22 | ROUNDTABLE: MOVING TO THE CLOUD | PRIMARY AND SECONDARY
W:
edtechnology.co.uk | T: @Educ_Technology
necessary to have the technical ability and resource needed to manage a significant server infrastructure. Ironically for schools, cloud-based solutions also provide a much more secure environment than the historic server in a back room.
What about the costs? Can moving to the cloud really save you money?
NG: It is a myth that moving to the cloud can save you money. The reality is it’s probably the same cost over time through the subscriptions. However the benefits are significant because you always have on-demand, up-to-date security and access to information systems and documents you need. You also remove the worry about having hardware failure and backing up data.
TD: Cloud-based services can reduce the cost of licences, support and infrastructure, but cost shouldn’t be the only consideration. A holistic view is called for, taking account of present and future needs as well as in-house resources – sometimes hybrid models are best for an institution overall, with some elements moved to the cloud and others kept within the four walls of the institution.
LS: All of the above leads to significant cost savings. Just look at the ways you can save money; no need for extensive servers on site or software licenses for communication and collaboration tools. And, if you couple this with devices like Chromebooks, you can also reduce the costs you spend on hardware.
LD: Yes, absolutely, particularly if you consider the total cost of ownership (TCO) and compare a traditional on-premises IT environment with a virtual hosted one. While traditionally IT was based on ‘one server, one job’, the virtual-hosted model uses a ‘one server, multiple jobs’ approach. And with no capital costs or ongoing maintenance to worry about and the economy of using someone else’s infrastructure rather than your own, the virtual hosted model is much more economical.
Aside from potential cost and space savings, are there any particular creative benefits to using the cloud?
NG: Collaboration. Modern teams today work in small groups and need tools to collaborate. The days of sending Word documents back and forth should rest in peace. The cloud makes this possible and it’s incredible for productivity.
TD: Firstly, the very premise of cloud computing is the idea of sharing the load of standard tasks (storage, hosting etc) which are not the core activity of the vast majority of organisations. This allows institutions to focus on what they’re good at, rather than trying to reinvent wheels and support a specific homegrown set up. Secondly, a move to the cloud has been accompanied by a much more collaborative approach in many sectors and this is surely something to be encouraged. Thirdly, there is the convenience of not
having to upgrade to the latest version of the software. Lastly, as institutions are challenged to become more sustainable, the cloud offers many environmental benefits too!
LS: Personally, it’s when we get to talk about the creative benefits of moving to the cloud that I become most excited. Watching teachers and students improve the way they teach and learn is ultimately our goal. In the UK we find that through the use of Google Apps for Education there is an increasingly collaborative approach to learning. Students and teachers can work together in real
time to create documents and provide timely, relevant feedback to improve outcomes. ET
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