Things have changed dramatically for universities in the last decade. The pandemic and subsequent shutdown exponentially increased the need for technical and online options within Higher Education. The Cloud is a great tool to fill this need.
Cloud Storage is a relatively new tool for colleges and universities. In 2005 Cloud Storage began to gain widespread recognition. Cloud Storage offers universities back their own real estate, creates easy collaboration, and provides enhanced security.
A single paper in a file folder might not take up a lot of space on a desk. Even 100 pages might not seem like a massive stack if appropriately filed. But storing thousands and thousands of individual sheets is cumbersome and bulky. Switching from paper records to digital data is the obvious next step in storage advancement.
Over 40% more high school graduates are attending college today than 50 years ago. That means more classrooms, offices, and restrooms are needed. A college must either physically expand or redesign the space it already has. With real estate costs at an all-time high, maximizing an institution's space is imperative.
We all know physical space matters. Cloud Storage allows users to store data on remote servers off campus, eliminating an institution's need to use their limited space to store paper or digital files. How a university's space is designed and organized can make or break its appeal. Studies suggest that the placement of buildings, classrooms, offices, and open spaces define the sense of community within a college or university's faculty and student body. The college can focus more on what will entice and benefit their internal community by removing the need to find a room or rooms to hold records.
Cloud Storage offers all the benefits of traditional computerized storage without losing precious physical space.
With Cloud Storage, users reduce the time and resources spent getting a document from one place to another.
We all know that moving from paper records to digital saves money. With digital forms, the user just attaches the document within an email instead of printing a document, buying a stamp, addressing the envelope, and then waiting 5+ days for it to arrive. Not only does the recipient get it faster, but it also saves the sender time and hassle. But with web-based documents, there isn't even a need to open an email.
Online documents are accessible anywhere in the world by any device with an internet connection.
Users no longer need to be in the same office, or even in any office, to share a file or to update records. There is no need to worry about who has the most up-to-date information when the entire team can review the files from anywhere in the world. With the Cloud, multiple users can view and edit documents simultaneously, saving time and money. Sharing information between administrators is easy when everyone has almost instant access. Web-based files allow for easier collaboration between teams and lead to less miscommunication.
The Board of Directors and administrators can seamlessly review, update, and share documents with faculty, staff, and students. That means regardless of which campus your team is located at, they can collaborate as if they are all in the same room.
One of the main benefits of storing your documents with Cloud Storage is knowing your files are safe and secure.
Keeping records secure and private is especially important within Higher Education, where so much personal information is stored. Rooms full of filing cabinets can be easily compromised with an unintentional door left unlocked. Document security is significantly enhanced by electronic storage. Every digital document and folder can be password protected restricting access to selected individuals. By moving to Cloud Storage, institutions are given even more protection. Reliable cloud services providers have multi-level firewalls and conduct routine security audits to safeguard all aspects of their systems. An on-site computer system just can't economically measure up to that level of security.
Prying eyes aren't the only security risk to traditionally stored records. Unfortunately, fires, floods, and other catastrophes happen all the time. In the past, these disasters would wreak havoc on an institution's files. Even records stored on hard drives on-site are vulnerable to damage. Web-based stored records will prevent a university from tragically losing all its records. Data is stored off-site in a secure center with redundant servers in a second location. The regularly scheduled backups protect the data.
The evolution of storage in recent years has made digital recordkeeping a very cost-effective option. At the end of the day, the advantages of utilizing Cloud Storage can set your educational institution up for success. Cloud storage can be personalized to the needs of the college by allowing the university to pick the amount of storage and how to use it.
Full Stack Data Solutions can assist in quickly moving the data from hard drives to the Cloud. We have more than 30 years of experience and can help develop a software solution for your specific needs. Let us assist you in propelling your university into the right step, not just the next step.
We would love to answer any questions you have.
Contact us to see how we can improve your end-to-end data processes by strenghtening your team with our expertise.