Stepwell runs in the cloud: that shining beacon of software deployment that has risen out of the ashes of client-side database and application complexity to hover in the sky above its users, standing ready to be accessed with just an Internet connection.
Or, so those less familiar with technology might imagine. The reality, of course, is that even in the cloud, data and application code still reside on servers; the location of servers is far less relevant. But with all that cloud computing has to offer, its potential is no less extraordinary, especially when it comes to Stepwell’s platform capabilities.
For most of us, cloud computing is omnipresent in both professional and personal life. We rely daily on large cloud storage providers such as Google, Apple or Microsoft. We use personal productivity applications such as the Adobe Creative Cloud. And where would we be without our mobile phone apps? It’s easy to understand cloud computing’s popularity: it is more efficient, easier to access from just about anywhere, and enables far easier software updates.
Despite its arrival into the mainstream, many job functions have yet to reap the benefits of cloud technology. This includes the work performed by educators and administrators to efficiently manage compliance with federal regulations such as the IDEA Parts B and C.
As a platform, Stepwell uses cloud technology to drastically improve the way in which software meant for state and local education agencies is built, used, and maintained. The needs of these organizations are not being met by current IT solutions and practices.
Two primary benefits arise out of platform capabilities: collaboration and flexibility.
Collaboration
The old send-and-return method of communication and documentation drastically bogs down productivity. Reminders and updates get lost in the abyss of emails and paperwork or closed off within a single client-side application database. When a single task requires work from multiple people in several different work environments across thousands of miles, software built on a cloud platform is the only way to establish an effective workflow. Platforms are ideal for workflows that cross organizational boundaries. By using this approach to design, Stepwell allows LEAs and SEAs to collaborate on a single workflow transaction. They come together in the same computing environment to access the same data and work on the same task.
Flexibility
When it comes to education, nothing is set in stone. From new laws and regulations to the factors by which student growth is measured, the data and compliance measures that monitors need to keep an eye on changes through the years. For a system that manages this information, this means plenty of updates and enhancements. With a traditional application, this becomes time-consuming, expensive, and difficult to maintain across an entire state.
Stepwell delivers seamless, hassle-free updates for LEAs and SEAs. The platform is flexible, managing change through space and time right along with the agencies that use it.
Get in touch to find out more about how our platform is sweeping state and local education workflow into the future.