Looking to reduce the risk of disruptions in computer operations and reduce costs? Virtualizing your data center may provide the answer. With the 2% tax-cap and the cost of computer equipment replacement costs, schools are faced with a real challenge finding funds to support their technology operations. A solution many schools and organizations have embraced is having their operations moved to the cloud and hosted by a cloud service company. Cloud server hosting is when hosting services are made available to customers on demand via the Internet. Rather than being provided by a single server or virtual server, cloud server hosting services are provided by multiple connected servers that comprise a cloud. By having your servers located at a cloud-based facility, the risk of having your computer operations impacted by natural disasters and/or cyber-attacks can be significantly reduced. The benefits of a cloud environment include:
- Lower cost to run operations.
- Customized data replication.
- Several hosting methods options (can be all or a hybrid implementation).
- Ransomware recovery that provides automatic failover and failback between production and recovery sites.
- Office 365 recovery.
When selecting a vendor to manage your district’s computer operations, factors to consider include budget, location, security, reputation, reliability, and managed versus unmanaged delivery of service (control of access to the servers as well as specific backup specifications). Many districts want to be able to customize their cloud backup process, so it is key that a cloud service provider has the capability to offer flexible implementation that can address your computer operation needs.
Gregory Giovino
Business Development
Webair is a vetted and state-approved IT vendor on the New York State Office of General Services.
This article was also featured in our newsletter The Lesson Plan Vol. 19