Overview
University IT partners juggle diverse needs – supporting research, education, and administration, all while keeping costs and security in mind. Cloud accounts offer a transformative solution, unlocking agility, scalability, and efficiency. This guide dives into the benefits of university cloud adoption and compares leading platforms like AWS, GCP, and Azure to help you choose the right fit.
Benefits of Cloud Accounts for University IT Partners
By embracing cloud accounts, university IT partners can accelerate research, enhance learning, and streamline operations, transforming the university experience for students, faculty, and researchers alike.
- Boost Research and Innovation: Empower researchers with on-demand access to high-performance computing resources, enabling complex simulations, data analysis, and AI/ML projects.
- Enhance Learning and Collaboration: Facilitate cloud-based learning platforms, virtual labs, and collaborative tools, fostering immersive learning experiences and global team work.
- Optimize IT Operations: Reduce infrastructure costs and complexity with pay-as-you-go pricing, automated provisioning, and simplified management.
- Improve Security and Compliance: Leverage robust cloud security features and compliance certifications to safeguard sensitive data and meet university regulations.
- Increase Scalability and Flexibility: Adapt to fluctuating resource demands with ease, scaling services up or down as needed to meet peak periods and budget constraints.
- Promote Sustainability: Consolidate resources on efficient cloud infrastructure, reducing energy consumption and environmental impact.
Cloud Provider Comparison
| Feature | AWS | GCP | Azure |
|---|---|---|---|
| Research Focus | Broad range of high-performance computing services | Strong data analytics, AI/ML tools, and open-source support | Microsoft Azure offers leading OpenAI services for AI research and apps. |
| Education Solutions | Extensive online learning platform options | Collaborative tools and Google Workspace integration | Strong video conferencing and learning management systems |
| Security and Compliance | Robust security features and compliance certifications | Stringent security practices and HIPAA compliance focus | Extensive enterprise security features and integration with the Microsoft ecosystem |
| Pricing and Cost Optimization | Pay-as-you-go, reserved instances for predictable costs | Sustained use discounts and competitive pricing for research workloads | Hybrid licensing options and cost advisor tools |
| Support | Basic support free, competitive paid plans | Enhanced Support included | Premier Support included |
Responsibility
IT Partners are responsible for ensuring the security of the resources used by the requestors they support. This responsibility extends to cloud accounts, where the resources are no different than on-premises. IT Partners are added to every account with Security Auditor permissions, minimally. This allows them to monitor and audit the security of the accounts.