ON THE COVER: Q&A ON THE COVER
easily deliver the functionality and capabilities you require, wherever you need them. There are many benefits of having a cloud
learning solution that can be a real game changer for educational institutions:
S
howcasing our cover stars this month, we catch up with Fraser Sutherland, Head of
Government & Education at cloud and managed services company Maintel, to find out more about the company and how it helps schools use the cloud safely and efficiently.
A quick pen portrait of the company and its main area(s) of education business Maintel is a cloud and managed services company with a focus on communications. We support the education sector to deliver real value from its ICT assets, helping to create engaging digital learning environments, enabling students to have access to enriched learning platforms, with easy and secure access to scalable web-based applications. We leverage and integrate the latest technology such as UCaaS, CCaaS and network services, to deliver cost effective communications infrastructure that drives collaboration in the wider education ecosystem.
How important is digital transformation for the educational sector? It is critical to enabling an institutions ability to attract and engage with potential students. Interacting with students via an efficient omni- channel experience, be it voice, video, chat, SMS, e-mail or web, is essential. By providing a suite of web-based applications to help them study, institutions are able to offer students a number of easy ways to access and share information via online portals, to facilitate collaborative remote and hybrid learning programs anytime, anywhere. A digital transformation journey to the cloud
offers institutions access to solutions that are agile and secure, with business continuity considered from the outset in terms of receiving a highly resilient service. Students, and teachers can enjoy enriched knowledge sharing and an efficient collaboration experience that supports flexible working practices, whether students and staff are on the move or remote learning.
Can you tell us more about the cloud and the benefits of using it? Cloud is the on-demand availability of computer system resources, especially data storage and computing power, without direct management by the user. The cloud enables you to quickly and
• Cost: Cloud solutions offer predictable costs that are all inclusive and cost-effective. There is no need to purchase lots of hardware, licenses, power and support, as investment is operational rather than CapEx based. • Scalability: With a cloud-based solution, new users can be set up through a self-administered client portal to gain access to content and applications. It is easy to scale up and down based on your educational needs. • Accessibility: Cloud allows teachers to make learning materials readily available, providing students with instant access to lesson plans, homework, coursework, grades and giving them immediate access to the latest online editions of textbooks. • Flexibility of learning practices. Cloud enables full online/e-learning, or a Hybrid blend of face- to-face and online. • Business Continuity: Provision of cloud hosted physical infrastructure with inherent resilience and security by design. • Technology: Eliminates the need to have specialised software and hardware on individual terminals. Updates to cloud infrastructure are automated without causing disruption to the end user. • Collaboration - Provides opportunities for transparent and efficient collaboration, allowing students to work in an effective manner.
Cloud is not just about facilitating online
learning, it also enables institutions to become server free and for its staff to have access to other cloud-based services. These can include communication tools such as email, instant messaging, video conferencing and telephony and new versions of core and specialist office applications, including HR and finance systems, management information systems and curriculum software and content.
How can education institutions successfully implement a cloud learning strategy? Partner with a cloud and managed communications service provider such as Maintel. You will need to select a knowledgeable and experienced provider that can provide both initial and ongoing assistance. The service provider will be able to help your IT staff to successfully deploy the cloud-based solution whilst also considering the wider impact of data protection and ongoing support..
What are some of the issues they should be aware of? To successfully implement and maintain a robust and secure cloud solution you will need to carefully consider a number of key questions and issues before deploying a fit for purpose cloud solution: • Do you have reliable internet connectivity? • Are you able to monitor and act upon
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compliance violations? • Do you have secure and encrypted data storage in place? • Have you got strong authentication applications in place for your Cloud based mobile applications? • Are you able to address identify theft issues? • Do you have applications in place, such as Maintel’s Secure Connectivity solutions, to protect against the threat of Malware Infections and Data Breaches? • Do you have a technical team in place to support your cloud solution? • Do they have the shared vision, capacity, and expertise to implement, address and maintain your cloud solution? • Are you aware of what bandwidth implications there will be if all of your staff and students are online at the same time? • Have you considered the GDPR data implications?
Whilst there is a lot to consider when
transitioning to the cloud, the long-term benefits far outweigh any challenges and selecting the right provider is imperative in making this journey a seamless one.
How secure is information held in the cloud? Cloud based services can be deployed with a range of security measures and policies to help ensure an institutions data is encrypted and safely stored. Cloud storage providers implement baseline protections for their platforms and the data they process, such as authentication, access control, and encryption. From there educational institutions can look to supplement these protections with added security measures of their own, to bolster cloud data protection, without comprising performance, and to tighten access to sensitive information held in the cloud.
What do your education customers say about using the cloud? Today, the cloud is a ubiquity that is often taken for granted. We expect every file, every service and digital asset we have, to be available across all our devices everywhere we go, at any time of the day. The omnipresence of the cloud has streamlined
and transformed a number of domains, including education. Today, thanks to cloud-based solutions and application services, education and training has become more affordable, flexible and accessible to thousands of people as well as institutions around the UK. Cloud based learning systems will continue to grow, evolve and adapt, it is here to stay!
Join us on 4th May at 11.00am for a live panel discussion, together with Extreme Networks where we will discuss these topics in more depth and answer any questions you might have. Watch this space in the coming weeks for further details.
uwww.maintel.co.uk March 2021
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