In the rapidly evolving landscape of higher education, embracing technological advancements is paramount to stay competitive. Cloud migration has emerged as a transformative strategy, and within this approach, the debate between 'lift and shift' and 'lift and reshape' has understandably gained prominence. In this article, we delve into the benefits of the 'lift and reshape' approach over a more basic 'lift and shift' method when migrating systems like SITS to the cloud.
Understanding the Approaches
'Lift and shift' involves migrating applications and systems to the cloud with minimal modifications. It's akin to moving the entire contents of a house to a new location. Whilst this ticks the box of being ‘in the cloud’ it doesn’t deliver the real benefits. To achieve that you need to ‘lift and reshape’ – a far more strategic approach which not only transfers systems themselves to the cloud but also optimises and restructures them to fully leverage cloud capabilities.
Tailored Optimisation for Higher Education
Higher education institutions are often unique ecosystems with specific needs and workflows. Often SITS has become deeply ingrained in processes, and adopting a 'lift and reshape' approach enables the opportunity to tailor the migrated systems to meet these distinct requirements. This might mean reimagining processes in ways that harness cloud-native features to improve efficiency and user experience.
Improved Scalability and Cost Efficiency
One of the primary advantages of running student systems in the cloud is its scalability. 'Lift and reshape' embraces this by implementing systems to scale horizontally, ensuring they can handle sudden influxes of users, such as during enrolment periods. Moreover, by optimizing applications for the cloud environment, institutions can achieve cost savings through efficient resource utilisation.
Security and Compliance Reinforcement
Data security and compliance are top concerns in higher education. The 'lift and reshape' strategy enables institutions to build security measures into the core of their cloud-based applications. It allows for the implementation of robust access controls, encryption mechanisms, and regular security audits, ensuring sensitive student and faculty information remains safeguarded.
Embracing the Future
In the ever-changing landscape of higher education, embracing cloud migration is a necessity. However, choosing the right approach can make all the difference. While 'lift and shift' has its merits, the 'lift and reshape' strategy emerges as a holistic solution that not only transfers systems to the cloud but also revitalizes them to excel in the digital era.
If you’re interested to know more about how Tribal can support your institution’s SITS migration, click here.
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