Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is gaining traction as mainstream for many applications in the education and research industries. Commercial enterprises have turned to the “cloud” for years to gain on-demand access to a shared pool of computing resources. Now, with organizations realizing compelling advantages in cost, speed, and efficiency, cloud computing is expanding to meet the needs of a diverse range of industries—and higher education is among the fields taking the plunge in certain application areas.

Integrating mobile devices in learning is getting to be old hat in Abilene, Texas.

As early as 2008, Abilene Christian University (ACU) was the first university in the United States to provide each incoming student with an Apple iPhone or iPod Touch. Each of the nearly 4,800 students on the ACU campus located 180 miles west of Dallas can access course calendars, campus maps, receive homework alerts, security alerts, and answer in-class surveys and quizzes, among other ACUdeveloped web applications.

In the heart of Boulder, Colorado, sits a college where the whole student is greater than the sum of his or her parts. It is a place called Naropa University, where contemplative education encourages students to transform themselves and the world.

With more than 25,000 students, DePaul University in Chicago is the largest Catholic university in the United States. With 10 colleges divided between two campuses, along with three additional satellite campuses, finding certain pieces of information can be challenging for students.

From BYOD environments to high bandwidth applications, there is intense pressure on network infrastructures. Upgrading is a high priority for higher education technology leaders. In this web seminar broadcast on September 20, an administrator from Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts described how the school faced those challenges head on when it embarked on a fourth-generation upgrade and redesign of its network to meet the changing demands of its users.