MANAGING ICT Cloud technology: Q&A
What sort of data is kept in the cloud and is it secure? Any data can be kept securely in the cloud, as long as the correct security measures have been implemented. Essentially, many of these measures are the same for data that is hosted locally. They include data encryption, disaster recovery, secure back-up, that is regularly tested, ISO-accredited security and authentication, effective up-to-date anti-virus protection, and a secure hosting environment. Similar to the rationale that can be applied to most IT outsourcing, one of
the benefits of storing data in the cloud is that a school can reap the benefits of it being managed by IT experts. Often the security standards and testing are more rigorous than they would need to be if applied locally by a school because cloud providers operate on commercial servers. To give just one example, cloud services are periodically penetration tested to guard against hacking. It is also important to note, however, that technology is not the only security
measure that can protect data. Individuals should be more aware of the necessary precautions that they need to take to limit the risk of security breaches, such as choosing strong passwords, keeping them safe, and not sharing them with other users. Continued education, information and computer use policies will close more doors to those external parties with malicious intent.
Has cloud really taken off in the corporate world and could it do the same in the education sector? Cloud has been adopted in certain areas of business more readily than others, but on the whole uptake has been slower than anticipated. There is definitely scope for cloud to benefit the education sector. As with any technology, a high rate of adoption will reduce the cost of the services greatly. A survey conducted by Gartner among UK companies looked at the adoption
of cloud computing and found that 30 per cent are currently using cloud, 36 per cent plan to use it, and 36 per cent have no plans to use it. Perhaps this staggered response could demonstrate that companies are still trying to understand how best to take advantage of the cloud’s key components – but that could be about to change. Ovum’s 2011 trends brief says that 2011 will see cloud computing mature as vendors and suppliers get to grips with the opportunities and challenges of cloud computing. Much like the business world, each school has different IT needs and so the
extent to which cloud is right for them as a solution will vary. It is important that schools understand what they need from their IT and to get a service tailored to their needs.
• Baby Steps into the Cloud – ICT as a service for education, Microsoft Education White paper, December 2010: Searchable online.
• Cloud Computing in Education – Savings, flexibility, and choice for IT, Microsoft Education Whitepaper, April 2010: Searchable online.
Would making use of cloud technology help my school save money? In common with other areas of restraint in capital expenditure, the budget for schools’ capital ICT has fallen from £1,450 to £800 per pupil. Schools need to be considering alternative service delivery models that can help to drive
down costs and using a cloud-based ICT service is certainly one option worth looking into. When considering cloud computing versus a locally hosted network
infrastructure, it is important to factor in the total cost of ownership (TCO). A locally hosted solution is subject to management, maintenance, repair, upgrade and refresh costs; and a cloud solution can remove this pain. With a cloud-based service, these costs will be wrapped up in the subscription cost, making them easier to manage. The school should also benefit from the supplier’s economies of scale, this will generate cost savings that could not have been achieved locally. The private sector is adopting cloud technology because of the potential it offers in terms of the TCO savings – why should education be any different?
Will I still have control of my school’s IT if we make use of cloud technology? A school can have as much control of its IT as it wants or needs. To an extent, the issue of loss of control is about perception of the cloud, as opposed to the reality of a cloud service. From a practical point of view, it is possible to have the same level of control over the functionality of cloud-based systems as you would a local system. The school would still connect to a server and manage it – all that has changed in the location of the server. In reality, a school is more likely to be presented with some sort of control
panel that will allow it to manage the services – however, depending on the provider, the school should be able to choose the level of control it requires. The key is for schools to manage supplier relationships, have a clear idea of what they want from the service, and have a comprehensive service level agreement in place with the supplier, which includes the amount of access and control you require.
We would like to be as ‘green’ as we can with our use of IT. Is cloud technology more sustainable and better for the environment than our school’s current IT? There are some 25,000 schools in the UK and, in theory a significant shift to the cloud would likely result in greatly reduced energy usage. However, in reality, the amount of energy it takes to run a server is only very small compared to all of the other aspects of a school that use power. Making use of power-saving technologies to zone lighting and manage the
amount of time that PCs are left on for would also make a significant impact on both the school’s carbon footprint, and its electricity bills – so using the cloud needs to be part of a much more comprehensive review of how you use power and what happens to the heat and carbon dioxide you generate.
• Steve Smith is director of learning at Capita IT Services. SecEd
SecEd • September 22 2011
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