Collaboration and Shared Services Grant Fund
Bids to be submitted by: 5.00 p.m. on 16 April 2012
“The rise of the Cloud is more than just another platform shift that gets geeks excited. It will undoubtedly transform the information technology industry, but it will also profoundly change the way people work and companies operate” (Economist, 2008).
Contents
1.Introduction...... 3
2.Cloud Computing and its potential in Further Education Colleges...... 3
What is Cloud Computing?
The potential benefits of Cloud Computing to Further Education Colleges.
Ways in which Colleges can use Cloud Computing.
The role of JISC in supporting Colleges in their implementation of Cloud Computing.
3.The Purpose and Scope of this Funded Programme of Projects
Category 1. Implementing Software as a Service.
Category 2. Implementing infrastructure as a service.
4.Instructions to Bidders
5.Evaluation Criteria
6.Timetable and Process
Appendix 1 Guidance to Colleges on the Development of Cloud Computing Plans
Appendix 2 Application Form for Cloud Computing Projects5
Appendix 3 JISC Nexus...... 24
1.Introduction
Cloud Computing is progressively being implemented in a wide range of public and private sector organisations. It has many potential advantages in cost and energy savings and enabling new ways of working. Further Education Colleges are already using Cloud Computing in a number of ways. The range of new providers of Cloud Computing and the many different ways in which it can be implemented means that there is a need for Colleges to share practice in the adoption of Cloud Computing and access the best expertise in this field and help develop what would be best practice for use in FE. The Collaboration and Shared Services Board has allocated £1million from the Collaboration and Shared Services Grant Fund to progress Cloud Computing in Further Education Colleges through a range of project activities.Colleges are invited to bid for individual projects. The deadline for the submission of bids is 5.00 p.m. on 16 April 2012. This document describes Cloud Computing and its potential in Further Education Colleges and provides guidance on the type of projects which may be funded. It gives details of the evaluation criteria that will be used to select bids and the tender process.
2.Cloud Computing and its potential in Further Education Colleges.
What is Cloud Computing?
Cloud Computing is a way of an organisation enabling access, as and when it is needed, to a shared pool of computing resources, rather than always having specific capacity available. These resources can include networks, servers, storage, applications and services. These resources are provided by a Cloud Computing Provider who will manage these resources for the organisation. Examples of Cloud Computing Providers are Microsoft, Google, IBM, and Amazon. JISC is providing an assured, cost-effective procurement approach with commercial providers under the auspices of JANET. Cloud Computing can minimise the IT management effort for the organisation and negate the need for complex internal IT infrastructure and expertise. Cloud Computing is a way of delivering an IT service as a utility so that at any point in time the organisation uses what it needs and only pays for it according to usage.
There are three ways of delivering Cloud Computing Services and an organisation can opt to use any combination of these. These are Software as a Service, Platform as a Service and Infrastructure as a Service.
Software as a service (SaaS) is when software and its associated data are hosted centrally by the Cloud Computing Provider and the organisation accesses it when and where required. It negates the need for the purchase of software licences per desktop machine and reduces the need for processing power at the desktop. Examples include e-mail systems such as g-mail and applications such as Customer Relationship Management Systems.
Platform as a Service (PaaS) is when the organisation rents hardware, operating systems, storage and network capacity over the internet. It allows the organisation to rent virtual servers and associated services for running existing applications and developing new ones. It offers significant advantages for development teams. The focus here is often on saving costs in the development of applications by using infrastructure services. A PaaS is a platform for developers to write and maintain their own SaaS. For example, Windows Azure is an open and flexible cloud platform that enables developers to build, deploy and manage applications across a global network of Microsoft-managed data centres. Facebook is a platform where developers can write and maintain their own social apps. The Google App Engine is a cloud computing platform for developing and hosting applications in Google data centres.
Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) is when an organisation outsources the IT equipment used to support operations. This includes storage, hardware, servers and network components. The Cloud Computing Provider owns the IT equipment and is responsible for housing, running and maintaining it. Organisations normally pay on a pay per use basis but can opt for an annual fee. The difference between IaaS and PaaS is that in IaaS the user organisation normally retains control over the environment whilst in PaaS the environment is controlled for the organisation. The line between PaaS and IaaS is becoming more blurred as Cloud Computing Providers introduce tools as part of IaaS that help with deployment.
