the month, February 28, while the Prove It part lasts until March 31, so you’ve still got time to sign up for the Microsoft Virtual Academy and complete the challenges. The aim of the project is to help people learn about software development and put their ideas into practice by using Microsoft resources. If you are interested, you can access eight different domains on which you can test and learn.

These domains within the Microsoft Virtual Academy are cloud development, game development, mobile development, web development, hybrid cloud, implement identity and access management, Office 365 and SharePoint. A lot to choose from! By participating in the project, you can select your domain of interest and work within that to test out what Microsoft has and to try and improve it and implement new angles.

For example, in cloud development, you will be able to develop applications, websites and services which can then be hosted in Microsoft Azure. You will be able to access video learning modules aside from text-based learning material, and your progress will be assessed by Microsoft. Participants in the Microsoft Virtual Academy can earn badges and points and compete with each other. You can access a lot of learning material and ultimately, it’s like going to university. Moreover, all the courses are free and you can efficiently learn what cloud computing and what the future of technology holds.