Importance of cloud solution in e-learning space: Amit Gupta, Rapyder

Rapyder is an agile, innovative company that makes Cloud work for you. With a young, passionate team and expertise in Cloud Computing Solutions, Big Data, Marketing & Commerce, DevOps and Managed Services, Rapyder is the leading provider of Strategic Cloud Consulting. Solutions provided by Rapyderare seamless, secure and scalable.

Here, Amit Gupta, CEO and Founder, Rapyder, tells us more about cloud and e-learning. Excerpts from an interview:

Amit Gupta, CEO & Founder, Rapyder

DQ: What are the best possible cloud solutions in e-learning space in the current scenario?

Amit Gupta: We are currently witnessing that during this COVID-19 lockdown, the spotlight is clearly on the online learning space with edtech companies gaining more traction.

Yes, the need of the hour for educators is to adopt cloud computing to deliver online education effortlessly.  Real time instruction is delivered in a virtual environment. It can be deployed for e-learning through different service models. These can be:

Software as a Service (SaaS): Here educational institutions can leverage applications and software through a cloud platform.  This provides flexibility to the users to scale operations as per their needs with e-learning solutions available on subscription basis.

Platform as a Service (PaaS): In this type, the platform provides tools and services where institutes can develop customized applications as per their requirement.

Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS): The service provider has provision for processing, networks and storage where educators can deploy and run their applications and operating systems.

Several tools, such as teaching and productivity tools, distance learning resources, smart analytics and AI, round-the-clock student support, among others, are provided through cloud technology.

DQ: How are cloud solutions helping the educators and the students community in working and learning remotely?

Amit Gupta: Many education institutions are readily embracing cloud technology today, than before. Virtual classrooms are delivering real time face-to-face interactions between teachers and students with less or no ambiguity.  This anytime, anywhere, any device model is providing the learner to study at their own pace and convenience.

Students who were unable to complete schooling on time due to various constraints now have the opportunity to take up online courses that can earn them a better career growth.

With the pay-per-use model provided through cloud computing, education institutions can save on investing in resources such as computer hardware, software, IT infrastructure and study text books. Paperless classroom will also bring environmental sustainability. Moreover, there is no fear of having to use outdated curriculum as cloud-based study material are easy to update in real time.

Robust security benefits offered by cloud technology makes data more secure with lesser incidents of data loss or theft. Face-to-face interactions, online, between teachers and students and peers are helping in better collaboration among them, thanks to the cloud platform. It can empower the education systems in India with remote learning opportunities.

DQ: Does cloud gives an opportunity to schools and universities at the State and District levels?

Amit Gupta: In the recent past, edtech has been demonstrating its massive potential across India, including its usage in schools and universities at state and district levels.  In fact, focus on new age technologies, such as cloud computing and AI is increasing, especially with the government looking to expand the scope of implementation of schemes like RISE (RevitalisingInfrastructure and Systems in Education), a massive overhaul in the education sector, at state and district level.

Cloud computing is supporting schools by helping them save cost on legacy software and infrastructure.  MOOC (Massive Open Online Courses) through cloud is equipping teachers and students at district level to a great extent. With MOOC, quality education is available in an affordable and scalable manner.Other government schemes such as SWAYAM (Study Webs Learning for Young Aspiring Minds) makes learning material easily available to all citizens, including teachers and students, with cloud computing.

Cloud also supports online labs, National Scholarship portal, which is a one-stop-solution for end to end scholarship processing across universities. Curriculum at schools and universities can be upgraded regularly in real time with cloud. Moreover, smart and virtual classrooms also address the challenge of lack of quality teachers. It supports in developing content that is innovative, interactive and engages the learner productively.

DQ: What are your plans for reaching rural, Tier 2 and Tier 3 areas? Right now, no one has approached them.

Amit Gupta: The Tier 2, Tier 3 or rural markets in India do not have access to physical tuition centres and classroom education service offerings like Tier 1 cities. This reality drives students in the non-metro regions to take to online learning more willingly.

Moreover, the exponential increase in the number of internet users in the last decade is driven by small towns and villages as it is accessible and available, with students here growing more aspirational than in the past. Educational resources and courses are also made available in regional languages over the recent years and accessible online.

Many regional edtech companies are playing a key role in Tier 2, 3 and 4 markets. Cloud tech companies like ours are increasing expanding our services in the edtech space with cloud services gaining more traction with educational institutes adopting it for their deliverables.  Yes, with affordable data pricing, students in smaller cities and rural areas are accepting online education readily.

As we are seeing considerable increase in the online learning offerings in the non-metro markets, we are bound to succeed there, and have plans to expand in these regions in the near future.