There are distinctions in the way Cloud Computing can be deployed. A Public Cloud is the model whereby the Cloud Computing provider makes the IT resources available to the general public over the internet. A Community Cloud shares infrastructure between several organisations from a community with common concerns. A Private Cloud is when the infrastructure is provided solely for the benefit of a single organisation. A Hybrid Cloudis a mixture of elements of any of the above.
The potential benefits of Cloud Computing to Further Education Colleges.
The benefits which Colleges can gain from Cloud Computing will depend on how individual Colleges deploy it. Potential benefits include flexibility to engage in new ways of working, capability to manage IT capacity to meet fluctuating demand and cost savings in staff, software licensing, infra-structure and energy.
Students and staff may already be enjoying the benefits of Cloud Computing in their everyday lives (often without realising it) and will expect these benefits to be available in their College. This will include accessing learning applications using mobile technologies, at home and in the workplace. This includes maximising access for LLDD students. Cloud Computing can enable more effective deployment of applications on mobile technologies.
Colleges have a history of innovation in the way they support learners and employers. Too often innovation can be hampered by the rigidity of existing IT provision. Cloud Computing should provide the flexibility to deliver innovation. An example of innovation might be how College marketing teams can interact with potential students through social media.
Colleges experience fluctuating demands for IT capacity at different times of the year and also through the demands of changing government requirements and the gain or loss of learning related contracts. Cloud Computing enables the management of IT capacity according to need. Whilst many Colleges currently meet changing needs through the virtualisation of servers on its own systems, Cloud Computing can negate the need for purchase of additional servers and other capacity to satisfy short term initiatives.
As more and more IT Capacity is demanded for teaching, learning and administration in Colleges, there will be more demand for server capacity. Cloud Computing reduces the need for College based servers and the significant energy savings associated with these. The
virtualisation of servers operated by Cloud Computing providers enables this infrastructure to be shared between organisations and hence there is a significant reduction of energy costs overall. It is contended that servers that are not virtualised use only 6 % of their capacity, hence the potential from Cloud Computing for large energy savings.
Cloud Computing can diminish the need to employ certain specialist IT staff in Colleges and enable savings in this respect. The costs and challenges of keeping up to date with specialist IT will be transferred to the Cloud Computing Provider. Whilst there will always be a need for IT staff within Colleges, Cloud Computing can change the nature of the IT management function in Colleges to a more strategic , user focused and less specialist approach and enable an increased focus on, for example, the application and use of learning technology rather than specialist IT management and delivery. Aspects of IT development can remain with Colleges but the use of Platform or Infrastructure as a Service means there will be less need for specialist management of infrastructure. Cloud Computing can reduce the costs of software licensing and the management of software upgrades. All of this should save costs on both infrastructure and staff. With the adoption of Infrastructure as a Service, Colleges can move their IT costs from capital to revenue expenditure.
Further Education is likely to benefit most from a Community Cloud approach. The value of a Community Cloud approach is that it will cater for the common requirements of Colleges such as access, security and legal issues.
Ways in which Colleges can use Cloud Computing.
Many Colleges are already benefiting from the use of Software as a Service, for example through externally hosted e-mail systems for students and staff or externally hosted Customer Relationship Management systems for Employer Responsive Learning.
The key findings in a report by the 157 Group [An examination of Cloud Computing opportunities through Action Research in 157 Group Colleges - Final report – December 2010] states:
“From the initial on-line survey it was apparent that a high rate (76%) of College respondents are using Cloud Computing services, for email, VLE, use of office type software applications, storage and backup services. However it is also worth noting that most Colleges are only making use of 1 type of Cloud Computing service (only 4 Colleges are using 2 services and only 1 College is using 3 services).For those using Cloud, the benefits were reported to be reduced costs (through reduced support overheads and capital outlays) and improved services to learners (in terms of accessibility and provision of services).
The implications and challenges faced by FE Colleges include data protection, bandwidth issues, reliability issues and change management (i.e. the culture change required by staff to enable maximisation of Cloud opportunities).
From the follow-up interviews with selected Colleges, the benefits of using Cloud services were stressed as: increased cost efficiencies, better reliability of service, on-hand technical experts, and much larger storage space. Concerns included data protection, responsibility and ownership of content problems, auditing and compliance issues, and the risk of data
centre instability. However, interviewees also reported greater levels of service to learners, through:
- Personalised and lifetime email accounts, that are accessible anywhere
- Greater up-time
- Larger storage
- Possibility to log in using learner’s personalised e-mail interfaces such as Google or Yahoo etc.”
