Cloud computing has made a significant impact over the last few years on the education sector. It is changing the way students learn, teachers teach and educational institutions operate. More and more we are seeing Schools and Trusts wanting to centralise their IT systems and switch to the cloud; whether that be a Hybrid Cloud or Private. Thanks to cloud computing, it makes it possible for Schools & MATs to leverage superior resources that they could otherwise maintain, and makes it easier for students, teachers and staff to operate remotely.
Cloud computing isn’t just about ‘moving to the cloud’ in terms of data and management, there are so many more advantages which are often overlooked; however here at Advanced IT Services they’re why we think cloud computing is the natural next step for Schools in their IT provision.
Reduce costs & maximise budgets
A decade or so ago, educational institutions had to invest hundreds of thousands per licence for their software which needed to be repurchased whenever there was a more recent version. Today thanks to Software-as-as-service, it makes it possible to pay low monthly costs as opposed to expensive licences.
There’s also the added benefit with Cloud computing that more often than not an intuition will employ a company to maintain and monitor their cloud services which means Schools will get the very best access to knowledge and expert support. So put simply, it means Schools can really make the most of their IT budgets and develop long term strategies.
Remote Learning
Since the COVID-19 pandemic, Schools have had to effectively overnight ensure their remote-learning strategies were able to cope with new found demand. During the first lockdown, we remember well those first few days of working round the clock to ensure all our Schools had everything they required to enable effective remote learning and staff collaboration. Cloud computing enables institutions to always have everything they need readily available, in a secure protected environment.
Collaboration
Cloud computing can be great to bring teams together, share lesson plans, class martials and knowledge base; encouraging collaboration either across one school or multiple if you’re part of a Trust. It gives everyone the opportunity to achieve more and become more productive through making learning more flexible overall.
Security
All data store in the cloud is encrypted which means it’s much harder for hackers to intercept files and data, and most providers will offer monitoring and back-up services as standard. Schools will find cloud computing to be inherently more secure through their providers, as most have their own dedicated Data Centres. Through hybrid-cloud solutions, institutions can not only centralise their IT networks but create secure environments for sensitive data to remain not only secure, but always compliant with the latest regulations of DfE guidance.
Scalability
With little hardware involved, it’s really easy to scale up or down depending on the School or Trusts requirements; which means as things change you can too with little hassle or disruption to learning.
The Cloud is becoming a necessity
Switching to the cloud is going to become a virtual necessity as the world becomes more remote. With many employees working remotely today, students are sure to follow. Cloud computing is not just powerful, but also simple, easy to use, and affordable. Many institutions are going to be switching over to cloud infrastructures overall, if they haven’t already.
For schools and universities, cloud solutions can make it easier to give the students the education they deserve. It’s a responsibility for education professionals to look more deeply into the importance of cloud computing in education, and how it could potentially help them.
If you’re School is looking to switching to cloud computing, our team are here to help consult or plan your migration towards a centralised IT infrastructure. Get in touch and see how we can help.