The security, flexibility, and cost-savings of cloud computing have led educational institutions of all sizes to adopt cloud services. The widespread adoption of cloud services is reflected in the statistics as the cloud computing in education market size is estimated to grow from 8.13 billion in 2016 to 25.36 billion by 2021.
The growing need for a centralized managed system of educational processes and the necessity to support remote learning environments has driven schools to look for new solutions. Educational institutions of all sizes can leverage cloud services to provide the additional accessibility and flexibility needed to support remote learning environments at an affordable cost.
3 Ways Educational Institutions Benefit from Cloud Computing
Many schools are starting to adopt cloud computing due to the numerous benefits it provides staff, students, and parents. From reducing costs to improving accessibility, here are three ways educational institutions can benefit from cloud services.
Reduce Costs
From server hardware maintenance costs to the physical space the server occupies, on-prem servers are a costly investment for schools. On-prem servers require additional IT expertise to manage and ongoing energy costs to keep them running at optimal temperatures.
Educational institutions that choose to adopt cloud services can eliminate costly on-site servers and replace them with a predictably priced cloud computing model. As opposed to on-prem servers, the cloud computing model allows schools to only pay for the resources they use like storage and memory space.
Improve Accessibility
Cloud computing improves data accessibility, allowing teachers and students the flexibility to access information and educational resources anytime and anywhere as long as there is a reliable internet connection. Providing schools the ability to upload lesson plans to the cloud helps support remote learning environments and is critical as the pandemic continues to disrupt in-person learning.
Bolster Data Security
On-prem servers have several security vulnerabilities including, fires, floods, and break-ins. These potential threats increase the risk of permanent data loss. Schools that move their data from on-prem servers to the cloud can leverage intelligent security technologies to minimize security risks and bolster data security. Cloud-based infrastructure utilizes several security mechanisms to fortify data. These methods include but are not limited to:
- Next-Generation Firewall
- Virtual private network (VPN)
- Disaster recovery
- Threat intelligence
- Multi-factor authentication
- Software patches and updates
- Data masking and encryption
Adopt Cloud Services for Your Educational Institution
The future of education is in the cloud. Educational institutions can no longer ignore cloud computing. It’s time for schools to retire their legacy mindset and embrace the innovative capabilities cloud-based technology has to offer. Educational institutions should partner with a trusted managed cloud service provider to reduce capital expenditure and promote a better learning environment for students.
