The cloud: a smart move for higher education
How cloud computing is an engine for growth and maintaining a competitive edge.
Key takeaways
- The cloud is increasingly important to an institution’s strategy
- Cloud platforms free IT staff to be more strategic, to better serve the enterprise
- The value of cloud is in capability, cost, and control
Just five years ago, people in higher education discussed "the cloud" using the future tense. They argued over its definition, considered its possibilities, mused about the speed of its adoption. They framed their conversations using words like "imagine" and "explore."
Today, the quotation marks have been removed. The cloud is no longer a trend to analyse, but a reality to embrace. This paper discusses its definition and scope, as well as its benefits for higher education.
What exactly is the cloud?
Put simply, cloud computing means moving data and programmes from local servers to the Internet, providing users with the ability to access and share information at any time, from multiple devices.
Cloud computing is transforming the way institutions do business and serve constituents. And for higher education, it offers the ability to serve not just educators and administrators, but students, who bring their own technology devices, needs, and expectations to the equation.
