New technologies have emerged that make cloud computing a more dynamic and user-centric experience.

Editor’s note: This Publisher’s Report was sponsored by Stoneware Inc.

With earlier generations of technology, the term “cloud computing” was an apt description for more reasons than one: As users connected to the cloud, the system was fairly opaque in that it couldn’t “see” the type of device the person was using. As a result, the cloud delivered the same computing experience to a user whether he or she was connected via a desktop computer, a laptop, or a mobile device.

But new technologies have emerged that make cloud computing a more dynamic and user-centric experience. This so-called “cloud awareness” brings the ability to detect what kind of device a person is using, so the system can deliver an experience that is optimized accordingly. For education, this has a number of implications.

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Suppose you’re a student logging into a curriculum software program. If you log in from a handheld device, the system might deliver an experience that is optimized for a smaller screen. Conversely, if you log in from a desktop computer with more powerful capabilities, the system might offload some of the rendering of graphics to the client machine, thereby freeing up server capacity for other tasks.

As the number of devices that schools are expected to support continues to explode, the flexibility this “cloud awareness” provides makes cloud computing an even more attractive option for schools.

The IT conundrum  

Increasingly, the window to cloud computing is held in users’ hands. Untethered from desktops, students and staff now roam about campus expecting ubiquitous access. And the variety of devices they rely on has increased as vendors have rushed to deliver new, cutting-edge smart phones, tablets, and ultrabooks. The result is that staff, students, and parents now rely on campus networks to access a wide array of information that is housed locally, or in the cloud, via a vast range of systems.

As a result, school IT departments finds themselves mired in a conundrum. They want to become an enabler rather than an inhibitor to mobile technology, but they need to manage these new connections in a cost-effective, secure, and transparent manner. This task has become very difficult for academic institutions, largely because they know so little about the end device. If they can’t see it, then they can’t monitor, manage, or secure it. To be successful today, they require intelligent tools that provide visibility into what users are working with, so the IT infrastructure maximizes the users’ experience.