The backbone of your digital ecosystem
Selecting a cloud platform is a pivotal decision. The choice extends beyond file storage to establishing the central nervous system of your digital ecosystem. A strategic selection provides lasting benefits, while poor decisions risk fragmentation, security vulnerabilities, and operational complications.
Step 1 — Pedagogy first
Your cloud selection should prioritise your teaching and learning vision rather than features alone. Consider whether you’re aiming to:
- Foster collaborative learning environments
- Enable personalised learning pathways
- Streamline staff–student communication
The “PedTech” mindset proves essential here.
Step 2 — Choosing a platform
Google Workspace for Education and Microsoft 365 Education dominate the schools market, each with distinct strengths.
Microsoft 365
Pros
- Familiar core applications: web-based Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Outlook
- Microsoft Teams: a unified hub for messaging, meetings and classroom management
- Identity management via Microsoft Entra ID, effective in Windows environments
- Generous individual storage: 1TB OneDrive plus Exchange Online email per user
Cons
- No desktop apps on the A1 tier (web only); desktop versions require upgrades
- Steeper learning curve and admin console
- Real-time co-authoring feels less fluid than Google
- Maximum integration depends on Windows
Google Workspace
Pros
- Excellent real-time collaboration across Docs, Sheets and Slides
- Simple, intuitive and cloud-native — easy to adopt
- Seamless Chromebook integration with Chrome Education Upgrade
- Google Classroom: a popular, straightforward LMS
Cons
- Core apps lack some advanced desktop Office features
- Web-focused, with limited offline functionality
- Separate communication apps (Meet and Chat)
- 100TB pooled storage may limit very large institutions