Colleges may wish to consider extending their use of Software as a Service, which could be deployed in the following situations:
- Applications that have a significant need for web or mobile access. An example would be a Virtual Learning environment such as Moodle or Blackboard;
- Software that is used for a short-term need. An example would be collaboration software, such as Huddle, for a specific project;
- Software where demand spikes significantly, such as in enrolment;
- Applications, such as email newsletter campaign software, where there is significant interplay between the College and the outside world;
College IT Support Teams or their IT contractors might wish to use Platform as a Service to develop applications such as Social Apps on Facebook or Learning Apps (Apple iTunes or Google Android) for mobile devices. This approach can be especially useful in any situation where multiple developers will be working on a development project or where other external parties need to interact with the development process. It can also be invaluable for those who have an existing data source – for example client information from a customer relationship management tool, and want to create applications which leverage that data.
Colleges who are further advanced in Cloud Computing may wish to use Infrastructure as a Service. College situations that are particularly suitable for Cloud infrastructure include:
- Where demand is very volatile – any time there are significant spikes and troughs in terms of demand on the infrastructure;
- For situations where the College does not have the capital to invest in hardware;
- Where the College is growing rapidly, or merging with another College and scaling hardware would be problematic;
- Where there is pressure on the organization to limit capital expenditure and to move to revenue expenditure;
- For temporary College business such as pilot activities or short term initiatives;
It is acknowledged that there are situations where the use of Cloud Computing would not be appropriate such as applications where legislation or other regulation does not permit data beinghosted externally. Whilst there are fears about the security of data held by Cloud Computing providers the use of Service Level Agreements with Cloud Computing providers can achieve assurance of levels of security which may exceed their previous self-management of this.
Support for Colleges in their implementation of Cloud Computing - the role of JISC
JISC Regional Support Centres are funded by BIS to give practical advice, support and guidance to FECs in developing and using ICT to support and enhance their activities, whether or not Colleges are using other JISC services. They will also act as a gateway to help you understand and access other JISC services.
JISC and Janet (JISC’s joint academic network) have many years of experience of supporting IT in further and higher education. Janet provides the main external network infrastructure for this community, while JISC also provides a wide range of other services which support the sector. BIS continues to fund JISC tosupport FE & Skills providers; they are currently in the process of securing Cabinet Office approval for the next network upgrade, Janet6.
Janet offers "assured" procurement and cost benefit for Cloud Computing, without Colleges themselves needing to assess. This is a benefit for further education. In 2011 JISC embarked on a £12million HEFCE University Modernisation Fund funded pilot Cloud Computing project for universities. The bulk of this funding is being applied to infrastructure. JISC will be offering Cloud Computing Services to further and higher education. This will be achieved through JISC leasing services from Cloud Computing Providers. This represents highly efficient procurement. This procurement process is currently taking place. This means that Colleges should be able to purchase Cloud Services throughJISC at preferential rates for assured services in what will effectively be a further and higher education community cloud. Use of JISC Cloud will be helpful to Colleges as they will benefit from Janet technical expertise in problem solving (and identifying where a fault might be) plus practical support through RSCs. Janet is developing its approach to meet specific needs of education (HE admin and teaching requirements, as well as research) which directly reflect FE issues - security, confidentiality, resilience, etc. Many Colleges will use the ‘HE Cloud’ for its HE services so it would be logical to use the JISC Cloud for its FE services.
JISC Advance Nexus is a commercial service from delivery specialist JISC Advance that enables seamless data transfer within institutions and to remote shared services and external agencies. Any organisation planning to adopt cloud computing would benefit from a conversation with the Nexus team as their growing collection of connectors are available at a fraction of the price that a commercial supplier would charge. Further details of JISC Nexus are given in Appendix 3.
Through the JISC Advance service, JISC Infonet, and also JISC Legal, JISC is providing advice to the further and higher education. This is exemplified by the following key publications:
Cloud Computing in HE and FE May 2010
The JISC Infokit on Cloud Computing Nov 2011
The JISC Legal Cloud computing and the Law Toolkit Aug 2011
Janet Brokerage on for Cloud Computing services
3. The Purpose and Scope of this Funded Programme of Projects
It is recognised that Colleges are at different stages in their consideration and implementation of Cloud Computing. This programme will fund a limited number of College based projects at two different stages of planning and implementing Cloud Computing. This will enable these Colleges to progress their user of Cloud Computing and the dissemination of these experiences will provide valuable guidance to the wider community of Further Education Colleges. Bids are invited from Colleges for projects in the following two categories: