About the author
Hello everyone, my name is Bas van Kaam. As a Principal Technical Trainer, (Field) CTO, and Technical and Business Consultant with over 25 years of experience in the IT and cloud industry, I’ve had the privilege of helping hundreds of organizations make the transition to the cloud. From small businesses to large multinational enterprises, ranging from just 5 to 50,000 employees—or “users,” as we say in tech, the actual end-users of IT services.
Throughout my career, I’ve worked on and been involved in a wide variety of cloud projects, both technical and strategic. I’m very familiar with cloud products, services, and the broader vendor landscape. This experience is what forms the foundation of this book, where I share my knowledge, hands-on insights, and proven strategies.
People who know me well would probably say I’m a bit of a perfectionist—someone who believes you either do it right or don’t do it at all. I tend to go all in. I’m competitive by nature and not exactly a fan of losing, though I’ve gotten better at hiding that… well, most of the time. Traits like these have shaped who I am and where I am today: happy, healthy, successful, and incredibly thankful for the life I get to live with my amazing wife, kids, family, and friends.
I’ve been working in IT since 1998. Over the years, I’ve worn many hats and taken on a wide range of roles—sometimes even juggling several at once. From junior to senior positions, I’ve pretty much covered the full spectrum. These days, I get to reap the benefits of that experience. There’s hardly a type of project I haven’t come across, and I’ve been lucky enough to witness the early rise of both virtualization and cloud computing.
Over time, I’ve spoken with (and worked alongside) hundreds of organizations across the globe. Discussing their challenges and setbacks, the lessons they’ve learned, and—just as importantly—the successes and significant value they’ve gained from the cloud. I’ve had the honor of guiding many of them personally, in one way or another.
I spend a lot of time building, organizing, and delivering training sessions—something I truly enjoy. For this book, I’ve done my best to keep the topics relevant and packed with practical context and background—hopefully, that comes across as you read through it.
This book is for anyone who wants to go beyond just learning the theory (and history) of cloud computing and actually understand how to put that knowledge into practice—effectively and efficiently. Whether you’re an IT professional looking to dive into the technical details or a business leader curious about how the cloud can help transform your organization, Cloud Mastery gives you the tools you need to thrive in today’s cloud-driven world.
Another trait of mine—which I take great joy in—is making others happy. I regularly give away things I no longer use to family or friends, surprise people with small gifts, just because, and always try to help others move forward—whether personally or professionally. After 25 years in the field, it felt like the right time to share what I’ve learned with a wider audience. This has been an incredibly fun and fulfilling project. The information in this book has taken me years to gather, structure, and shape into what you’re now holding, or soon, hopefully.
I truly hope you enjoy reading it and get as much value from it as I did creating it.
