Consider the Cloud

When it comes to hosting your district’s financial, employee, and student data, are you still DIY? As budgets shrink and tech departments are stretched ever thinner, the cloud may prove to be an appealing alternative.

When considering factors like convenience, cost, space, security, and peace of mind, the case for cleaning out your server room and making the leap to cloud delivery is strong. On-premise and managed services are still available, but with more than half of Skyward districts currently using secure cloud hosting, it’s worth asking: why cloud?

Though the name “cloud hosting” suggests a certain ethereality, it really just means your data is being stored somewhere else. Privacy, security, and performance are all key considerations with cloud hosting.

We partner with ISCorp to provide a secure cloud hosting option that includes software updates, hardware refreshes, and database maintenance. With multiple redundant data centers and round-the clock infrastructure monitoring, we guarantee optimal uptime and robust safety measures. Additionally, backups are securely stored across multiple data centers and in a secure offsite location.

Here's what the benefits look like for you:

Maintenance: With secure cloud hosting through ISCorp, your updates happen automatically. No more worrying about falling behind the release schedule. You can be confident that the version of Skyward you are using is the newest one available, within a matter of days.

Security: Versioning is important enough for security purposes, but there's also the added factor of physical security to consider. Who has access to your servers? How locked down are the facilities? With cloud hosting, you can rest assured ISCorp's redundant data centers are staffed with highly trained, rigorously vetted individuals and a dedicated security team, which is something most districts cannot afford on their own. Plus, third party security audits are completed on an annual basis for your peace of mind (and ours).

As ransomware becomes a more prevalent threat, more schools and districts are turning to the cloud to avoid having to choose between paying cybercriminals off and losing critical data.

Cost: One of the biggest problems with on-premise hosting is the knowledge that your hardware needs to be updated at least every three to five years to keep up with new technologies and demands. This makes for escalating costs and difficult, inconsistent budgeting. With cloud hosting, you'll pay a flat annual fee, but the responsibility for hardware refresh falls on the provider, who stays on top of leveraging the most advanced technology available.

Uptime: If you've ever experienced unexpected downtime with a system you're hosting at your district, you know how much disruption that can cause. Our secure cloud hosting service features a 99.9% uptime guarantee.

In the unfortunate scenario where your system goes down (whether it be from a natural disaster or a ransomware attack), ISCorp guarantees they'll have your data live within 24 hours of notification.

If you could use one less thing to worry about in the years to come, hosting might be a good place to start. Check out these resources to learn more about cloud hosting and Skyward’s approach to data security:

• Skyward Trust Center
• Data Security is a Big Deal
• Minnesota District Finds Peace of Mind with Skyward and Secure Cloud Hosting
• Off-Site Hosting Pays Dividends for Texas District