INTELLIGENT VERTICAL
getting potential students enrolled into universities. With limited
spaces available for first year students, some are turning to more
dubious methods to get access to higher education. A well-known
South African blog was contacted earlier this year to try and hack
into the University of Cape Town and get the person enrolled.
And while there will always be those trying to access systems to improve
grades, the onus rests on universities to protect data availability gaps
and improve their technology environments. How these improvements
are manifested will depend on the nature of the university in question.
Factors like student body size, whether it is a campus or college
university and region all influence the eventual solution.
However, data and applications must be supported with backup
plans that can be put in place within minutes, rather than hours. In
turn, this should be supported with testing, visibility, monitoring, and
reporting. So, IT leaders can understand their environments and
potential issues within them sooner rather than later.
Claude Schuck, Regional Manager for Africa at Veeam
is very important for universities, for both reputation and finance.
South African students have become increasingly reliant on smart
devices to access information, both on university systems as well
as external research sites. And while universities certainly cannot
provide smartphones and tablets to students, those that do have
them expect a continuous availability of information that includes
access to key university resources.
The experience of current students determines where prospective
ones choose to apply. In an age of endless peer review, ‘I can’t ever
access services and resources’ can be a pretty damaging write up for
even the most respected institution.
Moving beyond students, universities must also have an eye on
faculty and administrative staff. The former is often tasked with
creating interactive and data-informed classroom experiences that
match the needs of students. And with digitally distributing learning
materials and resources that cater for self and remote learners.
While the latter (admin staff) are reliant on applications to
communicate with students and colleagues, and on data to boost
university revenue through alternative streams like virtual, online
campuses that can appeal to a wider mix of students. These
numerous high demands on universities mean that availability and
business continuity are vital elements of a modern institution’s
technology portfolio. Of course, a lack of tools or resources could mean
a missed deadline for a student. But, perhaps more serious is the higher
education institution’s duty to data management and protection.
Continuity over availability
Universities house huge amounts of highly sensitive, valuable data
(everything from personal information to bank details). And there
are several access points to that data, some of which can be easily
exploited if the correct recovery, backup, and data loss avoidance
measures are not in place. This makes universities a huge target for
cyberattacks. Interestingly, some of these attacks revolve around
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INTELLIGENTCIO
“
IT IS HUGELY
POSITIVE THAT
TECHNOLOGY IS BECOMING
SUCH A KEY ENABLER
FOR EDUCATION, BE IT
DELIVERING MATERIALS,
ENABLING NEW TYPES OF
STUDY OR ASSISTING WITH
RESEARCH AND OTHER
CREATIVE PROJECTS.
Meeting expectations
The higher education sector is changing. People are constantly trying
to manage universities with greater efficiency and profitability. And,
with expectations going up, it is only likely that there will be more
scrutiny placed on the sector in the future.
It is hugely positive that technology is becoming such a key enabler
for education, be it delivering materials, enabling new types of study
or assisting with research and other creative projects. However, IT
leaders must remember that data and availability issues will have
an unfortunately long lifeline in the minds of administrators and
government officials. Improving availability is not just a chance to
improve access to critical facilities or aid the reliability of resources. It
is a chance to make everyday life on campus that little bit easier and
more efficient. n
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