Higher Ed IT Makes Use of Cloud for Email, Storage, Survey Finds [#Infographic]

As universities expand their digital offerings and internet connectivity, cloud has become an even more important tool to promote organization and efficiency. A new survey from Extreme Networks found that 59 percent of network managers — many who service K–12 and higher ed institutions — are using cloud services to support email and 41 percent use it for storage, Campus Technology reports.

“The trend of relocating IT resources to the cloud is both accelerating and broadening to include more traditionally on-premise IT functions,” the survey reports.

Another recent survey found that IT spending in higher education would be driven by investments in cloud. About 81 percent of IT leaders said they plan to increase cloud spending over the next few years.

SIGN UP: Get more news from the EdTech newsletter in your inbox every two weeks!

Cloud Continues to Grow, Drive Efficiencies in Higher Education

The latest Extreme Networks survey found that 17 percent of leaders have already implemented cloud to manage their networks and 45 percent are investigating deploying these solutions.

Leaders cite improved security (76 percent), enhanced access (60 percent) and more efficient management (53 percent) as the reasons for moving various IT services to the cloud, reports Campus Technology

For the University of North Texas, a move to the cloud meant a unification of its three siloed campus IT systems. Using EMC Federation Enterprise Hybrid Cloud, UNT students and staff are now able to access services anywhere and anytime.

For more on how universities are using cloud, take a look at the Extreme Networks infographic below.