Office 365 or Google Suite – Which Cloud solution best fits your school?

Cloud computing is fast becoming an essential tool for budget savvy schools looking to stay ahead of the curve. As the demand for greater innovation and flexibility continues to grow, cloud computing looks set to be the future of data storage for schools. The cloud provides staff and students with anywhere, anytime access to a wide range of on-demand education appropriate resources and services in a secure, reliable, and easy to use manner.

Why Move to the Cloud?

Budget

Done right, cloud computing can be a cost-effective method of delivering on-demand computing resources for schools. The maintenance and upgrades of traditional onsite hardware based servers often proves costly. Not to mention the added cost of licensing fees for multiple users. Cloud services are available at much cheaper rate. The lack of on-premises infrastructure also removes any associated operational costs in the form of power, air conditioning, administration and ongoing maintenance.

Flexibility:

Moving your data to the Cloud means you can access it wherever you are and save on expensive servers. This allows students and teachers to use resources such as assignments or reading materials anywhere at any time. Cloud storage also has the flexibility to grow with your school over time.

Security

One reservation about the cloud is data security. While no cloud server system can claim to be 100% fool proof, there are many procedures and failsafes schools can implement to help reduce risk. Joskos can guide schools on what to consider and how to minimise risks while still enjoying the power, agility and freedom of cloud technology. By utilising free software and online storage, schools can drastically reduce the costs of on-site storage and software licences.

Increased Collaboration

Staff and students can access, edit and share documents and resources anytime, from anywhere. This opens the doors for greater collaboration both in and out of the classroom. Cloud-based workflow and file sharing apps help them make updates in real time and gives them full visibility of their collaborations. By increasing online collaboration within schools, the cost of consumables such as paper and printing can also decrease.

Office 365 or G Suite for Education?

At the moment Microsoft and Google lead the pack with the best cloud computing solutions for Education on the market. Both brands provide unique packages specifically designed to be used in schools. Deciding which package is best for your school can be daunting, so here is a quick guide to the basics of Office 365 vs Google Suite for Education.

Both services provide users with free tier-one packages with additional enhancements at competitive prices. Both Microsoft’s Office 365 and Google’s G Suite for Education have similar features but also have certain distinctions make each package more suitable for different school environments. Choosing the right one for you school can be daunting. But with the help of our dedicated Joskos Educational Technology Specialists, together we can help you choose and implement the best solution for your school.

To book a consultation with one of our Education Technology Specialist, fill in the form or contact us at: solutions@jokos.com or phone: 0845-37-000-38