Bas van Kaam

Hello everyone, my name is Bas van Kaam…

As a (Field) CTO, Principal Technical Trainer and Business Consultant with over 25 years of experience in the IT (Cloud) industry, I have helped hundreds of companies transition to the cloud. From small organizations to large multinationals, ranging from 5 to 50,000 employees (or "users"—industry jargon for the actual end user of an IT service within a company).

I have worked on and have been involved in a wide range of cloud projects, both from a technical as well as business perspective. I am highly familiar with the cloud (in general) product and services portfolio and vendor landscape. This experience forms the foundation of my book; Van de Basis tot Meester in de Cloud (in Dutch, Engels version will follow, soon) in which I share my knowledge, practical insights, and various strategies.

Most people who know me well would probably describe me as a true perfectionist—you either do it right, or you don’t do it at all. All-in. Someone who always wants to win and hates to lose, although I’ve gotten pretty good at hiding that over the years—well, most of the time. These traits have brought me to where I am today: happy, healthy, successful, and very satisfied with my life, my wonderful wife, children, family, and friends.

I have been part of the IT industry since 1998, and along the way, I’ve taken on many different roles, worn various “hats,” and sometimes multiple at the same time. From junior to senior roles, I have essentially gone through the entire journey. Today, I’m reaping the benefits of that experience. There’s basically isn't a project type I haven’t seen or been part of, and I consider myself fortunate to have witnessed the early days of computer virtualization and cloud computing.

Over the years, I have spoken with (and worked alongside) hundreds of companies worldwide, about their challenges and pitfalls, their “lessons learned,” but also about some of the successes and major advantages they’ve gained from the cloud. Many of them I’ve had the privilege of guiding in one way or another.

I spend a lot of time designing, organizing, and delivering various training programs—something I thoroughly enjoy. I have done my best to make the topics in this book as relevant as possible, including the necessary details and background information—I hope I’ve succeeded.

This book is for anyone who not only wants to learn the theory (and history) of cloud computing but, more importantly, wants to understand how to apply this knowledge effectively and efficiently in practice. Whether you’re an IT professional looking to grasp some of the technical details or a business leader wanting to understand how the cloud can transform your organization, Van de Basis tot Meester in de Cloud provides everything you need to succeed in the world of cloud computing.

Another trait of mine that brings me great joy is making others happy. For instance, I tend to give away anything I no longer use to family or friends, buy small gifts from time to time—just because—and always try to help or support people in some way, both personally and professionally. After 25 years, it was about time to share the knowledge I’ve accumulated with a larger audience. It fits perfectly with who I am. A truly exciting and challenging project. The information in this book took me many years to gather, refine, and compile into this format.

I hope you enjoy reading and learning from it!