On June 10th, Darren and Bob traveled to Georgia for an IT Retreat with the Georgia Independent College Association (GICA). The focus of this annual event was to bring CIO’s, IT Directors, and Network Administrators from schools that are members of the consortia to discuss and collaborate on several topics that concern technology in higher education. The institutions were able to share their experiences with different technologies and trials they have faced.
Technology
This event was also attended by many technology partners including Microsoft and Canon. One of the sessions was geared completely towards Microsoft’s Azure Platform, in which the Microsoft Account Technology Strategist for GICA delivered an “Azure 101” overview to discuss basic cloud concepts, what Azure Cloud solutions are capable of, and examples of different workloads that can moved to the Azure platform easily.
Another session provided information of security awareness to discuss the importance of end-user information security training. This was an important topic to cover since there has been a rise in phishing attempts on academic organizations.
Benefiting the Institution
Microsoft’s Azure was discussed in these sessions to make institutions aware of the benefits available to them. Microsoft’s Cloud technology is helping to lead the way in cloud computing and cloud deployment architecture. Azure can assist schools in lowering their total cost of ownership on servers and optimizing operational costs. This platform also helps to accelerate technology innovation, with the flexible platform that can work in conjunction with other cloud or on-premise systems.
The ScholarBuys Advantage
ScholarBuys attended the event to support the GICA consortia and its members to bring the best possible education experience to students and educators through technology. Collaboration is a major value within this academic consortia, and these sessions are a prime example of the mission behind an event such as this. Darren, our HiEd sales representative for Georgia said:
“I love the atmosphere at these events. It is wonderful to see the IT “mindshare” in action and it is the perfect demonstration of how important and meaningful collaboration is in education.”
If you have any questions about this event or would like to request a quote for Microsoft’s Azure, please contact us.
About The Georgia Independent College Association
GICA is an association of Georgia’s private (independent), not-for-profit colleges and universities. Through partnerships with institutions, businesses, and community leaders, GICA supports private higher education in Georgia in the areas of public policy, research, fundraising for student financial aid, and collaborative programs. GICA’s members include 23 four-year institutions and 1 two year institution throughout the state of Georgia. These institutions serve over 79,000 students and provide a 6.26 billion dollar economic impact on their communities in Georgia.
